102 FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 



Lines. — Two kinds of lines are used, the trot or set line, and the 

 hand line. The former is used principally for catfish and crabs, and 

 the latter for bluefish, croakers, spots, squeteague, and other varieties 

 of fish. The total catch by lines was 9,072,174 pounds, valued at 

 $176,638. This amount includes 10,000 pounds of bluefish taken in 

 the vessel fisheries. Of the total catch 8,145,912 pounds, valued at 

 $140,651, represents hard crabs, leaving a remainder of 926,262 

 pounds of food fish. The catch in the hand-line fishery shows a large 

 decrease, but the set-line fishery for crabs shows an increase of over 

 2,000,000 pounds. 



Gill nets. — Gill-net fishing is generally confined to the river courses 

 of the state, and very few gill nets are used elsewhere. More than 

 8,000 were operated in 1904, the catch amounting to 2,162,089 

 pounds, valued at $100,506, of which shad constitute more than two- 

 thirds in both quantity and value. The catch of sturgeon, including 

 the caviar, was 63,315 pounds, valued at $10,615. More than half of 

 this amount was taken on the ocean side of Accomac County by men 

 fishing near Matomkin Inlet. 



Fyke nets. — The fyke-net fishery shows a small increase in the 

 quantity and value of the products, but a decrease in the number of 

 nets fished. The total catch was 687,714 pounds, valued at $31,549. 

 The most important species taken were striped bass, catfish, perch, 

 and squeteague, the catch of these four species constituting nearly 

 two-thirds of the total. 



Eel pots and spears. — Eel pots and spears were used in six counties, 

 the yield in all amounting to 62,600 pounds of eels, valued at $3,131. 

 The largest catch was made in Princess Anne County, in the waters 

 of Back Bay, where 1,000 pots caught 45,000 pounds, valued at $2,250. 



Minor apparatus. — Under this head are included dip nets, bow nets, 

 and other forms of apparatus not shown elsewhere. The most im- 

 portant is the dip net for soft crabs, the catch amounting to 325,566 

 pounds of crabs, valued at $23,496. The bow nets were used in taking 

 alewives and shad. 



Weirs and slat traps. — Weirs are used principally in the York River, 

 the catch consisting of alewives, catfish, squeteague, and striped bass. 

 The slat traps are set in the falls and rapids of the James River and 

 are fished by persons living in Richmond. In 1904, 23 of these traps 

 were in operation, the catch amounting to 43,600 pounds. The com- 

 bined catch of weirs and traps aggregated 149,005 pounds, valued at 

 $4,965. 



Clam tongs, lioes, and rakes. — The vessel fishery for clams is of small 

 importance compared with that of the shore fishery. Accomac and 

 Northampton are the only counties in which vessels are used. The 

 catch by vessels was 20,440 bushels, valued at $20,293. The shore 



