658 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
5.—THE FISHERIES OF THE HUDSON RIVER. 
By MARSHALL MoODONALD. 
The sources of the Hudson are in the Adirondack Mountains. Its main tributary, the Mohawk, 
rises in the table-land which forms the divide between the waters that flow into Lake Ontario on 
the one side and into the Hudson River on the other, and flows southeast; but, breaking through 
the Catskills, precipitates itself at Cohoes to the level of the river valley of the Hudson by falls 
which are about 40 feet in height. These falls, while forming a magnificent water-power for the 
many factories along the river’s banks present an insuperable barrier to the ascent of fish. An 
obstruction of this kind exists at Glens Falls, on the main river. Indeed, all the tributaries are 
characterized by similar impediments, and thus may explain the fact that the Hudson is not, and, 
as far as we can learn from historical data, has never been a salmon river, and yet, strange to say 
the Connecticut River, similar in physical features to the Hudson, in olden times had important 
and productive salmon fisheries. 
The sturgeon fisheries of the Hudson were formerly of great importance, but now are of com- 
parative insignificance. The shad fisheries have, however, maintained considerable importance, 
and in annual value are hardly inferior to those on the Albemarle, Potomac, or Susquehanna. 
As explanatory of the decrease of certain fisheries on many rivers, it has been frequently 
alleged that the same is due to such deleterious influences as the disturbance of the waters by pass- 
ing steamers, the pollution by sewage, and the refuse of the paper, calico, and other factories in 
operation along their banks. Were these valid reasons for the decrease of the river fisheries, then 
certainly would the fisheries of the Hudson be reduced to a minimum. Statistics, however, show 
that on this river, in spite of all these supposed baleful influences, the shad fisheries have fallen 
off less than in any other river on the Atlantic seaboard. It is manifest, then, that in accounting 
for the impaired shad fisheries of the Potomac and other rivers, we must adduce arguments more 
tenable than the disturbance and pollution of the waters. In New York Harbor alone, which 
is in an incessant state of turmoil, caused by the thousands of vessels daily plowing its waters, 
over 250,000 shad are annually taken. 
The shad appear first in the lower bay, between Sandy Hook and Fort Washington, about 
March 20. They are taken at the Narrows, below Fort Washington, by gillers from Fort Lee, 
Hastings, and other points on the river. These men come down to meet the shad, and fish as 
long as their operations are profitable. The duration of the fishing season here is, however, 
very short, as the shad soon commence their upward movement. From Jersey City to Fort 
Lee fishing is carried on entirely by means of stake-nets. These are set in 40 to 60 feet of 
water. Such deep fishing necessitates very expensive preliminaries. The stakes or poles are 
cut from 60 to 80 feet long, and cost $7 to $10 apiece. They run out in long rows from the 
shore and are placed at intervals of 27 to 30 feet, often numbering thirty ina row. The nets 
are 54-inch stretch mesh, and are made in squares of one hundred meshes. The nets are 
lashed to poles, which are fastened to the stakes by rings and ropes. In setting these nets it 
is necessary that the upper line should be 7 or 8 feet below the surface, so as to prevent being 
torn by passing vessels. If the fish are running deep the nets must be lowered on the poles, 
and vice versa. 
