The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
POTOMAC SHAD
FISHERS At war
Uncle Sans Engineers Inter-
vene to Save Upstream
Men.
TRAPS LAID DOWN RIVER
Stake Nets Set to Prevent Fish Get
ting Beyond Reach of
Norfolk Seiners.

There in a furry of preparation among
the fishermen along the Lower Potomac
these DAYS, for the spring shad ana her-
ring season will start during the coming
veek n any one thing has made the
Potomac River famous, II is the oehcate
flavor Of shad-
This wear marks the real opening OF
war between the fishermen at the mouth
Of the Potomac and those who seine the
stream miles farther up, toward Wash
inEton. The army engineers, having au-
thority over the navigable waters OF tne
United States, have been drawn into ,tne
fight. and, recognizing the fairness OF
az .,sIrns made by up-river fishermen,
thew have been enforcing their orders
AGAINST stake nets placed across the
liver channel at the mouth Of the Po-
tomac.
the shad leave the bay and ocean ana
start I'D the Potomac for the spring
spawning season.
Norfolk Is the market for the lower
river men and in the general greed TO
,oaka most of the short season these men
placed stake nets far into the river chan
mel practically monopolizing the spring
catch. a. the shad and herring are un-
able to make their way upstream.
Upstream Ffshermen Protest.
last snrInx. The Norfolk fishermen, un-
rnoIested by the army engineers, spread
their stake nets almost all the way
across the lower river. After the close OF
the spring the Washington fishermen
took the matter to the War Department
asking for help.
About ten days ago the engineer ser
vice vessel Castle left Washington Tor
the lower river The army engineers
he
helm possible. The Castle steamed into
the lower river fishing grounds ana
found that the stake nets had been ar
ranged to prevent all but a small portion
Of the spring run of shad and herring
from making their way upstream.
A fishing camp on the Potomac at this
season of the year is one Of the busiest
and most interesting places to be imag-
ined. The crew of from twenty TO thirty
men turns out at dawn. The camps are
located at intervals along the river. the
fishing privileges at the best known
places bringing fancy prices from the
fishermen A "fulT' river and good
high tide are requisites Of shad and her
ring fishing along the Potomac.
How Fish Are Melted.
At the first streak of dawn the seine,
often from a half mile to mile long. Is
loaded into a boat. Two or three hundred
wards from shore the seine Is nrst put
into the water. The net is usually about
ten feet wide at each end and extends
into the water fully thirty feet in the
center. Weights drag the lower edge
into the water, and corks keep the up
per edge at the surface.
The fishermen placing the seine row a
course parallel TO the shore. The seine
is slowly fed overheard, and to the
watchers on shore II seems like the plac-
ing of little corks at intervals along the
surface The corks mark the upper edge
of the great net. When the seine Is I'm
ally placed the fun begins.
The slow current Of the river displaces
the corks but a trifie and long ropes are
attached to each end Of the seine and
brought ashore, where they are made
fast to a windlass. A horse is hitched
to the windlass and the ends of the net
begin to draw shoreward. The seine
slowly takes the form Of a great crescent.
sweeping inshore IN a mile-long semicir-
Gle.
Slowly it comes without a pause. and
the netted terror silently and relentless
" draws in upon the spawning schools
of shad and herring that are lying not
far of shore. As the net draws upon
them they swim shoreward.
Fairly Alive with Fish.
The bobbing corks draw closer all the
time and the surface Of the water begins
to take on a curious, rippled appearance.
Closer and closer creeps the seine and
more and more agitated becomes the sur
face Of the water. The net is close of
shore-say thirty yards. The fishermen
begin to peer anxiously into the water,
which seems choppy. As one looks, the
fact dawns upon one that the water is
fairly alive with fish!
The windlass never pauses and the
strings OF cork is creeping closer-ifteen
yards. now ten, now five yards, and
then! There is final heave, and the
great belly of the seine drops its weight
of fishes on the sand. The men ere busy
with great scoops filling barrel after bar
rel with the catch.
Before the day is over a little fishing
schooner will sweep close inshore and
tie up at little temporary dock. There
win be ten, maybe fifteen, perhaps twen-
ty barrels Of fish to load for the Norfolk
and Washington markets.
The fishermen say the army engineers
have saved the season for the men who
seine the upper reaches Of the river near
Washington.