The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-05-02

The FISuERIES.-Ou fishermen
are nearly in the midst of their busy season, but
the catch has only been moderate in quantity, no
very large hauls having been made The fishing
is now nearly all done from floats anchored in the
river or bay, instead of from the Shore recent
visit to Messrs. William B. Michael and B. f.
Cronin's float, near Cedar Point, Spesuta Mar
rows, afforded an excellent opportunityof seeing
how the work is managed. The float is about so
feet in length, and contains quarters for about
forty men, with Kitchen packing house, and
stables for the horses used in haulngin the seine
shelving platform, extending from the float to
the bottom of the bay, furnishes convenient
way of landing the fish on the float. Messrs
Michael II Cronin use seine about three-quartcrs
of q mile in length, but some of the seines used
on the head waters of the bay are nearly two
miles long. The width Of the seine is perhaps
twenty-five feet, one side being kept on the bot
tom by rope to which pieces of lead are attach
ed. The other side is kept at the surface of the
water by means of large pieces of cork.
The seine being properly disposed in the stem
of large boat so or GO feet in length, manned by
16 Is men, is laid out at the distance of half
stout ropes to wndassrs at each end of the float
As soon as the seine is set it is hauled in, the
operation of setting and hauling requiring about
two hours The horses are attached to Il sweep
power, and the seineis slowly and steadily drawn
| towards the float. Great care is taken to keep
the lead line, as the lower side of the seine is
| called, on the ground at the bottom The ends
of the seine are gradually drawn in, the seine
being piled up as it is drawn in, at the end of the
| boat. As the seine approaches the float the men
| wade into the water, on the shelving platform,
and by keeping the seine in its place prevent the
| escape Of the fish. The fish are landed ON the
deck of the float, and the moment they touch the
| dry and hot boards they toss themselves into the
air in throes of agony The principal part of the
catch is shad and herring, but cells, catfish carp
and perch are also found among them. The shad
and herring make two or three conyulsivc flops,
and die, but the catfish and cells appear to suffer
very little immediate inconvenience from the
change, and live out Of the water for many hours
The fish arc sold to wagons on the shore or taken
to Havre de Grace, from whence they are shipped
to Philadelphia or Baltimore. Shad have been
selling at from Sl3 to $50 and herring at 81 per
| hundred. The cat fish and cells are placed in a
live-boX, and sold at the rate of about % cents
bushel. The process of setting and hauling
the seine proceeds with scarcely any intermission,
day and night, while the fish are running The
fishermen arc satisfied when they take five or six
barrels of herring and so or 60 shad at a haul,
but some years ago as many as five hundred
barrels of herring and an immense quantity OF
unmarketablc or ofal fish, such us catfish, cells,
moccasin, perch, &c, were taken at one haul
Frequently a large portion of the fish were re-
leased from the net because the entire catch
could not be disposed of Immediately. Occa-
sionally salmon and a few black bass are caught.
These have accidentally made their way out ofthe
river, which has been stocked with them within
| the last few years.