The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-01-19
Brush Weirs vs.. SEEMING.
"A Further Discussion Of the Herring Cues
Il n

of Brewer to my former article wish to
say something more concerning the her.
ring fishery on the Maine coast. Mr..
Gay says that he has had ten years ex-
perience in the brush weir business; that
the weirs are benefit to our bays, that
the herring play in the eddies of the
weirs and that the weirs take from one
to ten hogsheads of fish on an average.
l wish to say that Mr.. Gay is entirely
wrong, as there are weirs on our coast
that have caught more than 100 hogs
heads in one tide.
In conversation with brush weir
fisherman whose weirs are located in
Frenchman's bay, he said that four or
five years ago his weirs were filled SO
full of fish that they smothered. There
was six feet of dead fish on the bottom
and he had to have drags made and
dredge them out. l know of several
such cases along our coast.
Now would ask the readers of The
Journal if it looks reasonable that weir
stakes that have been driven from to 6
feet into the bottom, and rebuilt year
after year. the stakes becoming water
soaked and so covered with mussels as to
increase their weight three fold-could
be removed by the force of the waves in
our land-locked bays or harbors? But
there is a better proof than written
statements, and if any one is interested
in the matter they will find no trouble in
locating at low tide the condemned weirs
to which | have referred.
The herring brush weirs of the north
east coast are very substantially built,
and some are of large capacity and of
considerable value. The stout stakes or
posts are driven into the bottom at close
intervals, or, in case the bottom is
rocky, are attached to large stones and
this framework is strengthened by
heavy, horizontal stringers. The por-
ton below low tide line is closely woven
with branches of trees running horizon
tally These are pushed to the bottom
by means of forked stick. The upper
part of the weir is of loosely woven
brush extending vertically two or three
feet above high water. AS the average
tidal movement is twenty feet and in
spring nearly thirty feet, the amount of
material required is considerable. Some
weirs are mere semicircular Enclosures
while others are provided with leaders or
wings, or both. Weirs are always fshed
at low tide, as then the herring are con-
centrated and may be more readily Sc
cured. The fishermen enter the weirs in
boats, set seine and haul its ends to-
gether and then take out the fish with
large dip rets. In some places the fish
are left dry by the receding tide.
This is the description of the brush
weir as given by Hugh M. Smith, Editor
of the King Herring, Washington, u. C.
Mr.. Gays reference to the seiners at the
mouth of the bays preventing the her.
ring from entering is entirely wrong.
Herring enter the bays as early as the
month of March and are taken by brush
weirs continually in various places until
the close of the season.
The method of taking fish by Irvine
weirs is entirely different, as there is but
little Irvine weir fishing until the month
of July. 1t is considered most success
full in October, and the first of Novem-
Der, which gives the seiners very short
season. Referring to the slaughter of
herring Mr.. Gay claims that five times
as many fish are killed as are taken for
use. l also note that he claims these
dead fish drift away. The thought of a
fisherman with ten years of experience
claiming that dead fish drift is ludicrous.
The only way that dead fish could posi-
bly, float is after they have been taken
from the water. Perhaps one out of
thousand would take air enough into it
to float it. would like to ask if it looks
reasonable, with such demand as there
is for fish, and with such high prices,
that fisherman would waste and de-
stroy five sixths Of the value of his
catch. wish to say that it is not rea-
sonable, nor is it true.
The average seiner of today would not
kill one per cent of his fish. l have no.
ted in my experience in the fish business
that whenever seiner had lost, or kill
ed, as it is termed, a few bushels of her.
ring (there is always more or less waste
either in Irvine weirs or brush weirs in
seining or transferring herring from
small boats to larger ones), the cry is
circulated by the brush weir fishermen
that there is another slaughter by the
seiners; and in many cases have known
of few bushels being estimated at
thousands Of bushels In answer to the
question asked by Mr.. Gay regarding the
fish killed at Dyer's Island, I will say that
l was an eye witness and can safely say
that there were but a few fish killed;
probably SO per cent less than our Jones'
port writer estimated. l note that Mr.
Gay claims the brush weir business has
been carried on for over 200 years. The
typical brush weir was introduced from
Nova Scotia, according to Mr.. D. l.