INTERIM REPORT 23 



.">5,000, and 80 barrels were taken iu two nights iu a weir in wliich there were 

 fourteen shares. In the years 18 'jG to 18Sr>, there was good average fishing; but 

 after that, 1886 to 1896, there was a decline and in 1897. A west wind and roily 

 water favoured good catches as when 45,000 shad were taken in one weir and 

 divided amongst fourteen shares and 10,000 shad were left in the weir till next morn- 

 ing (it was on July IT, 1897). In 1842, 26,000 were taken in one weir at one tide. There 

 were failures formerly and in 1853 and 1854 there were no fish — only about a barrel, 

 but up the basin more were taken, not many however. With a west wind and the tide 

 setting down the shore towards Cape Split, the shad came along the north shore into 

 the bay and good catches were certain ; but if the water was not roily the shad would 

 not be taken in quantity. Shad seines are set about the first Monday after June 20 or 

 about July 1, as not nuiny shad are moving in June or in August or September. Once 

 on the 10th of September, I knew of a good haul of 13,000 shad on the south side. 

 The River Habitant people sixty years ago used to come over here after their own 

 fishing was over and set nets here in September. The shad came in for food, viz., a 

 marsh flea with which the water was alive. They were of a light brown transparent 

 colour, and an inch long, ifany shad have been opened but the stomach contents could 

 not be decided. Spawn shad come only occasionally; not one in a thousand is a spawn 

 shad. They spawn elsewhere and come here to feed up. Eighty filled a barrel iu early 

 days of course salted and weighing 200 pounds. I once got a prize for a barrel (1st 

 prize) and it contained 62 shad. Shnd of three or four sizes occur. In 1897, as good 

 shad were taken as ever before. The seine mesh was 4-inch extension now 5-inch mesh 

 is used and 7 or 8-inch in the inner net. The smaller shad as big as my hand are 

 sold for No. 3's. Xone are composted, but herring and mossbonkers are. We see only 

 few sick or poor, spawn shad. Late in the season dog-fish occur and often very thick 

 but very few in recent years. Formerly sawdust was deposited but most mills usually 

 took care of it. The water is often full of sawdust from the mills between Eatonville 

 and Parrsboro', but shad are not choked, their feed is killed off. it is death to all vege- 

 table and animal life. Injury is serious from the catching of spawn shad in the Anna- 

 polis river and other rivers. A few salmon are always taken with a west wind especially 

 but none in clear weather. Our seines are too low for salmon. Five or six may be 

 taken. Also a few gaspereau — a basketful early in the season. 



William Stkel. Scott's Bay, whose experience extends over sixty years stated 

 that he was a fisherman and also a farmer. He remembered poor years in the forties 

 when 400 or 500 shad only would be taken on a tide. Ten or eleven years ago there 

 was a serious decline. The smallest size shad I ever saw in the bay was six or eight 

 inches long. A seine takes eighteen or nineteen men two weeks work fixing up and it 

 costs from $800 to $900. We pay 25 cents per pound for the twine and use twenty 

 pounds or more. The stakes we procure close by here. There are eighteen or nineteen 

 shares in a seine. Storms often wreck our seines twice in the season. We used to get 

 a few sharks, but we may get a few mackerel, also flat-fish, skate, and small fish which 

 can be liberated by lifting a few inches of the seine. Very rarely there are late shad 

 in September, but by August 20, storms stop seine fishing. Formerly we sold salt shad 

 to customers who came from the surro'nnding country with teams. No vessels shipped 

 out shad except very occasionally. Now shad are all sold fresh. We split them in the 

 back for salting, scraped the blood out, scraped off the scales before salting. Scott's 

 bay shad had a superior repute because they were scaled. The scales were off and they 

 were gutted. No great loss would occur to any one if the shad fishing were forbidden : 

 but stop the catching of spring spawning shad or build hatcheries. Make a close sea- 

 son for spawning shad. We catch the spawned shad that are feeding up. We get a 

 few cod fish but very few of us are fitted out for cod fishing. 



David Jess, Scott's Bay, said that he had 60 years' experience, and he stated that 

 shad had seriously declined. Tears back they had heen scarce, and 31 or 32 years 



