Evening star., 1928-05-20
ston Streams Once Provided Fshermen's Paradise

> ~A ~NAOO
from so to go pounds each, we're caught
at single haul on Friday evening last.
1t is said that several hundred escaped
on the seine's coming in shallow water.
We understand they were caught at the
Mr.. w. King, 81 miles below George
town. Many Of them were sold in ouF
markets at ST."
WHEN I was a youngster and re
used to twit the colored children
OF the neighborhood, they would come
back at us with: "Herrin'. herrin', two
for a penny; amt you ashamed to eat
so many?"
There was. indeed, more poetry than
truth in this saying, for / never recall
when herring were quite as cheap as
this, though there was a time in the
dim past when great quantities of this
delicious fish, as well as shad, could
be bought for mere song.
In 1887 the Belvoir or White House
Fishery, which at one time belonged to
Ferdinando Fairfax. was ore Of the
chief fisheries on the Potomac, as was
the Sandy Bar fishing shore, Danger
fields fishing shore. Bryan's fishing
shore (now Bryans Point. also fisheries
at White House. Frecstone. Oxon Run,
Monkeys Point, High Point. Stony Point,
Fair Landing. Longwood. Bridges Greek.
FOwkes Landing, Whites Shore tnow Co
lonial Beach,. Maryland Point. Wind
mill Point. Stump Neck, Stump Land
ing. Ackendale. Fallers Landing. Goose
Bay, Budds Ferry. Chapmans Point.
Haloing Point, Monkey Point. Dipple,
Sandy Point. Eagles Nest, Mount Mo-
riah and Tent Landing
Seines are still hauled on some OF
these landings, but the results do not
compare with the great yields of oygone
DAYS, when it was not an uncommon
thing TO take at single haul 1000
shad and upward and 800, 600 herring.
In 1882 a record catch of 950.0 900 accu-
rately counted fish was taken in one
haul. The low price which these
brought was. for the herring. 25 cents a
thousand. and for the shad 81 so hun
dred. Generally. however, the former
brought sl.50 a thousand and the latter
sometimes as much as SO TO 81 a
hundred
Not only are the shad getting scarcer
all the time but they are gradually
growing smaller. A hundred years ago
they spoke of shad from TO 8 pounds
being sold in the markets for cents.
and We even read Of their weighing as
high as 13 pounds. To us: at the pres
ent day 6-pound shad is whopper.
AS to herring. in the good old DAYS Of
our fathers. herrings were taken so
plentifully that at times they were
given away. or purchased for small
sum and used on the nearby farms as a
fertilizer
You may obtain an idea Of the mag
NIT nf tO Ecy1 sv,I
at their peak. many years ago. wl1ea
you are told there were then $50 fish,
cries on this river, employing $500 la
borers: the number Of vessels being 45O,
with 1850 men used to navigate them.
Although the season lasted but about
six weeks. yet during this time as many
as 22.500.000 shad were taken. and
$50 900 600 herring In curing the fish
that were TO be kept for any length OF
time. 5000 bushels Of salt were used
and an equal number Of barrels.
Rock fish were also plentiful in the
Potomac at an early period. On one
occasion, about three miles below Wash
ington. 450 rock. averaging so pounds
each, were taken at one haul.
T ESS than a hundred years ago, sturg-
n geoE was also plentiful as far I'D
the river as Little Falls. These were
taken IN floating nets or by an 'inge-
niouSly contriyed hook. not baited. bu.
by curious device. prepared to pierce
him in the body so certainly and 50
deeply. as to hold him and bring HIM
in. So soon as a sturgeon IS hung.
he makes OF with great strength and
swiftneSs'
An instance occurred near the Little
Ealy rrt1 re
a noted fisherman of that day. having
hung a sturgeon, made fast one end CT
the line to his leg and was in conse-
| Quence dragged overheard. but as the
story goes: Prom his intrepidity and
skill in swimming be was enabled To
get through this periloliS conflict safely
and to conquer the sturgeon and stow
him safely on shore. without the aid OF
his boat"
An early writer. speaking Of the Pc
culiar habit of the sturgeon OF occa-
sionally throwing itself to a considerable
distance above water. makes this In
teresting comment: Another singular
habit belonged peculiarly 20 this fish.
that of occasionally throwing itself 20
q considerable distance above water. 10
the height of at least eight or ten feet,
so that in the pause between the as
cent and descent. the whole fish is seen
suspended in a horizontal position. for
moment. in the air. They have Sonl,.-
times fallen in this way. very much 70
the discontinue OF these on board the
boats plying at the ferry in George
town. In this District. and an unfortu-
nate occurrence took place during the
Revolutionary War. productive Of 8
most serious accident on the North
River A sturgeon came down fror1 one
of these leaps into a ferry-boat while
crossing that river. on the lap OF an
American officer. who was q passenger
and sitting in the stern. and with such
violence as TO break his thigh and oc-
caSion his death"