410 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 
style of pounds were, however, fished with varying success until about — 
1873, when larger ones were placed along the ocean shore; and then, for 
the first time, their importance in connection with the Spanish mackerel 
fishery was discovered. The majority of the mackerel secured about 
Sandy Hook are now taken in this way. One hundred fish in number 
was considered an average daily catch for the fishing season of 1879, 
and 100 to 140 for 1880, though much larger catches were occasionally 
secured. The best day’s fishing for a pound-net in that locality occurred 
in the summer of 1879, when Mr. Robert Potter took 3,500 pounds, valued 
at $700, at a single lift. 
An effort was made as early as 1858 by Capt. Henry Fitz Gerald to 
introduce the pound-net into the waters of Chesapeake Bay, but his net 
was not properly constructed, and was so unsuccessful that it was soon 
taken up. No other attempt was made to fish with pound-nets in this 
region until about 1870, when Mr. Snediker and Charles Doughty, of 
Fairhaven, N. J., came to Virginia and located on the banks of James 
River, a few miles above its mouth. They fished chiefly for shad and 
alewives, continuing their work for about three years, after which they 
disposed of their property and returned to the North. In 1875 Mr. 
Snediker again visited the Chesapeake, located at New Point, Va., where 
he built a large pound in the waters of Mobjack Bay for the capture of 
shad and other species. The fishermen of the neighborhood being wholly 
unacquainted with the pound-net, were very jealous of the stranger that 
came among them with such destructive apparatus. They watched Mr. 
Snediker’s movements closely for several weeks, and after seeing the enor- 
mous quantities of fish taken by him, at once informed him that he must 
take his “‘traps” and leave the country. Refusing to comply with their 
demands, a number of them sawed off the stakes of the pound even with 
the water and carried the netting to the shore, assuring Mr. Snediker 
that if he attempted to put it down again they would destroy it. Seeing 
it was impracticable to continue the fishery here, he decided to seek some 
more favorable locality. Before leaving he sold the stakes that remained 
in the water to a resident fisherman, who obtained from them a pattern 
of the pound, and in a short time had one properly arranged for fishing. 
This was also destroyed by the fishermen, but not until enough had been . 
learned to convince them that pound-nets could be used with great 
profit; and within a year from that time 12 pounds were fished in Mob- 
jack Bay. In 1879 the number had been more than doubled, and on 
our visit to the region, in 1880, we found that every available site was 
taken up, and often three, or even four, nets were placed in line, the 
leader of one being attached to the outer end of another, for the purpose 
both of economizing space and of securing the fish that chanced to be 
passing at a distance from'the shore. 
Mr. Snediker on leaving New Point proceeded to the Eastern Shore of 
the Chesapeake, and associated with himself one of the most popular 
fishermen of the region, hoping in this way to prevent any organized 
