Evening journal., 1891-03-28
sHAD INDUSTRY.
Men Who VIII Engage In Fishing and
HMuling at Nav CaatIa.

Rfen Who WIZ Engage In Fishing and
Hauling at New Castle.
Special Correspondence EVENING JoHRHAr..
New CASTLE, March % The work OF
shad fishing, (which is an important
spring industry In New Castle will begin
In earnest on Monday morning, when the
fishermen will start out long before
dawn TO take the first tide Fully thirty
fishing skiffs are engaged In the work
and they viii nearly all start out on
Monday to open what they think will be
q big season throughout. Amongsthe
experienced fishermen who will master
boats and nets through the coming sea-
son are the following. William BARTLETT
and Wesley Hawkins, William II
Pedtick and George @ Woolson, John A.
Foster and David O. Castlow, Aaron
Willis and foreign fisherman
William d. Barr and Frank Hanson,
James Foster and a local fisherman.
| Charles J. Lancaster and William Dun
can, William Pustill and Lewis Duncan.
William o'Connor and Frank Atkinson,
William Hanson and William Perkins,
Asa Smith and Joseph Bishop, Robert
Wadsley and George Russell, William
Jordan and John II. Bowen, John
shearer and Thomas Booth, Hugh Smith
and William Norris
George Duncan landed the FIRST shad at
New Castle on March 10. He had been
out to wet" his net, and Ia doing this
fine specimen Of the luscious fish became
entangled in the meshes aud was hauled
In the boat and brought ashore. This
was sold at very high
price, the first shad Of the season always
having q peculiarly good taste. This
catch brought out all the tardy fisher
men and they began constant work, day
and night, on their nets, many Of which
are bran new and others which have been
through part Of season Their old
skiffs were repaired and given fresh coats
OF paint, and those who unfortunately
do not possess one, at once began
negotiations for the rental Of sklffs from
Philadelphia and other points along the
river The season not only promises
big catches Of shad. but big catches of |
big shad.
New Castle Is not only one Of the oldest |
fishing points. but IL hss some of the /
Oldest fishermen on the Delaware. Some |
of these have spent seventy springs on /
the Delaware river. or thereabouts
Samuel Pedrick and John D. Cannon are
undoubtedly the two Oldest fishermen on
this river. In their boyhood days and |
when shad were first g'lled in drift nets
one of these over eighty fathoms long
was considered big lot of net. and tnere
were not more than ten of them seen
during the season. These nets were each
hshed by two boats, the old fishermen
believing that 1t required one skiff at
each end of the net to keep it straight
Each boat was manned by two ex-
perie ced fishermen, who would guard
the net all day, to see that everything
WAS working well.
Although these old veterans have not
been able TO handle boat and net for
several years, their anticipasions ere high
as the season opens and they are ae glad
20 see u as they were forty years ago.
They say that the changes in sixty years
and the improvements made to the
lucrative industry In that time are mar
velous, and they wonder what the reason
was that they did not enjoy some of the
present facilities. They have not for
gotten the difficult and Gratifying work
Of being successful fisherman.
Now from 800 to 500 faihoms OF net
are fshed by one boat This Is operated
by two men, one Of whom tends net"
aud the other holds the boat against
strong currents. They drift from six %
sixteen miles on one tide Better than
hat, though, a y number of shad up to
100 are pulled over the boats gunwale
It one time, Now the nets are laid of.
. tub-buoy placed or each end of the
ioating snare and the boat simply fol-
ows the net, its small crew seeing that
is straight.
John A. Walls, the well known meat
merchant. will be the principal fish
alesman this season BE has completed
he erection Of first class storehouse
rom which he will load the scores Of
raiders wagons that come here from all
ARTS o. Pennsylvania and Maryland for
heir shad, as they get them alive and
irectly out Of the hoats at the wharvts.
local dealers will also be supplied, and
throughout the season the fine fish will be
old at but a fraction above what the
lshermen we're given Tkese with good
Philadelphia and New York markets.
which are extensively talked Of. and
teaoy local demand, will make the mar :
let's high and profitable all he season.