SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 



203 



The inesli in most of the shad pound nets has the following dimen- 

 sions: Leader, 7 inches; first ''pound," 6; second "pound," 4 or 5, and 

 main "pound," 4 or 4^ inches. Some of the nets have 2^-inch mesh, in 

 order to retain the alewives; while a few of the regular shad nets have 

 a backing of 2^-inch mesh, against which the fish are bunted when the 

 net is lifted, the alewives not escaping readily through the large mesh 

 except when the net is being lifted. There is a tendency to increase 

 the size of the mesh, and during the last year it was 12 inches in some 

 of the leaders, and this will probably be exceeded, as the tide runs 

 strong and a small mesh trap is more likely to be swept away than one 

 of larger mesh, and it also accumulates more seaweed and other floatage. 

 The "pounds" are usually from 40 to 60 feet square and the leaders 

 from 200 to 250 yards in length, the average cost of the nets approxi- 

 mating $100. The total catch of shad by the pound nets in 1896 num- 

 bered 269,228, of which 114,999 roes and 102,531 bucks were obtained by 

 Virginia fishermen, and 31,163 roes and 20,535 bucks by residents of 

 Maryland. This yield was not so large as usual, nor were the prices so 

 high as in former years. Unusually warm weather in April resulted in 

 glutting the market, and prices did not recover during the season. The 

 lowest prices received were 6 cents for roes and 3 cents for bucks, but 

 from two to three times that amount represented the average prices. 

 Th«>, total value of the above yield was 128,801, of which $23,268 repre- 

 sented the Virginia and $5,533 the Maryland catch. 



Seining was formerly the most extensive branch of the Potomac 

 River shad fisheries, but its importance as compared with the drift-net 

 and pound-net fisheries is becoming less each year. 



The following shows the location and extent of this fishery in 1896 : 



Localities. 



Virginia: 



Stiff's Wharf.... 



Marlboro Point. . 



Gumma Point . . . 



Wide Water 



Freestone Point. 



Occoquan Creek. 



Stony Point 



Maryland : 



Chapman Point . 



Bar Landing 



Moxlev Point . . . 



Tulip Hill 



Total. 



Dis- 

 tance Num- 

 above ber of 

 Smith seines. 

 Point. 



Miles. 

 70 

 74 

 77 

 82 

 91 

 93 

 96 



99 

 102 

 107 

 109 



Length. 



Yards. 

 800 

 1,800 

 1,200 

 2,200 

 2,400 

 2,000 

 3,200 



1,200 



1,600 



440 



400 



17, 240 



Number 

 of men, 

 includ- 

 ing 

 shores - 



Number of shad 

 caught. 



Roes. 



1,200 



4,200 

 450 



4,800 

 14,181 



4,800 

 18, 000 



11, 250 

 4,536 

 2,400 

 7,200 



73, 017 



Bucks. 



800 

 2,800 



300 



3,200 



9,454 



3,200 



12, 000 



9,250 

 3,024 

 1,600 

 4,800 



50, 428 



Value. 



$172 

 560 

 120 

 688 



1,891 

 640 



2,400 



1,550 

 552 

 320 

 960 



9,853 



At Great Falls, 14 miles above Georgetown, there are a few bow nets 

 used each spring from the last week in April to the first or second week 

 of June. These nets are operated from a point known as " Shad Rock," 

 which projects into the water on the Virginia shore just below the 

 principal falls. Three bow nets were reported from that locality in 

 1896, the yield numbering 360 roe shad and 240 bucks. 



