Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-03-13
BHAD.
How, when and where they are
Cnusnf, and who catch them.

NOW, Wmem Hmu wMeK0 tney are
Causnt, and who catch them.
"If this weather continues for week
or two you need not expect the fisher
men to set In until it m0defAtes," re-
marked an old fisherman this morning.
A reporter had asked him when the
Wilmington fishermen would go down
the bay and commence their seasons
fishing. He also said that one or two
loads had gone down already, and quite
a number will leave by the first Of
next week. These would for the
time being put up at Bombay Hook and
Smyrna Creek. Fishermen, he said
were catching shad down there, this
early in the season, in some quantities,
a thing heretofore unknown.
Wilmington has about eighty shad
fisherman, and forty boats go out Of
the Christiana to swell the size Of the
:'shad navee." Time has been when
the number Of fishermen did not exceed
six, and, at that time one of them was
old Mr.. John Robinson, at present the
tender Of Market street bridge. He is
a veteran in shad fishing and followed
the vocation with zsst for nearly fifty
years. He was at one time one Of the
most successful fishermen, and his fel-
lows used TO humorously remark that
he could catch q boat full Of fish
'tquicker than you could say Jack Rob
inson." From Mr.. Robinson are the
facts for this article gathered.
Shad are caught in larger quantities
in the gilling seine than by any other
means. The gilling seine is long net
with meshes about 5 inches in size.
II is put in the boat and the little craft
manned by two sturdy men, one to row
and the other to lay out the net, pro.
ceed out into the river. Here the seine
is laid out, directly across the stream.
The shad come swimming up in schools
and try to swim through the net. Their
gills become fastened in the twine, and
they are held prisoners until the seine
is raised, when they are flung helpless
into the bottom OF the boat.
The life of shad fisherman is a hard
one. You will never find one who is
not fellow of strong and hearty con-
stitutjon. Night and day he is on the
river, and many time he is out on the
water in a bowling midnight storm,
with the spray falling and freezing into
sleet on the oars and ropes as he hand
les them. As general thing they
make two hauls of the seine day, and
work as lsng as tired nature will per-
init. And of nights when the tides are
running rightly, they gather around
their stoves in their little shanties Oh
the shore, and regale themselves with
spinning yarns or may be listening to
the music that one of the draw from can
dilapidated fiddle. The fishing COM
merces on the Delaware Bay about.
March Goth, after the driving storm
that comes with St. Patrick's Day.
The homes Of the fishermen are then
down aronnd Kits Hammock, Mahon's
River, Jones' Creek and Bombay Hook.
As the season advances they gradually
move up towards the mouth OF Christi
anna Creek, and when 1t is in its
height, are putting up in shanties
near the light house.
| Shad nShlng now IL uot WAat IL usou
to be. Years ago the fish could be
caught in wonderful quantities. Mr..
Robinson at one time caught 1000 shad
in forty-two days. A good days catch
vent away over hundred. Of late
wears the falling off has been great.
Last season the fishermen did not catch
enough to half pay expenses. It is
fs 4red that it will be even worse this
season. When fishing started here the
nets were about 60 fathoms in length.
Now they are 500 to 700 fathoms long.
Even with this the fishermen catch very
few. Tie cause has been that so many
are engaged in fishing, and that long
tue4 at ths mouth of the bay drive
the schools Of shad back into the ocean
a. they start to come up.
Only D few shad have been sold in
the Wilmington market. Thus far
they have brought $l.00 and $l.25 per
piece.