The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-05-15
Shad and Herring Fisheries of the
Susquehanna.
Written for the Democratic Advocate.
BY CHAS. T. WRIGHT.

such strange sight to be found 2 ques-
toned my western friend as we were one
morning in the latter part of March, walk
ing .leisurely down one of the streets of
Havre de Grace, leading to the river front.
well, come with me, and [ will show
you; but you do not have to go to Venice
to see streets of water, and boats plying be-
tween houses. Just awake to the fact that
you are now at the mouth of the Susque-
hanna, and the head of the historic Chesa-
peake, the most northerly point of one of
the most famous fishing and ducking
grounds in America, if not in the world
and you will not be SO much surprised when
speak of an 'in-water town.
l'But, persisted my friend, who, by the
way, had been lifelong inlander and dry
lander, 'can you see all this right here,
just by walking down this street to the
river-shore p
'Not exactly" 1 replied, smiling at his
innocence, ''but part of it, am to show
you today not the actual fishing, but the
village of floats, and its remarkable inhab-
itants making their preparation for the sea-
son just about to open.
"Just about to open, he exclaimed,
do you not catch fish all the yearY'
''Well not entirely, fish of some kind are
caught here so long as the river is not
frozen over, but not shad and herring
Let me give you some interesting facts; as
| have told you, the busy preparation you
will see today is for the special taking of
shad and herring. These fish are migra-
tory, hence periodical. About the first of
April, sometimes little later or earlier,
depending upon the weather and condition
of the river, the skirnish line of vast
piscatory army begins to pass this point,
and gradually the numbers increase until
to use the language of the fishermen, Yer
can't stick yer finger into the water for
fish. Up they go, squirming, wriggling,
rushing, all heads in the same direction,
all trying as it were to escape some peril
in the greater depths behind--to reach
some place of rest and safety in the fresh
inviting shadows above. For period of
FIVE or six weeks they surge northward,
leaving the salty ocean and bay far to the
south, and reach at last the delightful
pools, shielded by the protecting rocks and
overhanging cliffs of Pennsylvania. Here
they deposit their spawn, or eggs, and
few weeks thereafter, drop lazily back into
deep water, that is, the survivors go back,
for thousands never return alive, but are
seen, no longer plump and fat, floating thin
and lifeless down into the ocean they lately
left, swept helplessly away by the very
currents they had only few short weeks
before breasted so fearlessly and success
fully.
9'When 1 say that these vast schools of
herring and shad go far north of us to
spawn, | mean, of course, those that es-
cape the nets and seines of the watchful
fishermen, since it is yhe business of this
industry to intercept these fish, on this an
nual upward journey; but while thousands
of barrels are captured, myriads pass up in
the night, and between even the rapid
hauls of numberless nets and seines stretch
ed far into and almost across the river. -
ssBut the little shad and herring, what
| becomes OF Cnem
''They return of course to deep water
again but the exact time of their downward
Journey is not known, since these fry, as
they are called, are not seen in fresh water,
hence must go back while very small.
''Do they not multiply very rapidly :?
l have heard it said that one roe contains
thousands of eggs.
''Not 80 rapidly as you would at first
thought conclude from an examination of
the roe. 1t is estimated that only thirty
per cent of the eggs spawned are hatched,
and that only % per cent. reach maturity.
The little fish have many enemies, and the
larger portion are destroyed. If even halt
of those Matched were to survive to return,
our fishermen would have to enlarge and
strengthen their seines. as it is, the hauls
are sometimes SO large that hundreds of
barrels have to be turned loose before the
seine can be hauled upon the float.
ssBut here we are at our floating town,
and now we will take look at the prepa-
ration to intercept these migratory tribes.
''The long low houses, which you see
Just before us are called floats, from the
fact that they are the floating dwellings of
the fishermen. When everything in the
shape of small boats, nets, seines, ropes,
cork, lead, etc., is prepared for the sea-
son, these floating villages are towed by
means of steam tugs, out into deep water,
and there securely anchored. Each float
carries from fifty to one hundred men, the
number varying with the size of float and
seine to be manipulated Stretching the
full length of each float is broad plat
form, slightly sloping to the water. This
is called by the fishermen an apron, and
upon it the full seine is pulled, and the
struggling fish are landed, while from their
writhing forms, ascends dense cloud Of
scales, thrown off by the contortions of the
death struggle.
ssWeighted with lead below, and buoyed
with cork above, these immense nets or
seines standing upright in the water, are
carried by men and boats far out into the
stream, thus forming an artificial and tenn
porary obstruction of the channel in which
the fish are running Slowly and carefully
! this vast mesh is drawn or hauled toward
the now stationary float, enfolding in its
network the hapless fish which at that par
ticular moment may be passing up the
| stream.
early and late the seines are worked,
sometimes returning almost empty, and
again filed almost to bursting The fisher
men seldom visit the land during the sea-
son, but remain on their boats day and
night, being provided with food by man
ager or boss, and a cook Flat boats,
barges and steam tugs ply back and forth
between floats and shore carrying the cap
tured fish to the gillers and packers, who
take charge of them and prepare them
rapidly for market.
1.-THE hustle and excitement incident to
seine hauling are exceedingly interesting to
one who has never witnessed them, and
many visit the floats every year to enjoy
the novel sight.
sI have told you about the floats and
the catching of the migrating fish, but |
must not forget to say something of the
men whom YOU see at work on these floats,
or lounging in the sunshine, waiting orders
IN nush ont into the stream. Very few of