166 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



34 on the north side of the river and 53 on the south side, in depths of 

 water ranging from 6 to 12 feet. The leaders average 200 yards in 

 length, and the mesh in the trap is from 2 to 1£ inches. The average 

 value of the pound nets is about $120, many of them being constructed 

 of twine used previously in seines. The season begins about August 15 

 and continues until early in May. Shad constitute only about 20 per 

 cent in value of the total pound-net catch, the other species taken being 

 herring, striped bass, sea trout, croakers, white perch, drum, pickerel, 

 etc. The catch of shad in 1896 was 22,471, of which 12,972 were bucks, 

 and of herring 1,146,280 were obtained. 



While comparatively few shad caught by means of bow nets reach 

 New Berne, yet the use of that form of apparatus between New Berne 

 and Contentnea River is quite extensive, especially in the vicinity of 

 Spring Garden, Cowpens, and Pitchkettle. They are used to the best 

 advantage during high water, as then most of the seining operations 

 are suspended by reason of the beaches being overflooded, leaving a 

 greater number of shad to be taken in other apparatus, and for the 

 further reason that the shad are less cautious during the muddy-water 

 period and are more easily netted. The number of bow nets in use 

 between New Berne and the Contentnea in 1896 approximated 185, 

 requiring 180 boats, worth $620, and 360 men, and the yield approxi- 

 mated 5,800 roe shad and 6,450 bucks, valued at $2,901. 



From Contentnea River to headwaters. — The apparatus used in the 

 shad fisheries of Neuse River from the entrance of Contentnea River to 

 Smith Mills, a distance of 125 miles, cousists of bow nets, seines, and 

 stake nets. Bow nets are used throughout the length of the river; 

 seines are operated between the entrance of Contentnea River and Bear 

 Creek, 37 miles, and stake nets are operated at the railroad bridge, a 

 short distance below Kinstou, 17 miles above the Contentnea. 



The seines range in length from 50 to 80 yards, the depth averages 

 12 feet, and the mesh about 2J inches. The season begins usually the 

 first week of February and ends the second or third week of May, the 

 annual rental being about $20 for each beach. The catch of shad by 

 each seine in 1896 ranged from 25 to 1,350 in number. It is stated that 

 the present catch in these seines is not one-fourth of the yield twenty 

 years ago. The Bear Creek seine-hole, the uppermost beach operated 

 at present, caught only 200 shad in 1896, whereas from 1880 to 1890 the 

 average catch was about 1,000 each season. Until quite recently there 

 were several seines on the Neuse between Bear Creek seine-hole and 

 Smithtield, but unprofitable fishing led to their abandonment. In 1896 

 two seines were operated 50 miles above Bear Creek seine-hole, but on 

 Little River, a tributary entering Neuse River near Goldsboro. 



Bow nets are operated from the entrance of the Contentnea to Wilson 

 Mills, the total number employed in 1896 being 257 and the yield of 

 shad numbering 11,067. The distance from Wilson Mills to New Berne 

 is 156 miles, and as New Berne is 80 miles distant from the ocean it fol- 

 lows that the shad taken at Wilson Mills have traversed at least 236 



