Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-30
Fish in the Potomac

io"iuS SlaleLucut TClaGlVe 70 the fisheries on
the Potomac:
Shad attain their growth in three or four
years Ia longer time than required by salmon
The male returns to the spaw uing. ground at
one year oid, While the female remains IN the
ocean until two years old. At three years old
they weigh about four pounds They live from
i've to ten or twelve years The plumber of
eggs spawned by full grown shad is from sew
enty 70 eighty thousand each year. The most
iaVolaolG spawning season IN the Potomac is
during the month of May, aad more particu.
much disturbed by freshets and thc tcmnor,.
ture is from IS to 10 degrees. The spawn IS do
posted on hard gravelIy bottom whore tbnro
Is Il current. Alter the close of tho sna,pn;nS
season, from the middle Of May to the 6rst If
July, they return gradually to the ocean. Dur.
lug August aud September the vouny ish
three OF lour inches in length, NAV he secn
along the shores on their way seaward Ger.
tam spots IN the Potomac river, once the iav
orlie spawning ground for shad and where less
than forty years ago twcuty thous md have been
caught with one haul of the seine, have since
been abandoned by them, the bottom of those
parts OF the river formerly clear and hardy
being covered with deposit Of mud, from the
action OF great ircshets in the streams,
The OILERS and the frequent Washing Of mud
into the river have nearly driven the shad and
nerrIog from the upper part of the Potomac
inc nshcrlcs now being nearer its mouth. If
legislation Is not applied soon to restrictions up-
on the use OF gill nets, the fisheries of the
whole river will soon be destroyed and our
State deprived OF this source of wealth,
The habits of shad and herring are d;f6cu)t
to account Tor and the catch from wear to wear
is very uncertain. The muddy water nrcya,I.
ING last spring caused a nearly general failure
On the Potomac. The herring is not 50 fastidi,,u,
as the shad IN selecting spawning ground: #
-roslts The spawn in deep, still water, even if
Dot hard bottom. The herring always spuwns
IN fresh water. TweLtY years ago freshet of
nearly year duration prevailed in this yicip.
lty, and consequently the brackish water cx
teGdrd much higher up the river than usually,
and the lower fishing shores we're failure
while those higher up the river did better, the
lsh ascending the stream above the liue of sal,
water to Spawo, The lover shores that
season caught great numbers of acwlves
bughsh, &c.-an unusual circumstance. Ale.
wives spawn only IN salt water. During the
past nifty years the muuntaiu streams feeding
the lOtomac have diminished in power, from
the ueuuiatlou OF forest aUd the supply OF
lrcSii water being lesscncd, the salt water has
replaced 1t, aud thus the formerly profitable
shores OF the lower Potomac have been abap-
doned Tor those hi CHER up. The probability is
that IN course OF time, as the supply of fresh
water dlminishes, the water of the ocean viii
take It's place, uotl! the herring will not seek the
river at all to spawn, but the aIcwivps or other
ish will. The herring fishery will thon Of
course be destroyed 10 such localities, This
would Indicate that 1t may be useless to at
tempt to stock river with fish that have never
existed there, Tor apart from the clusc of ex
cesslvc fishing fish vii! leave water that is not
adapted to their condition and seek some other
locality.
The report refers also to the new mode of
catching herring by the wicr This, if DOT reg
uIateu III length by law, will do more harm 10
me Iut0mac fisheries than all ether causes com.
olncu. Ii It's use Is persisted in, it will drive
tile ush away from our waters eutirey While
SO much attention has been paid to the culture
OF shad auu salmon, nc, within the last tYep-
ty years 1t seems strange no attention has been
glvcu to the artificial breeding of herring Il
would not only be the means of adding greatly
to our wealth, but the supply oil mackcrc, cod,
oiuch>h haddock, trout, &C., that feed on tbc
herring, would return 10 our waters. These
larger fish, also the black bass, pickercl &c
arr seen In large numbers at the mouths Of our
rivers when the young herring are makip.
their exit. Herring are more prolific than shad
and more hardy 10 their young state. Our
cthcIcnt Commissioner for the Western Shore
has done much for the fisheries of the STATE
thuS lar, having put over luur million of Young
Shad into the Potomac the past sprlog and
large number IN the Su>qu4hanna and otb,r
rivers, consequently we must expect an increase
OF shad IN these rivers in the course Of three or
four years.
Appended to the report was letter from
MT Pearson Chapman, sr., a resident of the
nelghborhooi Of the Lower Potomac, who con.
tributes his knowledge gained by watching their
habits Tor period of fifty years Mr.. Chan.
man corrob9rate5 fully the theory Of the mem
ocrs OF the section OF chthyology in the matt
"t excessive fishing, and also the use of the Gill
net.
The "glut" shad appears in the river abou,
the 10Th OF March generally, and c1mmenccs
to spawn about the last of April. During May
the species called the May shad. fish Of good
naVor anu tat, generally appears. This slad
Is now nearly extinct, chi fly because of the
war made upon it 10y the OILERS. In the month
OF June very large aud stout shad of another
species makes Its appearance. Its flesh is re-
markably white, but soft and comparatlveI,
taste!ess. During the month of September, as
the young shad are returning 10 the ocean, i'm
meusc plumbers are caught in gauze seines to
be used for bait. This practice he strongly con-
demns. The branch" herring makes its an. |
pearancc about the same time as the "glut" |
shau, and follows the crabs into the small |
DrahcheS to deposit It's spawn, hence the rame.
1t goes up the shallow streams as far as it cat |
tiuuer. The branch herring does not decrease
10 numbers as rapidly as the gut herring, for
he reason, probably, that the latter spawns 10
the river, while the spawn of the former being
10 the snail streams is not disturbed by the |
gill nets. The glut herring is about half as
large as the branch herring. of much finer
flavor, has small, round black eye (rhe eve If
the branch herring is peculiarly aud never gets
up into the branches.
Fltty years ago We had five distinct varieties
OF the herring, first the branch" herring; sec
ond the common "gIut" herring, early 10
Arr, but IN Later years later in April. and for
the last three years they do not appear at all
re Arr,I. ri bo :,