CONNECTICUT: CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 319 



C. CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 



106. FISHERIES OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, SAYBROOK, AND WESTBROOK. 



THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND SAYBROOK. The Connecticut River, which empties into Long 

 Island Sound at the town of Saybrook, has long been known as abounding in fish of various species, 

 especially shad aud alewives. These are taken at different points along the river as far up as 

 Holyokc, in Massachusetts. Within the limits of the State of Connecticut, and especially towards 

 the mouth of the river below Middletown, there are fishing stations where gill-nets and haul-seines 

 are used for the capture of these fish. At present the number of gill-nets used in the river is 57, 

 worked by 114 men, and 20 haul-seines, handled by 49 men. The catch in 1880 was 92,824 shad in 

 number, and 2,700 barrels of alewives. 



At the mouth of the river, on the western shore, is Saybrook, for many years famous not only 

 for shad catching but also for the packing and shipment of shad from towns in the vicinity. Shad 

 are taken here in pounds or traps of the usual heart shape. These are set outside of Saybrook 

 Point and just west of the river along the sound. From Lynde's Point, at the mouth of the river, 

 to Cornfield Point, a distance of 3 miles to the westward, there are five of these traps, as follows: 

 One each at Lynde Point, Gardner Place, Guard House, Willard's Bay, and Gillett's Bay. It is a 

 singular fact, that although shad were formerly taken in abundance in pounds set east of the river 

 and near its mouth, the catch of late years has so decreased that pounds iu those localities have 

 been abandoned, except for the capture of a few menhaden and a few squeteague, blackfish, her- 

 ring, and bass. 



Just above the point, inside the river, on the western bank, small piers are built out a short 

 distance from the shore. These are used in the shad fishery and named " Washington," "Federal," 

 and " Jamaica." In years past they were considered to be in the best locations to be found for 

 catching shad. As long as thirty years ago the catch from each pier averaged 20,000 shad, but of 

 late years the annual yield has gradually decreased, and if the falling off continues, a few years 

 more will see these old fishing piers given up. 



From the piers sweep-nets of 1,920 feet in length and 30 feet deep of 5-inch rnesh are used, 

 each pier fishing two nets managed by seven men. One end of the seine is made fast to the pier 

 with a line. The seine is then paid out from the boat aud is swept round the fish and the other 

 end brought back to the pier and placed around a capstan by which the seine is drawn in to the 

 pier aud the fish removed. 



The gill-nets or drift-nets used here are 900 feet long, 25 feet deep, and 5g-inch mesh. They 

 are taken about 2 miles up the river and allowed to drift down with the current, catching nothing 

 but shad. 



By the three methods of pounds, seines, and gill-nets the shad fishery is carried on. Most of 

 the catch in this vicinity is outside the river in the heart-pounds. The season commences about 

 April 20, varied a few days by an early or late spring, and continues till Juno 20, when the law 

 requires fishing with nets and pounds to cease. 



The railroad station is located on the steamboat piers, at the mouth of the river, and here the 

 fish are received, packed, and shipped. They are usually put up with snow or crushed ice in boxes 

 holding about 300 pounds each, and in this manner sent to Hartford and New York, whence they 

 are distributed all over the country, the entire catch being marketed fresh. The total number of 



