APtENBIX. INCIDENTS OF THE FISHERIES. I05 



each a capable man and to pay each one-tenth cost of provisions — L'Hom- 

 medieuto have five-elevenths of the profits and the others each one-eleventh. 

 At Orient, June 5, 1833, a seine at one haul took 12,250 drum fi.h 

 averaging ^^ pounds in weight; the total catch weighing 202 tons and 250 

 pounds. 



Fifty years ago Trout fishing on Long Island had already become of 

 recognized importance. The numerous swift streams of clear, old and 

 pure water, Rowing from the higher level of the central region to the north 

 and south shores — especially to the latter — make superior feeding and breed- 

 ing haunts for the "speckled beauties,'" and it is held that the mingling of 

 these fresh streams with the salt waters of the Bays serves to [ romote the 

 growth and the delicacy of flavor for which the brook trout of Long Island 

 have long been noted. However this may be, it is certain that Long Island 

 trout have been and still are favorites in the city markets, commanding the 

 highest prices. Within the past thirty to forty years private individuals 

 and Clubs have bought up ponds and streams along the South Side, in the 

 towns of Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven and Southampton, and have expen- 

 ded lage sums in enlarging, cleaning and protecting the ponds and in 

 arrangements for the propogation or protection of trout therein; and now 

 comparauvely few public waters can be found in which the taking of 

 natural trout yields any considerable return of either pleasure or profit. — 

 To how great an extent this occupation of the trout ponds and streams of 

 our county by individuals or corporations has gone I am unable to state 

 with exactitude; but a careful estimate of the present cash value of the 

 trout preserves in the county places it at about one million dollars. As 

 long ago as 1837, in its issue of August 5, the Spin'/ of the Times had an 

 account of a trip of several weeks on Long Island spent in making a tour 

 of the trout ponds and streams, which were described at some length, the 

 writer being strongly impressed by what he saw. He also referred to troll- 

 ing for blue fish on the Great South Bay and to perch fishing in Lake Ron- 

 konkoma, and specified among the fish then more commonly taken from 

 the Bay — blue fish, black fish, weak fish, (chequet), porgies, sheepshead 

 and striped bass. 



On September i6th, 1837, the schooner Oneco, Captain Rogers, from 

 the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, arrived at Greenport with 25,500 cod- 

 fish to Dr. E. D. Skinner. At that time the bounty on codfish was large 

 enough to stimulate enterprises of this sort, and several were undertaken 

 from Greenport and Sag Harbor. In 1807 there were brought to Sag Har- 

 bor 6,600 quintals of codfish. 



Traping fish, or the use of various devices other than hooks or ordinary 

 nets and seines, has been practiced from the earliest period, indeed, it may 

 fairly be inferred that this mode of fishing was more general in the first 

 than in the second century of the county's history, since in its earlier years 

 the procuring or making of nets and seines was attended by greater relative 

 expense and difficulty than it came to be when improved methods of manu- 

 facturing twine, cordage and nets had cheapened their cost. 



By virtue of their ancient patents, confirmed by acts of the Legislature 

 and upheld by judicial decisions, the towns of Brookhaven and Hunting- 

 ton claim and exercise exclusive property rights in the Ian J under water of 

 the bays, &c., within their jurisdiction. Much contention and some dis- 

 turbance have arisen from conflicting views and claims growing out of this 

 ownership by the towns, and out of their management, through Trustees, 



