THE MULLET FISHERY. 567 



bulk of the catch for the season may be taken in a few days. Alocg certain portions of the Gulf 

 coast there are weeks together when the mullet do not come into shoal water, and not unfrequently 

 two weeks pass at the height of the season without any considerable number of fish being taken; 

 again, with a change in the weather they come within reach of the seine in such numbers that, 

 owing to the limited facilities for handling them, only a small percentage of the fish that could be 

 taken are preserved. This large run usually lasts for a short time only, and when it is over the 

 fishing season may be said to have closed. 



At Beaufort, N. C., the catch varies according to the location of the fishery and the energy of the 

 fishermen. Some crews stock large amounts, while others realize almost nothing for their season's 

 work. A fair average catch to the seine between Beaufort and Wilmington would be from 300 to 

 350 barrels, containing 100 pounds each of salted fish. 



At Charleston the seines are considerably smaller than those in use further north, and the fish, 

 being sold fresh, are never reckoned in barrels. The catch for the average seine in this locality is 

 about 2,500 strings, or 11,250 fish in number. In Sarasota Bay, Florida, 10,000 pounds were taken 

 at one haul, and the catch is frequently so large that all of the fish cannot be saved. In one case 

 so many were inclosed that the fish carried away the seine, the men being unable to hold them. 

 At Robert's fishery, in the same locality, as Mr. Stearns informs us, "several hauls have proved 

 larger than 22 men could split, in consequence of which large numbers were spoiled. One haul 

 contained at least 20,000 fish in number." Mr. Mcllvaine reports a single catch of 40,000 mullet in 

 number at Cedar Keys, and 200 to 500 barrels are said to be an average catch for a seine manned 

 by 8 to 10 Apalachicola fishermen, in a season which practically lasts from the middle of October 

 to the last of November. These are, perhaps, exceptional instances, as they occurred upon the 

 best fishing grounds. In other localities less frequen'ed by the mullet the catch will average less 

 than 50 barrels to the seine during the season. The average catch to the seine for the entire Gulf 

 is placed by Mr. Stearns at about 250 barrels of 200 pounds each. 



FISHING WITH DRAG-NETS. A peculiar form of seine, extensively used in the capture of trout 

 (Cynoscion maculatum) at Beaufort, K C., is employed to a limited extent in the mullet fish- 

 eries also. This seine, locally known as the drag-net, is found only in North Carolina. It is 80 to 110 

 yards long, 3-inch mesh, and from 6 to 12 feet deep. It is used only along the inner sounds, where 

 the water is shoal enough to allow the men to wade about. Two men are required for fishing the 

 net. On leaving the landing they usually proceed to some shoal-water bank along the main chan- 

 nel of the sound, when one jumps into the water, holding a shore-line attached to one end, 

 while the man in the boat "shoots" the seine in the form of a semicircle, so as to inclose as 

 much of the channel as possible, bringing the other end to the shoal at a point some rods distant 

 from the first. The fishermen gradually bring the ends together, thus completing the circle and 

 cutting off all means of escape for the fish. The staff of the first end is now securely imbedded in 

 the mud to hold it in position, while the men gradually draw in the netting, thus lessening the 

 circle and bringing the fish within narrower limits. When the circle has been considerably reduced 

 the hauling proceeds more slowly, one man handling the cork-lines while the other pulls on the lead- 

 line, passing it beneath his feet to keep it close to the bottom. The fish are thus forced into the 

 "bunt" near the stationary end, when, by a quick movement on the part of the fishermen, the staff 

 is pulled up, and the net, with its contents.!, s quickly transferred to the boat. 



The channel fishing is carried on only when the mullet are more or less scattered. When they 

 begin schooling the fishermen move about from place to place until a school of fish is seen, when 

 they proceed to surround and secure them. In this case the fishing is necessarily confined to the 

 flats, where the water is shoal enough to allow the fishermen to wade about. 



