The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-07-06
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Ioo Boeo0o U09D8on V0bn8o e009 1Ioo VIII
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In summing up the results OF the recent
shAd fishing season. the victorian oArsman Josh
Ward Of Cornwall says that Notwithstanding
the supposed aid the State hatcheriss are be-
lisved to have given In multiplying tho nah.
tho business Ia declining. He says tho season
has been one OF the worst for hard work that
he has ever seen. and he has been following the
occupation oil his life. The rough and stormy
weather In the early part OF the season made
the work extremely hard. and the exposure
was the toughest that fishermen have had 70
endure for many years. Tho work. OF course.
has its charms - we'll - IT, hardships. Mr..
Ward was credited with catching the nrst shad
In the upper Hudson. near Polopsl Island.
ON the 18th Of April He says shad sre
40 shy and sprightly - trout. A. the
season advances the water bsoomss clearer.
and the better the condition Of the water. the
harder II becomes TO catch them. When the
wator IL quite clear many do their hshing ct
night. whom the fish cannot see. A. long 40
they can SEQ they dart around the nets like Q
fash. and although the river 10 full Of nets.
thousands esoapo being caught. The state.
msnt has been published that the fishermen
down the rivor havo had better luck. but In the
upper Hudson no avors that the number caught
with twico the old-tine number 0f nets 10 far
below that Of tho past Ho has only succeeded
himself In taking with ono net about 1000
shsd. while he has known the time whom with
only one net bis haul has amounted to x.700.
This was nineteen years ago.
There are now" he said. more than twice
40 many fishermen 40 there were twenty-five
years ago. while not % many fish are taken
now US then. Notwithstanding the great I'm
provements In the nets wo use. Then we
81 mt MAJ Ia nj M md M
thread, and our success wss far arsater than
No. ana w I No. 20 ssrsaa Aef q shows
s noi ss sis 81 S Psie.s dS%
missionere that they have increased the supply
y sn ss s q ns .s Ss s e.
f snS q s ys SsS
Of time. when shad =. will BE- luxury
sS aSn.hs aeE n n n.He
or o ss sT ;a one
Whsn WAS d boy and a:hsd with HA nv S father
and nldeI brothers vt Mud Hole. just north Of
but oi late u We get IL i've Of, !six. weeks We
s Se ,Sss "a S ss Hss
pole nets I'll; that ont Q, icE,y,ave square pole
last 81 tho pols-net fishing, which was
tsken This H. q course strong p proot That
tho tlsh arg getting fewer and fewer ench yoar.
This year have only used one drift net but In
Nothing but drift nets are used nowadays
above Sing Sing. The quality Of the nah this
sso The 20 salt he wafer ssaa Is
.a .s s as tie ap y
the IS softer \, and Ie's pnla,abIe the fish will BE-
Ses Il, reaches ON he Hsison inf Gr catch
ke.psie Tue yisld is greatest there. and lie
tisl Of good Quality. The seasons end quicker
From GRASSY Point 10 Albany there. have been
in all probability 500 boats engaged In the in !:
BY two men and some By three. and from 1000
t. 1.6O0 men have been employed in the work.
Many OF these depend TO srsHt extent ueon
hcip, them, through the year. and IN the hest
reaches nshsrmen are found quite thick;m,.sone-
s"ry IN MT the season The Sod Tide Is the best ror
s tue s ana nt the latter Ear. the s66
beading up tho river and We drift down upon
net and get 81! Of he way. The largest single is
ss whom s'ft ssa II s season OF
took 254 ahad In fifty pound Of q No. 10 thread
not The largest shad l eyer captured In q
DRIFT net was an eight FOUNDER. A six pound
shad ts considered q very big one. The largest
shad ever saw in my life WAS caught by my
taken in = stake net and weighed ten aud a
quarter pounds The prices paid this year aver
aged about go u hundred to the fishermen up
the Hudson. Down the river 1 learn that they
did not average moro than SIS hundred. 1t
is only rarely that enythins except bass or q
in my net was made BY q sturgeon. and lie went
through II as easy ~ could be. It is only oc-
casionally that u bass Is taken In drift nets. 1t
has been my luck. however. to take trout and
bass In seine near Cornwall remember
catching y two-pound trout this way. and once
made big haul of bass. There were several
hundred pounds OF the bass. and two Of tho
fishes weighed 1876 pounds"