SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 159 



brush from the channel of the river, and also to the decreased run of 

 shad, rendering improved forms of apparatus necessary. 



The lowest seine beach on Cape Fear River in 1896 was operated at 

 Prospect Hall, 22 miles below Fayetteville, by Mr. William Whitedge, 

 using two seines 50 yards long, 6 to 11 feet deep, and with 3-inch mesh. 

 The season extended from March 29 to May 14, and 123 shad were 

 caught, the highest catch in one day by the two seines being 16. 

 Near Fayetteville three seines were operated in 1896, catching 515 shad 

 and 3,005 hickories. The seines are from 75 to 90 yards in length, 12 

 to 15 feet deep, with 3 inch mesh, and require the services of 4 men 

 each. The lowest is located about 9 miles below Fayetteville, and 5 

 miles above comes William Field's seine beach, new in 1896. A short 

 distance above Fayetteville is E. P. Power's beach, established thirty 

 years ago, and catching 5,500 shad during the first season. In 1867, 

 according to Mr. Powers, the catch of shad in the vicinity of Fayette- 

 ville amounted to about 22,000. The season at Fayetteville begins the 

 last week in February, about one month later than at the mouth of the 

 river. The distance between the two points being 145 miles, it appears 

 that shad move up the river at the rate of about 5 miles per day. 



Smiley Falls is practically the limit of the shad run on Cape Fear 

 Eiver, and the few fish that pass those falls find an impassable barrier 

 12 and 14 miles above at Battle and Buckhorn dams. The fisheries on 

 this river are prosecuted so vigorously, however, that few shad now 

 pass above Kyle Landing, 12 miles above Fayetteville. In Smiley 

 Falls several finger traps take some shad each season, but fish are 

 becoming so scarce as to render their use unprofitable. 



Black River. — Black Elver, which flows into the Cape Fear about 15 

 miles above Wilmington, is of considerable importance as a shad 

 stream. It is quite narrow, ranging in width from 350 feet near the 

 lower end to 100 feet 50 miles above. About 56 miles from its mouth 

 it receives a tributary somewhat larger than itself, the South or South 

 Black Eiver. This branch is slightly deeper and longer than the main 

 river above this point, but it is reported that few shad ascend it. 

 About 30 miles above the mouth of South Eiver, Black Eiver receives 

 the Six Buns, a somewhat important shad stream. This is the head 

 of navigation during high water, and ordinarily very little navigation 

 exists above Point Caswell, 36 miles from the Cape Fear. There are 

 no falls whatever on Black Eiver, and shad may ascend to the upper- 

 most limits. Most of the fish are taken between Point Caswell and 

 Clinton, and on the Six Euns below the Clinton and Warsaw Eailroad 

 bridge, seines and bow nets being employed. 



It is unlawful to fish with seines in Black Eiver "from Cape Fear 

 Eiver to the mouth of Great Coharie, also in the Six Euns to where 

 the Atlantic Coast Line Eailroad crosses said stream, except on Tues- 

 days, Wednesdays, and Saturdays of each week from 1 o'clock a. m. to 

 11.45 o'clock p.m. on each of the days above mentioned, * * * from 

 the 1st day of March to the 15th day of June in each and every year." 



