The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-05-04
CECIL FISHERIES
NOW IN ACTIVE OPERATION
ALONG THE SHORE.
The Big Hauling SeineS and Pound Nets
of the North East River.


s ines on the Delaware river, the Susque.
hanna and other streams, but we believe
me can equal in any way the quality of the
fish or eXtensvencss of the fisheries on the
North East river. The hauling seines at
Carpenters and Red Points, together with
the White and Hances Point pound fisheries
alone catch as many herring and shad as the
entire crop amounts to on the Susuuehanna
river, to say nothing of the 13 other fisheries
While it is acknowledged by those that have
visited the Delaware fisheries, that they can
not in anyway compare with our fisheries
and the herring and shad will not bring as
good price in the Philadelphia market, as
the Chesapeake Bay herring and shad cannot
he eXcelled for their sweetness of flavor and
in no other water are 50 many taken as in
the river below us. Every year about 500
men are engaged in fishing for shad and her
ring. the larger portion being shad gillers
who generally have their headquarters at
White, Red or Carpenters Points and White
Banks and several other different places on
the river.
At low estimate the catch of herring
during the season amounts to about 200 900
barrels, the largest portion of which are sold
TO the fish traders who come principally from
the lower counties of Pennsylvania, and upper
portions of our own county while the people
in this vicinity generally have II barrel of
salted or smoked fish, and no cheaper or
more wholesome meat can be bought than
Chesapeake bay beef steak, as they are called.
Tho Is tnds Of barrels Of herring are
packed on the shore and sold in market in
Baltimore, whence they are shipped to
all parts of the Middle and Northern States.
The herring before they are packed in barrels,
made to order are placed in pickle for sew
eral days. then a man whose duty it is to
attend to this work, takes them out and
packs them, ready for shipment which is made
at the close of the season. But the most
profitable sale is that no doubt to the traders
which is strickly cash, while in selling salt
fish in market, they run the risk of having
them spoil. In market the fish bring from
Sl.75 to $3.50 per barrel while now the
traders pay from - to 20 cents per hundred.
but earlier in the season from 30 cents to Il,
"4i' 'tt Niii'i'A'b Fi''SNS "l hil' 'OuHlIS
ing but North East river herring can be sold
at any price. A large portion of the shnd from
our river are sold to the traders also, but
great many are shipped to Philadelphia, Bal
t.more and New York. and ar. noted for
their fine flavor. The catch amounts at
the lowest estimate is 900 900, this, as last
year being Il very unprohtabIe season.
The largest number of shad is caught by
the gillerS, but the pounds and hauling seines
eaten a great many. The fishermen who
have spent 50 seasons or more in giling for
shad say sadly, that the shad are playing out,
and that the pounds and hoop nets and sum
mer fishermen are gradually killing them on,
Notwithstanding the fact that several millions
of shad are placed in our river by the fish
commissioners. The annual catch of shad is
getting smaller every year, and at this time
the fishermen have the hard times to contend
with also. as in the past, times were good,
and people were able to buy shad and herring
and pay good prices, now they are able to
buy only the necessaries of life. But we look
hopefully forward to the time when the runs
Of shad will equal those of % to 30 years ago
and that good times will come again. The
most popular and cheapest means of catching
the iinny tribe now are the pound nets and
which up to 10 years ago were unknown to
oar fishermen, and have taken the place of the
hauling seines with two exceptions. The
pounds are simple of construction, and or
which will make as much as three men can
attend to- cost about 1900.
Poles or posts are cut from the woods and
vary in length according to the depth OF the
water, being securely driven into the bottom
OF the river at a distance Of about twenty feet
apart. On these poles the net is placed. being
fastened under them SO as to prevent any fish
from getting under, and then is stretched
tightly to the poles above the water, making
hedge or fence us some farmers would call
1t. The mesheS are two inches, and no fish
o. any size worth catching can get through.
Ine pounds are set at distance of about so
yards The hedging is put down with the
idea that the fish would strike it and follow
along to find hole, which generally happens
TO be the entrance to the fore bay. This part
Is formed by placing the hedging i'll way 80
as to form a round pen, the entrance to which
is at the end and on each side of the last pole
on the line of hedging. When the fish enter
the fore bay they are unable to find their way
out and continue to search for hole, which
now happens to be a funnel shaped space
that narrows down from three or fourfeet to
an outlet Of three or four inches, and which
lands them in a place where they are secure
and is known as the pound. This is formed
like the forebay, except the seine is made
into a whole piece and tied to the top Of the
poles so as to form IA bag or IA large scoop
net, the funnel ending near the middle and
stretched out by rope. The pound is usually
about thirty feet in length, and is ilshed by
taking the boat inside through an entrance
made by lowering the seine, after which it is
slowly gathered up and then dropped, forcing
the fish into corner, where they are usually
dumped over the sid of the boat, but when
30 many get in as to make them hard to
handle, a scoop net is used, four or five
pounds generally forming a line, and is run
out from the shore, FIVE men usually constitu
ting crew for pound fishery.
For some years the opinion prevailed that
herring caught in pound were not as good
as those taken by the hauling seines, but
while the pounds are nshed every day, there