Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-10-19
THE GAZETTE.
Tuesday MORNING, OCTOBER 10, 1855.
EEL FISHING In THE sUsQUEHANNA.


EEL FISHING In THE SUsQUEHANNA.
A, the present time the pursuit and cap
turc of the piscatorial treasures of the
Susquehanna, furnishes vast amount of
sport for the riparian residents, and what
is of importance, supplies them with con-
siderable amount Of valuable food. About
the middle of August the water of the
stream becomes very low, and usually by
September, that in the channel is only a
few feet deep, leaving the stony bottom for
q wide space on either side in some places
nearly bare, With occasional deeper burrows
which pass along it. At this stage of wa
ter the instinct which governs the fish to
descend the rivers previous to the advent
OF cold weather becomes the means OF their
destruction. For many miles of the rivers
length, therefore, north and south the
people owning the shore adjoining, erect
their fish dams and gins, by deepening tho
channel somewhat and building an elonSa'
ted v shaped wall, at the lower point
of which is fixed q box, from which the
fish, when once caught cannot extricate
themselves.
ODeyipg their instinct in their desccn! OF
the stream, they find themselves borne
pleasantly into this channel and wrlggips
themselves chserily. they let the current.
pent In by wall--carry them aichg until
they tumble, plump! toto the box at the
TERMINATION Of the '. The fish taken 10
this manner are for the most part eeis, 0t
which almost incredible quantities are CAP
tured during the fall seas on. The eel catch
ers call it fan run and in nanny sectors
are in the habit of dating all events from
il. We once heard a man in court exam
ined as to a question Of time, by counsel.
lie made bis deposition, and was passed
over for cross examination. "H0w do you
know this to be the case!" he was intorro-
gated. "Why. because it was The same
week with the first run of cells" This was
deemed conclusive, and the witness under
wen, DO further inqulsition on that point.
To return /, the eel question--ther "run"
only takes place ut night: in day time they
remain quiet in the comparative deep pools
of the river. The wo,k of catching them
however is no sinecure, not so much on &C.
count of the labor, as of the wakeiulness
and exposure which ii involves. In some
of the dark and showery nights OF the sea-
son the game will come toto the box SO
fast that the watcher, who IS often station
ed there with boat, can scarcely remove
them into it with sufficient celebrity. AT 9th
er times there will be scarcely spot! enough
in the uoxes to repay for trouble In watching
them. 1t is only the larger apparatus and
dams, however, that are thus cared to?: the
smaller being rarely filled to OverfOwing-
Fishermen secure and salt down some i've VI
ten barrels of eels during the season, besides
living entirely upon them during the catch.
The larger operators make the business pay,
as a single man alone can perform all the Ia
Dor required in taking and sailing the fish.
We have read Of various illustra ions OF dis!-
tai dexterity, and have seen Ole Bulls, Paul
Julien's and Viuxtemp's manipulation OF the
violin; but could either of these gentlemen
once behold the marvellous rapidity with
which some of the fishermen diGest the
cells Of their slippery epidermls or integu-
ments, they would stand abashed, andhke tue
sable individual III the song, clay down the
fiddle and the bow" for ever afterward.
We are at loss to see how 1t is possible
for any fish whatever to descend to the mouth
of the river, excepting it be a few belated ones
who delay their return until rise IN the
river gives them security from the low water
traps. From Marietta to point perhaps
hundred miles up, excepting IN few places,
these eel-gins are 20 numerous that they must
entirely empty the river of eels, the run con-
tinuiug constantly until frost, and the fishing
being terminated only, as We have already
said, by the Fall rains. When these occur
the boxes are taken up.
The walls which remain under the water
are very seldom disturbed, and the next year
with little repair, are just as good as ever
The cells are packed in full-sized barrels, and
nanny are sent to Baltimore. Quantities arc
purchased by sea-goiog vessels whose skip
pers are aware of the delicious favor OF this
rather anomalous article IF provision. The
fishing season in some places closes with q
grand carouse, in which large quantity OF
whiskey is consumed.