The Salmon Fishery of Penobscot Bay and River in 1895-96 | Page 4

93 per cent greater than the
average for the preceding 22 years. Similar comparative statements for
other nets are at hand, showing the increase in 1896 over previous
seasons.

TABLE. Record of two Penobscot River salmon weirs, from 1874 to
1896, inclusive.
| Date | Date of | Date of | Total | Aggre- | Avg | | when ice | catching|
catching | number | gate | weight | | ice left | first | largest no. | of |weight
of| of | Year | river | salmon | of salmon | salmon | salmon | salmon |
--------------------------------------------------------------------| 1874 | Apr.
20 | Apr. 30 | June 10 | 86 | 1,253 | 14.57 | 1875 | Apr. 18 | May 13 |
June 15 | 70 | 908 | 12.97 | 1876 | Apr. 14 | Apr. 25 | June 17 | 68 | 1,027
| 15.10 | 1877 | Mar. 30 | Apr. 24 | June 9 | 72 | 1,002 | 13.92 | 1878 |
Apr. 4 | Apr. 21 | June 26 | 151 | 2,052 | 13.52 | 1879 | Apr. 25 | May 12
| June 20 | 147 | 1,756 | 11.95 | 1880 | Apr. 9 | May 7 | May 31 | 86 |
1,111 | 12.92 | 1881 | Mar. 21 | Apr. 17 | June 9 | 85 | 1,480 | 17.41 |
1882 | Apr. 10 | May 1 | May 29 | 154 | 1,711 | 11.11 | 1883 | Apr. 13 |

do | June 12 | 98 | 1,643 | 16.77 | 1884 | Apr. 9 | Apr. 29 | June 28 | 95 |
911 | 9.59 | 1885 | Apr. 19 | May 8 | June 4 | 91 | 1,104 | 12.13 | 1886 |
Apr. 16 | Apr. 21 | June 2 | 100 | 1,631 | 16.31 | 1887 | Apr. 23 | May 8 |
June 25 | 150 | 2.020 | 13.47 | 1888 | Apr. 15 | Apr. 29 | June 9 | 159 |
2,196 | 13.81 | 1889 | Apr. 2 | Apr. 21 | June 6 | 85 | 1,246 | 14.66 | 1890
| Apr. 7 | Apr. 20 | May 30 | 41 | 641 | 15.63 | 1891 | Apr. 2 | Apr. 28 |
June 9 & 16| 117 | 1,199 | 10.25 | 1892 | do | Apr. 9 | June 5 | 65 | 989 |
15.22 | 1893 | Apr. 15 | Apr. 23 | June 10 | 102 | 1,384 | 13.57 | 1894 |
Apr. 12 | Apr. 19 | June 1 & 3 | 88 | 1,160 | 13.19 | 1895 | Apr. 6 | Apr.
21 | June 3 | 75 | 1,191 | 15.88 | 1896 | Apr. 12 | Apr. 16 | June 6 | 192 |
2,524 | 13.15 |
Note.--The weirs are set one or two days after the ice moves out.
Occasionally they are put in place before the ice leaves.

Apparatus and methods of the fishery.
There is probably no other river in the United States in which a fishery
of such magnitude has undergone so few changes with respect to
methods, number of traps operated, and sites where nets are set, as the
Penobscot. This is chiefly owing (1) to the character of the bottom, (2)
to the fact that the fishing is a riparian privilege enjoyed only by those
who own land fronting on the water, (3) to the circumstance that the
fishing is almost entirely of a semi-professional character, and has been
taken up by generation after generation as a part of the regular duties
connected with the small farms, and (4) to the small number of
food-fishes occurring in the river, and the preponderating importance of
two of them--the salmon and the alewife--for which the nets are
exclusively set.

Salmon Net Types
Salmon weir, Penobscot. Leader of stakes interwoven with brush, 175
yards long. "Great pond" brush, 42 feet long. "Middle pond" and "back
pond," netting with board floor, each 10 feet long. Outer entrance, 16

feet wide; middle, 2 feet; inner, 1 foot. Value, $75.
x x x x x x x x / \ x x/ \x | | | | | | | / \ | |/ \| x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x | x x x | x x x | x | | | | | | | |
| | | | | ----+----

Salmon weir, Bucksport. Leader, brush, 4 to 8 rods long. Middle pond,
40 feet long, 8-foot entrance; inner side, brush; outer side, twine.