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**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 



### Ronorabla **Rorm** Doryhty, Jr. COurh~Attora*r Uvudo **COula~** UIIl68, ?*abr Dur Sir:

**Tou rubrit**  tha

1 **rt8terat** lr rupplo8entod aa folbuilt upon 8 amok or rlough. or #loughhoadr a nubor of l nor 

### aboro the poad aad the c&mm1 

### thorrof, ooatlauor om klov t& pxul. rh8 pad nr **rdr** 

### bx the ooartrwtloa of 6 dirt l d roak dm throve 

### &or088 th8 abanol. T& orrrk or rl0@1 88t.r &a mtor Lo it rxcwpt vh8a 

### it rala8, tbrt 18, it br ao nourao of rtor other tbm mla **v8t.r.** It la **not** l Mrlgblr Itrwa, aad ilab +oold hare ao uaaa ot gottfry late the pond or **out** of the poad **exoopt** vh8a th8 oreok 18 full ofHonorableRO.8 Doughty,Jr., Pge 2

r4Ia vator, aad thaa they vould be oompvllvd to **CW8 Up**  the Creek for WnJ =nJ **r11e8** at flood tImme, and &a a ntter of tact, It vould prohbly be impoeelblefor them t0 OOV8r the **dirtmace.** "The

### creek doer not hV0 88 it8 IOul'C8 of wter rupply,any rlrer,nor 18 it filled from the over-flovOS cay rIVer', but the creek doee havel vell defined c0ur8e.~ Under this statementof iactr,you vI8h to be adrlsedt "1. We vould **like to**  **knov if**  **lt 10**  unlavful to take ileh from suchpond or tank under the follovlng**Statute,** vhlah 18 &ppllc8bleto Uvrlde County, to-vlt: “Art. 

### 978--j, aote,VernonAnnotated Penal Code, vhiah rerds l.n part es follove; "'Sectloa1, It ah011be unlavfulto fish for, or attempt to tbke or catch fish la any of the veters of Uvelde Countyduriag the months oi Arch, April and May of any year, aad my personvho httemptr to take or artch Slsh la UValde Countydurlag the OloaeG seaeonprovlded for la thl8 act, rhallbe deemed guiltyof 4 mlrdawbnor mad upon COnViCtIOnrbll be fined Ia the IWI of aot leas thanTen Dollarr ($10) aor more than Fifty Dollars ($50).’ “2. If it 1s lavful to take fish from 8uoh pond, I8 it levful to trrnrportthem over the hlghny from the pond to the home of the parson hrvlng uld fish.' In the caoe of Jonee 1. Stat0 (X01), 45 3. Y. (26) 612, our Court of CrfmlaalAppeal0 coartruedArtlaler 924, 925, 931, 933 rad 951, Peal Code, 1925,and held that the Leglrl&twe cmaot lntorferavlth the ilrhingPrlVilege of the ovnero of privatepond8bVIn@ no OoBBNnIO8tionHonorable Rora Doughty, Jr., page 3

**through** vhlch fl8hVera lcou8tomed**to** p88r **to** other ntera. Thir 8ad other -808 **bre** oltrd and dlraursedla our Oplaion No. O-2343, 8 copy of vhlch 18 herevlth l nolored. The trot8 la thr above mentioned ~888 &co 8ub8tUitUlly the Mm 48 88t forth Ia Jo12 **r8fJllO8t.** Th8 **Leg** lrlaturr **18** prerumed to have knova the lav laouaced lauld 0888 bad did aot intend by the phmae, ‘la bay of the vaterr of Ur8ldo County, ’ to Include v8terr in prlrrtely ovned **poola, pondr,**  **tank8 or**  **Ukos** over vhioh it hd no authority to Interfere vlth the privilege OS the ovaer8 thereof **rrom** taking flab therefrom.

Based **Upon** the **fact8 8tated**  In your reque8t and the 8uthorlty cited above, it I8 our opinioa that the provIaIon of Article 978-j doer not apply to the taking of flab from the pool or tank described In your **request.** It **i8** al80 our Opinion tbrt the owner of said pool or Unk, or any other person vlth the consent of the ovner, 88~~IAVfully take flrh therefrom rt any time and lbvfully transport them over the hlghvay from the pond to the home of the person lnvlng rrld fish.

A & ATTOR:i33~;d

, BY Bruce Y. **Bryant** A8818tant BUB:db BtI0108ur8