Evening journal., 1905-03-21
NEW CASTLE
SHAD FISHERS
ARE PREPARING
Some Characteristics of the
Fish That VIII Soon Be
Here
FROM WHENCE COME lHEY2
10 INC Evenins Journnl

special to The Evening journal.
New Castle. March N.-Shad fishermen
along the Delaware river front from this
city TO Camden arc about ready TO begin
operations for the season and within the
next ten DAYS most OF the men viii have
eheir nets in the river and It will only oe
a short time before m arkets will have
Delaware shad In abundance
The biz nets at Washington Park, Cra-
ner Inn and Ponnsgroye will not be put
IN operation until about the middle Of
April. as-shad will not begin to come up
the river in large enough quantities to
pay the owners Of the fisheries to operate
their nets before that time
shad usually make their appearance
IN The Delaware Bay before this time but
this year they are held back by the late
ness OF tho season.
Many OF the fishermen from various
points who went down 10 the coast OF
Florida ia January and ished there for
six weeks have returned and they all pre-
die good season.
Last season in the Delaware was, In
many Instances unprohtable, and before
Il was half over many fishermen declared
that they were done for good. as Il was
impossible 20 catch any shade sowing 20
tho Swcde fishermen near the bay, who
had their nots continually strung across
the river thus preventing shad from
coming up the Delaware IN large num-
bers.
1900 MEN EMPLOYED.
According to the statistics OF the United
States Fish Commission, there are about
25.aD men employed in the shad fisheries
or the Atlantic seaboard OF the United
staics, and 1t Is estimated that i5.0OOOOO
shad are caught annually
Shad belong 70 tho migratory class OF
fishcs and are found In the coastal waters
during only portion Of each year. In
their annual migration shad appear in the
southern waters OF the United States In
December and january and as the season
advances they appear successfully in the
moro northern streams.
About the first OF March they reach
the lower end OF Chesapeake Bay; two
wecke later they are In the Delaware
Boy and about the 1st of Aprn they
reach the New York Bay.
After remaining In the various waters
for several months they disappear and
arc rot seen until the following season.
Thci habitat from the time OF their dis
appearance on the coasr IN the summer
and fall to their temperance In the fol-
lowing winter or spring Is unknown. 1t is
likewise unknown whether az they dis
aprear from the estuaries they remain
nearby or so far on from the shore or
whether they retreat IN direction par
allel with the coast to the warmer waters
OF the South.
The young hsh Matched out in the rivers
IN spring and early summer remain there
untl the following fall. when they leave
for the ocean and nothing more is seen Of
them until they return to the estuarles as
mature fish. two or three years old.
THEORY OVERTHROW.
For years It was believed that the entire
body OF shad wintered in the South and
started northward In a vast school at the
beginning on the year. advancing along
the coast like an army sending de-
tachment up each successive stream. this
division BY a singular method Of selection
CONSISTING OF The FISH that were bred In
those respective streams. the last por-
tlon Of the great school entering the Gulf
OF st. Lawrence
But naturalists now recognize second
kind Of seasonahle movement termed
'bathic migration" by which uniformity
OF temperature Is secured far more read
ily than by moving toward or from the
Equator. And the present theory is that
the young shad Matched In any particu-
lar river remain within moderate dis
tancc on the mouth OF that stream un.ll
the temperature Of the water is suital =
for their re-entrance Their appearance
frst IN the extreme southern river OF the
coast, The st. Johns Florida. and at later
dates successfully IN the more northern
rivers seems to confirm this view
While the chief result accomplished by
the migration OF shad into the river is
the reproduction Of the species. yet it ap-
pears that their movements are mtre
Immediately governed by the comparative
temperature OF the waters than BY the
approaching ripeness OF the eggs.
In the Chesapeake and Delaware BAYS
sha1 enter month or two before they
begir TO spawn. In the Delaware river
they ascend about 1876 miles from the coast
line
THOSE WHO WILL FISH.
SO far there sare about thirty boat