New-York tribune., 1903-04-12

are on their way up the rivers they huddle to-
Eether in great schools close to the bottom. even
pressing against the mud shoals for protection
from cold
The last days Of February are busy ones with
the shad fishers, for then they so down to their
floating harniets on the rivers TO overhaul their
uets. patch Up their boats and make other
preparations for the season. After everything is
in readiness, Iookouts are stationed TO note the
first signs Of fish movement When the 'hick-
ory sEad.- as they are called. begin 10 come into
the river. the fisherman knows that his prey is
OF its way Up the coast The river is watched
both night and day for the schools. The 'hick-
ory'' variety are seldom caught, for the reason
that they are 50 fun Of bones and SO poor in
flesh that they are hardly worth cooking.
Usually within q week the main body begins
10 enter The river. and then t-e fishers get
busy" IN The old days the fsh We're generally
caught II nets which were pulled up on the
shore being landed on a favorable spot, such
as g smooth and sandy beach The modern
method. however, is TO use the float as il Is
caIlel which is fastened securely near the
mouth cf the river. These floats are heavy plat
forms afty feet wide and two hundred feet long.
from The downstream edge Of which a smooth
inclined plane slopes al an angle OF forty de-
graes L. me bottom Of the river. where It IS Sc
cur=.y fastened. a float contains dining and
sleeping quarters for twenty men, i steam en-
gin and q boiler. sailing watts and packing
sheds The location Of the float Is not IN the cen
t7e t1t ~ Ike upstream corner OF the territory
swe1t tz- the seine l,efore fishing begins in the
spring he ground is carefully cleared Of stumps
saags drift logs and everything that might i'm
Ie5e or tear the seine. The work Is arduous
a1d expensive. especially if it is necessary to
remove rocks embedded in the stream. 1t is an
uun-lt--u law mat the fisherman who clears
ground thereby secures to himself q proprietary
right IL il 50 long as he cares TO fish it On the
Irin- pal shad fishing grounds, such as the
mouth II the Susquehanna, sometimes dozen
q these floats VIII be operated. employing two
hundred TWO hundred and fifty men
As soon as the run begins the fishermen put
out the seines. These vary from six to hfteen
f=et u depth and some of those used on the
Delaware and Susquehanna rivers are over
mile IN length. requiring the power Of the steam
engine 20 haul them in. The net is paid out
from big nat bottomed boat. requiring from
dozen TO q score Of rowers. two men in the stern
putting the seine in the water fold by fold one
enc Is OF course fastened TO the float. AS soon
Is those in the seine boat have stretched II
across The river the steersman turns the head
C The craft Downstream. After the current mas
carried Il several hundred feet. he alters Its
course gradually curving the net until 1t Is IN
the form Cf q half circle The fish lnVarlabIy
IN against the current. and this movement
tends 10 enmesh them SIo-.ly but surely the
seine IS pulled around until il forms compete
circle and the boat end is loaded upon the hoaI
Now that the shad are fenced in so to
speak, the next problem is TO land them upon
the foat and this is part Of the work Whlch
requires the most skill. Here the putting steam
engine comes into play, drawing in the togg4e
line much faster and more smoothly than II
could be done by hand, and leaving the men
tree 10 draw in the small lines, when are
taken out and fastened TO the top Of the net
But even with the assistance of steam the work
progresses with exceeding slowness, and no one
can predict whether the catch viii be large or
small Little sWirls the surface OF the water
within the net show the presence Of the shdd'
hut these indications are faint that novice
al this kind Of fishing is apt to doubt Whether
there are any fish in il. As the circle OF corks
which float the upper side Of the seine ana Keep