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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  "shore 
  weir." 
  -'Channel 
  weirs" 
  are 
  located 
  in 
  a 
  channel 
  between 
  

   islands 
  or 
  ledges 
  where 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  pass 
  through. 
  

  

  These 
  forms 
  are 
  usually 
  semicircular, 
  with 
  wings 
  or 
  leaders 
  running 
  

   from 
  the 
  inclosure 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  to 
  direct 
  the 
  lish 
  into 
  them. 
  Another 
  

   variety 
  commonly 
  used 
  more 
  closely 
  resembles 
  the 
  ordinary 
  j)ound 
  net 
  

   in 
  its 
  arrangement. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  semicircular 
  pound 
  or 
  inclosure 
  

   with 
  long 
  wings 
  extending 
  out 
  diagonally 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  and 
  a 
  leader 
  

   or 
  "center 
  fence" 
  running 
  toward 
  the 
  shore. 
  This 
  is 
  sometimes 
  called 
  

   a 
  "patent 
  weir." 
  It 
  has 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  capturing 
  fish 
  on 
  either 
  the 
  

   ebb 
  or 
  flood 
  tide, 
  while 
  other 
  forms 
  often 
  fish 
  only 
  when 
  the 
  tide 
  is 
  

   setting 
  in 
  one 
  direction 
  or 
  the 
  other, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  may 
  be. 
  

  

  The 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  consideration. 
  The 
  herring 
  

   travel 
  along 
  the 
  channels 
  or 
  where 
  there 
  are 
  strong 
  currents, 
  and 
  

   usually 
  against 
  the 
  tide; 
  hence 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  that 
  the 
  weir 
  be 
  placed 
  

   80 
  as 
  to 
  intercept 
  their 
  course. 
  Their 
  habits 
  are 
  closely 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  

   fishermen, 
  and 
  wherever 
  they 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  frequent 
  the 
  weir 
  is 
  placed 
  

   and 
  arranged 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  best 
  calculated 
  to 
  lead 
  them 
  into 
  it. 
  

  

  Construction 
  of 
  the 
  weir. 
  — 
  Brush 
  and 
  poles 
  comprise 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  

   material 
  used 
  for 
  building 
  weirs. 
  In 
  building 
  a 
  weir 
  the 
  usual 
  method 
  

   is 
  to 
  first 
  drive 
  the 
  mouth 
  stakes. 
  These 
  are 
  placed 
  from 
  15 
  to 
  20 
  feet 
  

   apart. 
  The 
  stakes 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  are 
  then 
  driven 
  about 
  

   3 
  feet 
  apart. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  stakes 
  is 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  35 
  feet, 
  according 
  to 
  

   the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  weir 
  is 
  set, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  about 
  6 
  or 
  7 
  

   inches 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  diameter 
  at 
  the 
  butt 
  end. 
  They 
  are 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  

   bottom, 
  which 
  is 
  usually 
  mud, 
  about 
  G 
  feet. 
  Brush 
  is 
  then 
  woven 
  in 
  and 
  

   out 
  between 
  the 
  stakes 
  alternately, 
  beginning 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  filling 
  

   up 
  toward 
  the 
  top. 
  The 
  brush 
  under 
  water 
  is 
  pushed 
  down 
  in 
  jjlace 
  by 
  

   means 
  of 
  an 
  implement 
  called 
  a 
  spudger, 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  an 
  iron 
  head 
  

   a 
  foot 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  length, 
  with 
  prongs 
  projecting 
  at 
  each 
  end 
  and 
  having 
  

   a 
  handle 
  some 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  feet 
  long. 
  The 
  brush 
  is 
  laid 
  horizontally 
  and 
  

   in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  that 
  the 
  ends 
  in 
  one 
  row 
  will 
  be 
  overlapped 
  by 
  the 
  

   centers 
  in 
  the 
  next 
  row. 
  Frequently, 
  after 
  the 
  stakes 
  have 
  been 
  thus 
  

   filled 
  a 
  binder, 
  also 
  made 
  of 
  brush, 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  top. 
  Brash 
  is 
  then 
  

   inserted 
  perpendicularly 
  through 
  the 
  binder 
  and 
  shoved 
  down 
  securely 
  

   in 
  the 
  brush 
  below. 
  The 
  wings 
  and 
  center 
  fence 
  are 
  built 
  similarly. 
  

  

  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  wings 
  is 
  generally 
  from 
  35 
  to 
  40 
  feet 
  inside 
  the 
  

   weir 
  and 
  from 
  75 
  to 
  100 
  feet 
  outside. 
  The 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  weir 
  at 
  the 
  

   ends 
  of 
  the 
  wings 
  or 
  "hooks," 
  as 
  the 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  wings 
  inside 
  

   the 
  weir 
  is 
  called, 
  is 
  about 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet. 
  The 
  leader 
  or 
  center 
  fence 
  is 
  

   about 
  125 
  stakes, 
  or 
  375 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  leader 
  does 
  not 
  always 
  

   begin 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  shore, 
  but 
  often 
  at 
  a 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  distance 
  from 
  it, 
  

   as 
  circumstances 
  may 
  require, 
  nor 
  does 
  it 
  extend 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  

   entrance 
  of 
  the 
  weir, 
  but 
  usually 
  terminates 
  within 
  about 
  25 
  or 
  30 
  feet 
  

   of 
  a 
  line 
  drawn 
  from 
  one 
  mouth 
  stake 
  to 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  a 
  still 
  greater 
  

   distance 
  from 
  the 
  " 
  hook" 
  stakes, 
  or 
  those 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  wings. 
  

  

  In 
  some 
  instances 
  the 
  weirs 
  are 
  not 
  brushed 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  above 
  

   described, 
  but 
  after 
  the 
  brush 
  is 
  filled 
  in 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  as 
  far 
  up 
  as 
  

  

  