W.D. Williamson on Migratory Fishes of the Penobscot, 1832.
White Perch at p. 158:
"The white and sea Perch, as I am informed by fishermen, are so nearly alike, as to render it difficult to trace a difference. These are found in salt and freshwater ponds, coves and rivers: they are larger and deeper coloured than the red Perch, and their sides are as light as an alewife's."
Striped bass at p. 158
"The Bass is a large scale fish, variable in its size from 10 to 60 pounds. They are striped with black, have bright scales and horned backs, and are caught about the coasts. They ascend into the fresh water to cast their spawn, in May or June, being lean afterwards and fat in the autumn. In June 1807, there were taken at the mouth of the Kenduskeag, 7,000 of these fishes, which were of a large size -- a shoal, either pursued up the river by sharks, or ascended in prospect of their prey, or to cast their spawn."
Smelt at 160:
"They are caught in abundance, after March, in our rivers; 20 barrels of them have been taken at the mouth of the Kenduskeag at a sweep, and sometimes they are worth no more than half a dollar a bushel."
At Footnote 3: "On the 2d of May, 1794, at the mouth of the Kenduskeag (on the Penobscot) were taken at one draft 1,000 shad and 30 barrels of alewives."
Tomcod at 152:
"The Frostfish, sometimes called the Tom-cod, are found about the bays and mouths of the rivers in the summer, and in the winter they inhabit fresh waters. They are shaped and finned like a codfish and colored like a silver eel, scaled and fine flavored. They are very small, weighing only from 8 to 18 ounces. They are plenty every where, but found in the greatest abundance about the Narraguagus, Pleasant river, and in that quarter. In places where they are so very plenty, they are caught and stacked in December and January, and afterwards cut and given fresh to cattle."
Sea Lamprey at 153:
"The Lamprey is without bone; and one of three feet, a common length, will weigh 3 pounds and will cleave so fast to a rock, when pulled, as to take one up of 4 pounds. It is darker colored and less slimy than a silver eel; it is cylindrical and large as a man's wrist to its bastard fins, which begin about midway of its lengthy and continue to the tail. Its skin is so tightly ingrained with the flesh that it cannot be taken off; and it has 9 or 10 eyelet-holes, as large as a pea, on each side of its back. It has no teeth, but large gooms and sucker-mouth; with which some of the smaller ones fasten themselves to a salmon, or shad, and thus are carried up the falls."
Source: Williamson, W.D. 1832. The History of the State of Maine, Vol. 1. Glazer, Masters & Co. Hallowell, Maine. Back to Atlantic Salmon History
Project home page.
Back to Atlantic Salmon History
Project home page.