The Salmon Fishery of Penobscot Bay and River in 1895-96 | Page 5

Pockets, twine, 10 feet long, 10-inch entrances, wooden floor. Value,
$25. Some weirs have only one (upstream) pocket.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx xx x x x x x x | x x x x x x | x x x x x | x x | x
|xx | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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"Hook weir," Orland. A brush hook, about 50 feet long and extending
down stream, is built on some of the weirs. It serves the purpose of
leading the fish into the net. Value, $35.
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x \ x x \x x x | x x x | x x x | x | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | ----+----

The salmon fishery of the Penobscot basin is carried on with practically
a single type of apparatus, namely, the brush weir. In most parts of the
region this trap is used in the same form that it had in the primitive
days of the fishery, but in some sections the weir has undergone
evolution into a combination brush and twine trap, and in places into a

trap made wholly of netting.
Some of the types of salmon nets used in this region are illustrated and
described by the accompanying figures. In addition to these, which are
wholly or partly of brush, a common apparatus is the floating trap,
constructed entirely of twine, such as is now generally employed in the
New England States. This is the only salmon net in use at Islesboro and
in some other sections. The local and individual variations in the form
of the nets depend on the topography of the bottom and shore and the
habits of the salmon, and are the result of long experience.
The fishing begins as soon as the ice moves out in spring and continues
until some time in July. Fish are rarely taken before the last two weeks
in April. May and June are the best months. In that part of the river
adjacent to Bangor there is a small fishery prosecuted with set gill nets.
The nets are from 100 to 200 feet long and have a 6-inch mesh.

Salmon weir, Castine. Hedge 200 feet long, made of stakes driven in
mud interwoven with brush to low-water mark, covered with netting
beyond. Great pound, 30 feet long, 30 feet wide at base, made of
netting; entrance 8 feet wide. Inner pounds, 10 feet wide, with board
floors; outer entrance 2 feet wide, inner 1 foot. Value, $70.
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| |
| | | | ----+----

Salmon weir, Stockton. Leader or hedge, 400 yards long, all brush
except 20 yards next to head, which piece is netting above low-water
mark and brush below. Main compartment or great pound 80 feet long
and 25 feet wide, with 10-foot entrance on each aide of leader. Smaller
compartments, directed downstream, 21 feet long; with 2-foot entrance
to first and 8-inch entrance to second. Value, $100.

xxxxx xx xxx x x x x x x x xx 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 xx | xx x x x x | xx xxx | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | ----+----

Salmon weir, Stockton. Leader 200 feet long; brush from shore to
low-water mark; remainder brush at bottom, netting at top. Head 60
feet long; outer pound 40 feet, middle pound 12 feet, inner pound 8 feet;
brush below low-water line, netting above; plank floors in two smaller
compartments. Value, $40.
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| | | | | | | |
| | | | ----+----

Salmon weir, Winterport.