SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 173 



The John Wood seine has made the following catches of shad and 

 alewives each year since 1891 : 



The yield of shad in Albemarle Sound depends largely on the cur- 

 rents, especially on those flowing from the mouth of the Eoanoke. That 

 river brings down large quantities of muddy water, forming a decided 

 contrast to the otherwise comparatively clear water of the sound. The 

 strong winds sometimes drive this muddy water back and forth, seri- 

 ously injuring the pound-net and seine fisheries covered by it. This 

 was especially true in 1896, and to some extent in 1895. It is claimed 

 that this muddy water is rather beneficial to the stake-net fishery, and 

 it appears that in certain localities covered by it in 1896 the stake nets 

 made good catches while few shad were taken in the pound nets in the 

 same section. This is tending to increase the popularity of stake nets, 

 and that form of apparatus is superseding the pound nets and seines. 



Pasquotank River. — This is really an arm of Albemarle Sound, extend- 

 ing 15 miles inland, with an average width of 2 miles and depth of 10 

 or 12 feet. In 1896 8,757 shad were obtained in this river, of which 

 4,642 were caught by 4 seines, 2,840 by 17 pound nets, 1,000 by 100 

 stake nets, and 275 by 10 bow nets. 



Perquimans River. — This is also an arm of Albemarle Sound, 12 

 miles long, and averaging over a mile in width, with 10 or 12 feet of 

 water. The apparatus used consisted of stake nets, seines, and pound 

 nets. Of the 12,424 shad taken in the stake nets, 60 per cent were 

 bucks; of the 7,680 caught in seines, 53 per cent were bucks, and 60 

 per cent of the 12,718 taken in pound nets were of the same sex. The 

 shad season in the Perquimans, as in the Pasquotank, is from the 

 middle of February to the second week of May. 



ROANOKE RIVER. 



The Eoanoke, the principal tributary of Albemarle Sound, is a narrow, 

 rapid stream, formed by the confluence of the Dan and Staunton in 

 Mecklenburg County, Va., whence it flows through a winding course, a 

 distance of 198 miles, to its outlet. It is navigable for vessels of 10 feet 

 draft from the mouth to Hamilton, 62 miles, thence for 5 feet draft 67 

 miles further to Weldon. The Eoanoke differs from other large rivers 

 emptying into the North Carolina sounds in that the fluvial character- 

 istics continue quite to the mouth, the width below Weldon being only 

 100 to 200 yards. Excepting a few rocky places, the bed of the river is 

 of sand, with generally an alluvial deposit over the sand near the banks. 

 At Eton Falls, near Weldon, the river crosses the escarpment line, 

 descending over 100 feet in a distance of 13 miles above that town, the 



