New-York tribune., 1869-03-27


'fIRsT sHAD OF THE sEAsoN-HoW THE FISH
ERMEN SUFFER.
Now that the balmy Spring is fairly upon MS,
the enterprsing who make preoarous living from
April juno by Establishing are busiy engaged In set
ting their for the unwary anadrons that make an
annual visit to our at this On Tuesday the
first shadpole was planted in the North River, at point
almost opposite where Gen. Mcclellan is putting the I'm
shng touches to the great Stevens Mystery and yester
day large numbers OF poles pced launched and
set all along the channel Fort Lee clear down where
tile Hudson is lost in the Ocean. To-day shad fishing
begins I'm real earnest than one epicure will
smack lips at tomorrow's breakfast over what ne VIII
honestly believe to be the First shad Of the Season.
The sad makes its first appearance at the mouth ofth
North River between the h and 2th OF March, bat does
not reach Pougkeepse for nearly three weeks afteward
1t is not caught in large numbers until about the third
week in April when 1t is abundant that 1t is sold az 80
and $40 per hundred About the st OF July the fisher
men take up their nets for this the fish becomes
very thin and poor, and is no longer delicacy. .
The shad fishing on the North River is done by means
of gners fastened to long poles planted either in the
channel OF the ver the shore The nets used
In the negborhood about Is feet square,
and are set In rows the river to catch the fish as
they swim up or down This great depth OF the net rs
rendered necessary by the fact that the shad sWms MID
way between the surface and the bottom OF tho river It
does not 20 schools like the herring and keeps
straight ahead in its course, peculiarly which makes
it's capture in wde-meshed nets an easy matter The
planting Of poles across the river has always been con-
sdered great nuisance especially by those who are en-
gagged In navigation and intoerabe did 1t become In
1858 that poles then heky planted as to resemble
forest OF branoess trees were pulled up by the Pio
Commissioners BY persistent lobbying the squatter
soveregns IN Utrecht secured the passage OF law
allowing them again to obstruct tho channel, Dut Gov
Morgan very properly vetoed the BILL In Aprl OF the
a-1,. gf fhafF nnla QgQln
but on the 9th of that month"; by order Of Capt Carpen
ter then Acting General superintendent Capt Gibson OF
Police with OF his officers and five ggers
commenced upon the fishermen Early In the
morning they started from the Battery in the old tug
Magnolia and made descent upon the shadpole or
chard belonging to Garner Ellis of Ellis Island The
tusse was long and tedious but the poles removed,
and with the valuablenets attached, left to the
mercy Of the tide Next they steamed to the fishery OF
James Mclaughlin opposite Pier No. l, and continued
their work Before tho City Hall clock had struck the
hour for the evening meal the police had removed more
than 100 poes which represented In those days gold
value OF over 5000 Many OF them had been planted
within 10 or feet Of the shipping this side OF the
river the following day the work was resumed but
owing TO the roughness OF the weather. but few of the
obstructiOns were removed BY this time the fishermen,
who had loudly threatened armed resistance to the au
thortes had become convinced that would be better
to save their property. so they lost no time In
the nets which had not been removed for them,
and in floating the remainder OF the poles. 1t
il said that the total loss the fishermen in this short
but decisive war was something $1,000 For long
time there we're threats Of against the city for dam
age done but discretion prevailed the law was never
invoked
Since that time the shadpoe nuisance has been
so prominent create much popular feeling against
it. 1t breaks ont spots once In while, but the erup
tion is soon Yesterday the EewJersey banks OF
the Hudson from below the fragrant banks OF COmmun
paw to the regions lying above far north as Bulls
Ferry were dotted here and there with white nets wav
ing in the Spring breeze and cleaning IN the bright sun
slime nets saved from the last years wear
and tear 20 do duty once more from date TIL dogdays
and black nets which once white, aud which should
have laid in ordinary years ago, or sold to the
rag-man for the ultimate benefit Of the read
lug public. Long rows OF poles covered
the bank wherever the white nets fiecked the
dark background; skIs and yaws bObbed up and down
at their mOorings where sialwart men were busy with
adze and spike and sdge and rope splicing two and two
the long unwiedy poles and dnmbe-hngered boys defy
piled the needle in the earnest endeavOr to repair the
nets now sadly lacking in meshes. The scene was a
very anmating ore, and AZ many points the operations
or the wOrkmen we're watched with much interest by
number Of people whom shad fishing and the prepara
tions therefor are as yet hidden mysteries
The poles which for this latitude are in two pieces,
measure from TO 20 feet in length They arc generally
OF hickory, TINS WOOD wears wen IN WAFER Nntiher
salt or fresh They are planted in 80 40 to
and Mt intervals OF about 25 feet Between every two
poles net hung, and to the bottom Of this are sus
pended weights to prevent II from being waited by the
tide Tho meshes Of the nets are about four Inches
square and admit of the passage OF only the smallest
shad An effort being made to force the fishermen
To widen the meS IN order that none bn the fugrown
shad shall be caught This measure must be carried
sooner or later else Ia few years We shall have no
sba I'm ha Nnrth I'M o
nets three required for each row. Nearly all
the fishery propretors between Fort Lee and the mouth
Of tho Hudson employ force OF nine or 10 men each
during the season OF these work shares Others
receive from 81 TO So day for their services The nets
are set a about this time every year. and until they are
lnd away ON shore are visited and raised at the turn OF
each foo tide Many fishermen, however, take up ther
nets AZ IN tturn OF the ebb by doing this they
secure the shad caught coming down stream he
has " worried himself TO death.
The principal fisheries o" tne North River within easy
range Of NewYorh are Wooey's, near the Courtlandt
At Ferry, Van Zyles opposite Communipaw; Gardners
opposite the upper end OF the Elyslan Fields and Lud
lows opposite Old Weehawken. There ore others at
DAYS Point Bulls Ferry and Fort Lee, which in good
seasons catch thousands OF FISH for our market.
The foreman OF the Ludlow fishery promises to catch
the first shad Of the to-day. lie who controls
operations at Days Point makes similar pedge while
to him Of Bulls Ferry To whom shad-nshing in all It's
phases is as a well printed alphabet to senior
wrangler I'VE must accord degree of sagacity
which was once. but is no longer con-
sidered a prerequisite TO success as fisherman. He
wisely remarks that when he catches his first shad he
shat send TELEGRAPH for 20 find out whether Ludlows
has ketched one not for that's onnessary waste OF
time and further that the first shad Of the season,
whether ketched at Old weehawken, further up, at
Bulls Ferry won't taste better than the 2sthoness
it's better cooked"
When the first shad docs come, however, he will COM
mand as lie always does exorbtant price. Gardner
expects sl2 for his first from member of the Manhat
tan Club who has wagered new hat and brown