SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 167 



miles since leaving tbe sea. This is one of the most distant points from 

 the ocean at which commercial shad fisheries are now prosecuted. It 

 appears that the season in the upper portion of the river does not begin 

 until the end of February, four weeks later tban at the lower end of the 

 river. The distance being about 135 miles, the progress of the shad up 

 the river shows an average of 4 or 5 miles per day. There are probably 

 a few bow nets operated above Wilson Mills, but the small extent of the 

 fishery did not warrant an extension of the inquiry above that point. 



The six stake nets operated on Neuse River above the Contentnea 

 were set near the Kinstou railroad bridge. The length of the nets was 

 22 yards each, the depth 35 meshes, and the size of mesh 5§ inches. 

 Two men and two boats were engaged; the catch by one boat was 774 

 shad and 7 rockfish, and by the other boat 50 shad were taken. 



Trent River. — The Trent, the largest tributary of the Neuse, is of 

 considerable width and depth, but draining only a small area of terri- 

 tory the current is sluggish. The drag-net and drift-net fishermen of 

 New Berne operate in the lower end, but with this exception few shad are 

 taken in this stream. It appears that they do not run far up the Trent 

 in large numbers, probably on account of the sluggishness of the water 

 and the consequent accumulation of drift and other refuse matter. 



Contentnea River. — About 32 miles above New Berne the Neuse 

 receives the waters of Contentnea River, sometimes called Moccasin 

 River, the shad fisheries of which are almost as important as those of 

 the Neuse above this point. This river flows about halfway between 

 Neuse and Tar rivers. It is about 140 miles long and it is navigable as 

 far as Stantonsburg, 63 miles above the mouth. Above Stantonsburg 

 it is full of narrow rapids and abrupt falls, forming a barrier to the 

 further ascent of fish as well as to navigation. The apparatus used 

 in taking shad consists of seines, stake nets, and bow nets, the total 

 yield on the river in 1896 being 7,033, of which 3,222 were roes. Of 

 this catch, 2,573 were taken in seines, 2,541 in stake nets, and 1,919 

 in bow nets. 



The length of the seines ranges from 30 to 80 yards, the mesh 2 to 

 3£ inches, and the number of men required four to each seine. The 

 beaches rent for $20 to $10 annually. In the lower part of the river 

 the season begins about the last of February, but it is a week or more 

 later above Snow Hill. During 1896 the catch was unusually small, 

 owing to low water permitting the shad to be taken on the lower 

 Neuse, the total yield in the 10 seines on the Contentnea being 2,573 

 in number. The Tingle Beach, 3 miles above the mouth of the Con- 

 tentnea, caught 2,400 shad in 1895 and only 410 in 1896. The number 

 of seines on this river is much less than formerly, there being 25 or 

 more ten years ago. In addition to shad, the seines take herring, 

 hickories, perch, bream, etc. 



The stake gill nets used on Contentnea River are from 18 to 40 feet 

 in length, with 5J-inch mesh, and cost on an average about $1.50 each. 

 From two to five nets are used by each boat. The season begins 



