THE MENHADEN FISHERY. aio 
the first of the season. Monday, 7th: Wind blowing hard from southwest. Tuesday, 8th: Blowing and raining. 
Wednesday, 9th: Windy weather. Thursday, 10th: Windy. Friday, 11th: Caught 7,000 fish. (Our fishing was nearly 
all done at this time in Great Peconic Bay, above Robins Island, and when we go in the bay below it will be men- 
tioned.) Saturday, 12th: Caught 1,500 fish p. m.; tore the seine on a snag. Monday, 14th: Caught 10,000 fish p. m. 
Thursday, 17th: Caught 6,000 fish; véry warm weather. Monday, 21st: Went out and about 1 o’clock p. m. saw o 
shoal of drum-fish in about the middle of Peconic Bay and put the seine around them. After pursing the seine we 
found it impossible to raise the bunt of the seine to the surface, on account-of the weight of fish enclosed; we hoisted 
it up as well as we could with the throat halyards and commenced at one end of the seine and tried to take it on, but 
could make no headway on account of the quantity of fish; then we loaded the sloop with the fish that were in one 
end of the seine, and with great difficulty we succeeded in emptying the seine of fish and getting it on the boats. I 
presume we let from 40 to 50 tons go; we saved one striped bass and saw another in the seine, but were unable to 
secure it. It is said to be almost invariably the case that one or more bass are found in a shoal of drum-fish. Our 
seine was so badly torn, or chafed, that it took several days to mend it, and our next fishing was on June 28. Mon- 
day, 28th: Went out in p. m.; caught 8,000. : 
July 1st, Thursday : Went fishing in p. m.; caught 3,000; we had to attend to haying and harvesting; did not 
fish any more until the 9th. Friday, 9ih: We caught 9,000 and spread them in the corn. Wednesday, 14th: We went 
out fishing; caught none; getting in wheat, &c. Wednesday, 21st: Went fishing; caught 18,000. Thursday, 22d: 
Caught 7,000 and carted them out. Friday, 23d: Went out; caught 12,000 fish; sold a part of them and carted part. 
We were busy with our farm work and did not fish any more until— 
August 9th, Monday: Went out; caught 3,500 fish. Tuesday, 10th: Went out; caught 21,000 fish. Wednesday, 
11th: Wind east; carted fish and plowed them under. Thursday, 12th: Went fishing; caught 11,000. Friday, 13th: 
Caught 12,000 fish. Monday, 16th: a.m. windy; p.m. went out; caught 8,000 fish. Tuesday, 17th: Went out; caught 
17,000 fish; Janded them on shore for some farmers at Franklinville. Wednesday, 18th: Went out; caught 8,000 fish. 
Thursday, 19th: Went fishing; caught 18,000; landed them for farmers in Franklinville. Friday, 20th: Wind east; 
came to Jamesport with sloop and seine. Monday, 23d: Went out fishing; caught 11,300; landed them just west of 
Jamesport for a farmer, Tuesday, 24th: Went out; caught 2,500 fish ; they were very wild; we had great difficulty 
in surrounding them. Thursday, 26th: Rainy day; we went out fishing in p. m., but the wind blew hard and we 
caught nothing. Friday, 27th: Went out fishing; caught 11,000; we joined seines; thought we could get around 
them better, but made hard work of pursing. Saturday, 28th: We carted fish and mended seine; came on to rain in 
p.m. Sunday, 29th: An east storm. Monday, 30th: Wind continues to the east, so we did not fish. Tuesday, 31st: 
Went out fishing; caught 13,000. 
September 1st, Wednesday: Went out fishing; caught nothing. Thursday, 2d: Went out; caught 7,000. Friday, 
3d: Windy; did not fish. Saturday, 4th: Went out fishing; caught 10,000. I have asore foot and the fall work com- 
ing on, potatoes to dig, é&c., so we quit for the season. 
1858. 
In 1853 they started out in search of fish on April 28, but none were taken until June 6. The fishing was aban- 
doned each year when farming was more important and when there was no longer use for manure, 
1854, 
In 1854 the season began on May 30 and ended September 27. 
1855. 
In the spring of 1855 the small sloop was sold and a larger one of about 12 tons was purchased. 
We now take another man to sail the sloop while we go to catch the fish. Previously we had been obliged to 
anchor the sloop until we could purse the seine. And about this time we increased the width of the seine to 300 meshes. 
On the 22d of May got out and varnished the seine (up to this time we had used bright varnish on the seine), and on 
May 29 went out to look for fish, but caught none. 
1856. 
In 1856 the seine was again varnished and hung, and the fishing began June 2 and ended October 13. 
The catch taken June 30, 1856, was sold at Jesse Terry’s pot works. They were the first I ever carried to a fac- 
tory. Mr. Terry had put up a small pot works on Red Creek Point to try out the fish that he caught with his draw- 
seine. Formerly we had boated most of them over to Jamesport and sold to the farmers. Mr. Henry Wells says 
he commenced trying out fish in July, 1850, at Shelter Island, and some parties in Greenport commenced fishing with 
a purse-seine about the same time that Mr. Petty and Cleves commenced in Peconic Bay, which was in 1848 or 1849. 
1857. 
We used tar on the seine this year, instead of bright varnish, which we had formerly used, and have made the 
seine 350 meshes instead of 300 meshes deep. 
