25 



with a 31 to 34 mesh per yard float in the water near the sur- 

 face, while the set nets are anchored at the bottom. 



Screen. — The simplest method of catching is to place a 

 screen across the main stream to prevent the passage of the 

 alewives, and to dip them when they' congregate in sufficient 

 numbers. During the days on which fishing is not permitted 

 the screen is lifted, and the fish are allowed a free run to the 

 spawning grounds. 



Regulation of Water Flow. — An ingenious means of regulat- 

 ing the water flow at the catching station on the Agawam 

 River prevents the alewives from ascending above a certain 

 point on the catching days. The greater volume of water passes 

 over the south dam, forming the main stream, and the catching 

 pool, where the fish are taken with dip nets. From this stream 

 a fishway, part of which is underground, after a course of 100 

 yards, leads into the mill pond. At the dam the gates are so 

 arranged that the men operating the fishery can regulate the 

 flow of water to fill the catching pool to the proper height 

 during the fishing days. Just below the fish house, which is 

 located over the stream, is a gate which is regulated by the 

 herring committee. This gate when down forms a temporary 

 dam which raises the height of the water in the catching pool 

 so that the fish can ascend a 2-foot rise from the catching 

 basin into a second pool connected with the fishway. When 

 the gate is removed during the fishing days the water in the 

 pool is lowered to such an extent that there is an insurmount- 

 able fall of 3 to 3 J feet at the upper end of the catching pool. 



False Channel. — At Herring River, Wellfleet, on catching 

 days, the alewives run into a false channel, the main stream 

 being closed by a gate. The false channel, a deep horseshoe 

 bend shut off from the main stream at its upper and lower 

 ends by a screen and gate, is closed three days a week to give 

 the alewives free passage to the pond for spawning, and opened 

 for catching the remaining four. 



Weirs. — Primitive brush weirs were used by the early colo- 

 nists. Twine traps in the form of fykes and weirs are now used 

 at times. 



Stone Driveways. — In Parker River the alewives were form- 

 erly taken by the simple procedure of constructing a V-shaped 



