When the first settlers planted their small colony at Jamestown, the
tidewater rivers and bays and the Atlantic Ocean bordering the Virginia
coast teemed with many kinds of fish and shellfish which were both
edible and palatable. Varieties which the colonists soon learned to eat
included sheepshead, shad, sturgeon, herring, sole, white salmon, bass,
flounder, pike, bream, perch, rock, and drum, as well as oysters,
crabs, and mussels. Seafood was an important source of food for the
colonists, and at times, especially during the early years of the
settlement, it was the main source.
Those in England who planned to go to Virginia were always advised to
provide themselves (among other items) with nets, fishhooks, and lines.
During archeological explorations, fishhooks, lead net weights,
fish-gigs, and small anchors were uncovered. These are reminders of a
day when fish and shellfish were abundant in every tidewater Virginia
creek, river, and bay.