24 Fish, Fishing and Fisheries of Pennsylvania. 



fish. About 1829, Charles Vansciver leased the place and fished it for 

 twenty-two years. In the season of 1853, 2,100 shad were caught at this 

 fishery on the first day of April, and 54,000 were caugrht during the en- 

 tire season, and one of these shad weighed 13f pounds. It was pur- 

 chased by Christian Larzelere, Esq., a judge iu Burlington county. After 

 Mr. Vansciver retired, the fishery was conducted by Daniel Dwire, and 

 after his death by his sons, now residents of Kensington. This fishery 

 is considered the very best on the Delaware above Gloucester. At this 

 fishery in 1807, a striped bass, or such fish was caught that weighed 7ff 

 pounds. It had scales about the size of a Spanish quarter dollar. This 

 huge fish created much excitement in the neighborhood, and many peo- 

 ple came to see it. It was finally bought by Samuel R. Gummire, tlie 

 principal of an Academy for Toung Men. 



"Dunk's Ferry, at Beverly, was a shad fishery previous to. 1840, and 

 during the months of Jaly and August was renowned as a sturgeon 

 fishery, but of late years the fishermen in the Delaware by the number 

 and immense size of their nets, made sturgeon fishing in the river un- 

 profitable. 



"At Troy Town, above Andalusia, the river is very deep; in many 

 places it is said to be more than seventy feet. As a result the shad 

 fisheries there are hard to work. The herring fisheries, however, is re- 

 puted to be excellent. 



"Hawk's Island, at the mouth of Rancocas creek, was fished from 

 1826 to 1829 by Daniel Williams and afterwards by John W. Fennimore, 

 a relative of Fennimore Cooper, the celebrated novelist, Joseph Adams, 

 Peter K. Heisler. For years this fishery was noted for its large shad, 

 but the place is abandoned now." 



