THE SMELTS 
245 
and Passaic Rivers in New Jersey, Long Island, and southern New England, are no 
longer any considerable factor in smelt production. 
In statistics of the Bureau of Fisheries for 1888 no smelts were recorded for 
New Jersey or New York, and in the United States Census Report for 1908 a catch of 
7,500 pounds, valued at $1,500 taken by seines, was credited to New Jersey. The 
record for Connecticut showed increases from 9,600 pounds, valued at $770, in 1888, 
to 10,000 pounds, valued at $7,200, in 1908. In Rhode Island, for the same period, 
there was a falling off from 61,500 pounds, valued at $3,135, to 1,200 pounds, valued 
at $100. 
At the present time probably the largest proportion of Atlantic smelts appear- 
ing in the markets of this country come from New Brunswick, although at times 
some have been received from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfound- 
land. Thus it is seen that the commercial smelt fishery has receded gradually north- 
ward. However, it is locally of considerable importance in Maine. Probably one 
of the most potent factors operative in the depletion of smelt waters has been net fish- 
ing during the spawning season of this fish. This sort of fishing had such marked effect 
upon the smelt supply of Massachusetts that long ago legislation tended toward the 
reduction of net fishing and the encouragement of the hook-and-line method. 
Massachusetts . — As early as 1868 or 1869 taking smelts by any other method 
than by hook and line was prohibited excepting in a few specified instances, when 
they were permitted to be taken by seines when fishing for “perch,” etc. With 
little modification the law still stands. Prior to the passage of the act referred to, 
smelts were caught chiefly by seines and dip nets near and in the streams to which 
the smelts resorted for spawning. The report of the commissioners of fisheries of 
Massachusetts for 1869 (p. 15) states that the seine used might be 360 feet long and 
20 feet deep, with a 1^-inch mesh. The report cited one haul of such a seine in 
which 6,700 pounds of smelts were taken, and said “as twelve usually go to a 
pound in the ‘school’ fish, this would make 80,400.” The report further stated 
that smelts were taken in great quantities with dip nets on the spawning beds. A 
table was given, which showed the number of dozens of smelts taken by two dip 
nets during 13 seasons at the backwater dam at Milton on the Neponset River, 
as follows: 
1855. 
1856 
1857 
1858 
1859 
1860 
1861 
300 
100 
21 
1, 113 
507 
927 
725 
1862 
1863 (3 nets) 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
417 
2, 275 
850 
1, 715 
714 
1, 154 
The foregoing figures represent approximately as many or perhaps twice as 
many pounds, according to size of fish. The report for 1870 (p. 23) notes an in- 
creased catch of smelts by hook and line in the autumn of 1869 in Back Bay, “quite 
out to Brookline. The mill-dam was lined with patient anglers; and distinguished 
merchants, of lower Beacon Street, might be seen, at early hours, eagerly catching 
their breakfast from their back doors.” 
