FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 101 



catch amounted to 1,830,275 pounds, valued at $57,346. Of this 

 quantity 697,725 pounds, valued at $39,870, consisted of shad. 



Northumberland County has the most important pound-net 

 fisheries in Virginia, leading all other counties in the number of nets 

 operated and in the quantity and value of the catch. The nets are 

 set in both the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, 113 being 

 credited to the former and 173 to the latter body of water. Those in 

 the bay extend from the mouth of Wicomico River to Smiths Point, 

 and those in the Potomac from Smiths Point to Hog Island. The 

 Potomac River nets are fished in the spring only, the season extend- 

 ing from March 1 to May 30. The catch consists principally of shad 

 and herring. 



The pound nets of Westmoreland County are set in the Potomac 

 River off Colonial Beach and vicinit}", those of King George County in 

 the Potomac River from the mouth of Upper Machodoc Creek to 

 Maryland Point. They are fished principally in the spring, though a 

 few are operated in the summer and fall, about half of the summer 

 catch being disposed of to hotels and boarding houses at Colonial 

 Beach. 



Above Maryland Point, in the counties of Stafford, Prince William, 

 and Fairfax, the pound-net fisheries are of much less importance than 

 in the lower Potomac. The nets are smaller, and man}" of them are 

 set in the creeks emptying into the river. The catch consists of 

 perch, catfish, striped bass, black bass, and other species. 



James City, Nansemond, and Warwick are the only counties on the 

 James River having pound-net fisheries. The total number of nets 

 was 7, and the aggregate catch 156,350 pounds, valued at $5,784. 



Seines. — Considering the quantity of products taken, seines lead all 

 other forms of apparatus used in the fisheries of this state. The 

 total catch was 246,628,251 pounds, valued at $602,835, of which 

 241,292,666 pounds, valued at $498,730, was menhaden caught by 

 purse seines in the vessel fishery. The haul seines used in the 

 shore fisheries caught 5,335,585 pounds of fish, valued at $104,105. 

 Twenty-one counties in the state engaged in the haul-seine fishery. 

 The seines vary in length from a few yards to 1,600 fathoms, one 

 of the latter length being used on the Potomac River. 



Princess Anne County has the most valuable haul-seine fishery in 

 the state. In 1904, 127 haul seines were operated in this county, 

 securing a catch which had a value of $25,164. Back Bay, located in 

 the southeastern part of the county, near the North Carolina line, 

 furnishes more than half of the catch, 125 seines being operated in this 

 small body of water, and giving employment to 250 fishermen. The 

 seines averaged 150 yards in length. Large quantities of white perch, 

 black bass, yellow perch, mullet, pike, and other species were taken, 

 the catch amounting to 406,780 pounds, valued at $13,539. 



