THE RIVER FISHERIES OF MAINE. 685 
of about 120 feet circumference, surrounded by a strong net running quite to bottom, its lower 
edge being weighted down with a heavy chain. When the tide is out the water in this inclosure 
is from 2 to 15 feet deep, It is “fished” about low water by sweeping it with a small seine,* and 
hauling the fish into a boat. The method of construction is similar to the floored weir above 
described, but more net and less brush is used. The net is of cotton twine from sixteen to 
twenty-four thread, meshes 2 to 23 inches in extenso, is kept tarred (pine tar being preferred for 
fresh water), and lasts several years. These weirs were introduced on the Kennebec about 
1852, and ‘have proved far more effective than the floored or “pocket” weirs that preceded them. 
The most important advantages possessed by them appear to be the following: First, the fish can 
enter the fish pound readily at all stages of tide and on a level with the bottom of the river; 
second, the fish pound is more capacious; third, if fishing is omitted for a tide or two, the fish do 
not die, but have plenty of water to swim in until next tide. 
The floored weir, already described as a salmon-weir, was, early in the century, the instrument 
of the capture of immense numbers of shad, along with alewives and salmon, in both the Kennebec 
and Penobscot. At the present time they furnish all of the few shad taken on the Penobscot, and 
maby of them are still built for the mixed fishery of the lower Kennebec. Half-tide weirs, such 
as are described in connection with the alewives, were also formerly much employed for the capture 
of shad and alewives, especially on the Penobscot, but with the diminution of the supply have 
almost wholly gone out of use. 
. Seines.— A seine, in the common parlance, is a movable net by which fish are surrounded and 
captured either by pursing up the bottom or drawing both seine and fish ashore. All the seines 
employed in the river fisheries of Maine are of the latter class, and of a size requiring four men to 
each seine. The ordinary method of operating is to coil the net on the stern of a large seine-boat, 
from which it is “paid out” or “shot,” as the boat is rowed out and back in a semi-circular 
course. From each end of the seine lines run ashore by which it-is “hauled.” All fish within the 
inclosed area are brought ashore except those small enough to slip through the meshes. Salmon, 
shad, alewives, bass, perch, and sturgeon may all come in together. It is necessary to have a 
smooth bottom and smooth shore, and be in close proximity to the channel where the fish run. 
Nature has fitted but few seining grounds on Maine rivers, and most of the grounds that have 
been used have been cleared up for the purpose, with a wore or less considerable expenditure of 
labor. In consequence of this lack of facilities seines have never been extensively used. On the 
Kennebec and tributaries fourteen seining berths are enumerated as having been occupied in 
former times, but nearly all of them are now abandoned. On other rivers seines have been still 
less employed. 
Drift-nets.—Drift nets were formerly largely employed for the capture of shad in all the rivers 
frequented by them, especially the Penobscot and Kennebec. This was an important industry 
down to 1840, or a little later, since which date it has entirely ceased in the Penobscot, and lost 
nearly all its importance in the Kennebec. At the present time 56 drift-nets are plied in Eastern 
River, a branch of the Kennebec, and 66 more in the Kennebec and its other tributaries. In 
Casco Bay there are 90 drift-nets in use, but only for a few nights each season. The shad drift- 
nets of the present day are of about 44-inch mesh, varying slightly in different localities. This 
size is adapted to sea shad. In Casco Bay they are knit of fine linen twine, from thirty-five to 
forty-five meshes deep and of various lengths, from 100 to 300 feet. When fishing in a broad 
*'The seine is a net fixed on two poles or “staves” at either end, with corks at top and leads at bottom. By 
means of a line running through rings around the bottom it is ‘‘ pursed” or “tucked” after the ends are brought 
together, and the fish are thus bagged. 
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