42 SIIAh FISHERY COMMIliSION 



now, 125 or 1.15 to a barrel. Shad Creek weir took very fat shad at the latter end of 

 September. They were late shad and ran about 90 to a barrel. They only lasted a 

 day or two. No one drifted at that tim-e; in St. John shad are caught early but wen; 

 never so thick as with us. In the United States shad were caught in April. I fished 

 from Salter's Head to Teneoape or even Walton. As a remedy I suggest that setting 

 n«ts in Shubenacadie river be stopped. Sawdust is not serious and some will go in 

 whatever you do, nor will short nets do as we must have long nets to make it payf.i 

 Across the bay from here they used the longest nets, 25 bunches (480 fms.) being used 

 by them but we used 16 to 20 bundles. I don't see how the length should be limited 

 though I think it would be a good thing to limit one boat to each fisherman and allow 

 only one net to each boat. I never got 400 shad in one night at Teneoape and we 

 fished a day here and a night here. 



Captain John Graham said I have fished at Five-mile river, S. IFaitland. I fish 

 for salmon and gaspereau and commence about May 1. I use a mesh of 2 J inches in 

 30 fathoms. The gaspereau last till June, and they are full of spawn and are on 

 their way up to the lakes. The first run has more males and the fish are largest and 

 fattest. The last schools are pretty thin and called ' mallhe.yers ' or black bellies. 

 They are black inside and are larger and run by themselves, their colour being dif- 

 ferent and darker scaled on the back. We call all gaspereau. We get an odd shad, fat 

 and full of spawn but they won't easily mesh. We fish in muddy water. The gasper- 

 eau are without doubt getting run out. Enemies have thinned them, among them 

 being the largo striped bass ."0 or 40 pounds weight. I have opened them and found 

 six or seven gaspereau in tiem. They are got in October. More valuable than bass 

 are the gaspereau and salmon. The chief harm done is up the Stewiaek river by 

 dams stopping the ascent of salmon and shad. Sawdust is most injurious and when 

 water-soaked sinks, covers up and destroys the feeding grounds. It is not in their gills 

 as some people think. Salmon are 10 or 12 pounds on averag-e, but I have caught 20 

 pound salmon. Four to 15 pounds is the usual size taken. We formerly made better 

 catches as more salmon got up the rivers than now, indeed I got 10 or 12 in an eddy 

 but only got an odd one at Plaster or Big Rock. Formerly 14 or 15 boats all catching- 

 salmon, but they don't go there now. Nets are often set right across the river, but no 

 great amount caught, every one is a spawner and should not be caught, being of great 

 value to the fish svipply. Dr. Black's hatchery cannot be of full benefit because fish 

 are so obstructed, there should be a clear course for them. Not a dozen nets now be- 

 tween here and Shubenacadie where formerly everybody had a net, it is a big loss to 

 the people, but a hatchery should do good if given a chance. 



Isaac Faulkner^ Princeport, had 47 years' experience, beginning when 10 years 

 of age. He spent some years on the Pacific coast. I fished from Tenecape. Holli- 

 day, of Halifax, caught the first shad in the bay at Holliday's beach. Economy. Shad 

 were plentiful then. James and William Hill fitted up a boat and net 45 or 48 years 

 ago, but shad were scarce and three barrels only was their catch for the season. Shad 

 returned after that and for years fishing was good, 5,000 to 7,000 to a boat. In 1879 

 they were more plentiful than I remember. I fished for Lindsa.y !Moore and got 14,000 

 in five or six weeks, Joe Taylor got 21,000 off Economy in that time. I fished 23 

 bunches, 45-ineh mesh and later 5-inch. Masstown fellows got two weeks' fishing 

 before us. Fishing was from Masstown to Parrsboro on our side, and Maitland to 

 Windsor on the opposite shore. In 1879 I got 1,200 shad in one night's fishing. In 

 1880 I got a total of 6,000. but in 1881 not half so many. Fishing has never been 

 good since, though 10 or 12 years ago 3,000 and it has dwindled till it is small fishing. 

 Ours are not spawn fish, rarely I got one, just now and then. I sold to Johnny Eraser 

 of Folly, but for eight or nine years fishing has been poor. Salmon have been plenti- 

 ful but 12 or 14 years ago more than now, one day 14 years ago I got 57 salmon. They 

 ranged from 3 to 15 pounds, the largest was 22 poimds. Here a 7-iuch mesh would 



