It’s not April yet, but it’s close. I was crossing over the free bridge to Pennsylvania the other day, and traffic was slow enough that I could look out at the scenery, and I was happy to see yet another harbinger of spring–a small boat, anchored near the bridge, line fishing. They were fishing for shad! Although the river is a little high and fast right now, I’ve noticed over the decades I’ve lived here that that is not enough to stop the hardy, early fishers. Ever since I moved to Lambertville way back in the 90s, I’ve had a bit of a fascination with this small, bony, irritable fish. I was happy to learn that there is a little bit of a shad culture here. Down at the fishery on Lewis island, you can watch the fishers seine for shad. It’s a fascinating process, although it’s slow going. But it’s so easy to let your imagination bring you to the past years, over decades, when the same process took place at the same time of year.
There is a fantastic book about the shad hauling here in Lambertville, and we have the book in the library. It’s in the back, in the local history cabinet, so you have to ask a librarian to get it for you, but it’s well worth it. The book is by Lambertville resident Charlie Groth, who is not only a shad hauler, but a folklorist as well. She’s written a book that brings the Lewis island fishery to vibrant life. You don’t have to love shad to appreciate them, and who knows, after reading this book, you might become a greater fan of shad.
Cheers!
/Annie
