National Republican., 1883-05-11
Do YOU EVER GO CUNNING?
If So You Can Always Find Game on the
Eastern Peninsula,
Water Fowl Of All Kinds Abound in
Delaware and Chesapeake Bays,
And Thre Is Also Plenty Of Good Fishing for Those
Who Enjoy Sport Of That Kind.
Those who Don't Can Chase Tcrrepini
Live Chespiy, and Have n Good Time.

Washington sportsmen are generally famil-
lar withthe good sporting grounds in easy dis
tance Of the city, but few know all of the many
haunts Of game that may be found on the neck
of land which juts down between Chesapeake
and Delaware bays II is undoubtedly par
adiso either for those who like to shoot or
for those who mako hunting regular busi-
ness vocation. The gunners of Baltimore,
Philadelphia, and New York long ago dis
covered the advantages Of the peninsula, and
the smoke from their guns curls upward from
January to December The wild ducks of
tho Chesapeake are not more noted
for multitude than for the peculiar
delicacy Of flavor Of their flesh.
They begin to arrive in October, the wary
and swift-winged "butter ball" being the
avant courier, followed by the other varieties
in regular succession, the rear guard being
tho canvas back, tho most delicious water
fowl in the world. At times the water for miles
is literally covered with them, while tens of
thousands arc constantly making swift flights
from point to point searching for food. The
food which not only attracts the canvas back
and other ducks, but imparts to them the
famous flavor, is tho UdliSerid, q juicy plant
which grows on fresh water shoals and flats
in from to 0 feet of water, in long narrow
grass-like blades or feet in length. The
root is white, and has some resemblance to
celery, so that 1t is commonly called wild
celery by sportsmen and watermen. Some
persons insist, however, that the rdHsneria is
found in quantities to) small to impart fla
vor to such numberless fowl, and maintain
that the eelgrass which, grows in nearly all
shallow waters, is the primary cause of their
celebrated excellence. At any rate the ducks
are ravenously fond of it. The methods re.
sorted TO by sportsmen and pot hunters"
as those men who make their living by their
guns are termed, are various, but the most
ingenious device, and the one most generally
used, is the "sink box or as it is variously
termed, the "surface boat, "cotin boat"
and battery 1t is box about six feet in
length, two feet deep and twenty inches wide,
and is so constructed that when anchored on
the shooting grounds, and freighted with the
shooter his equipments and the necessary
ballast, it's deck is nearly on level with the
water, and the occupant almost concealed
from observation. The gunner lies on
his back, after the wooden decoy ducks
are set, and awaits the approach of the
focks. Numerous other devices are used, all
of which are more or less successful.
The waters In the vicinity of Havre dc
Grace have ever been famous for theimmense
numbers of wild fowl that congregate in them
each fall and winter, and during the shooting
season, from November TO March 81, they
are slaughtered In huge quantities.
Besides the duck attractions of the penin-
sula it is prolific of all kinds of small game,
such as wookcock, pheasants, snipe, curlew,
rail. reed bird, wild turkeys, rabbits, and
squirrels.
The sounds, inlets, small bays, and rivers
which are tributary to Chesapeake and Dola-
ware bays, from the mouth of the Susque-
hanna to Cape Charles, and thence north to
the BrandyNane, literally teen with fin life,
and so great is the variety that the angler
can find employment for his rod from May
until long after Jack Frost has asserted his
superiority. The light esteem in which salt
water angling is held by some is due, in a
large degree, to their want of familiarity with
it. The ambition Of some sportsmen is highly
gratifed when they succeed once or twice in
n season in landing a ten or twenty pound
salmon, or IN lining a two or three pound
trout from its cool and shady retreat.
His sporting predictions must be
of very capricious character who cannot
find genuine pleasure in health giving
troll, with spanking breeze, for the swift
and powerful blue fish or days quiet ang-
ling for the royal sheepshead, or bout with
those hardest and fairest of fighters, the
striped or the black bass. One of the most
prominent claims of the peninsula upon the
attention Of the angler or gunner Is its ready
accessibility. The finest fishing and hunting
grounds, where success Is absolutely assured,
are within few hours railway ride of Wash
ington and the principal cities Of the north.
Theoutlay of money, time, and effort required
to reach them is trivial compared with that in
volved in visiting the rugged northern mount
aims to reap hut small recompense. An
other peninsular inducement Is the compara-
two cheapness of hotel and boarding house
accommodations, From 81 to So per day
and from S. to SO per week arc
the prevailing charges for boarding and from
$3.50 to SO per day for boatman and boat for
fishing and shooting excursions Among the
towns which are favored by being built upon
fsh-frequented streams is Safe Harbor, a
small village on the Susquehanna. The
black bass fly fishing is very fine in the
Conestoga creek, a short distance above the
town. Fite's Eddy, twelve miles below Safe
Harbor, has for number of years enjoyed
notable reputation for Its black bass. Port
Deposit, five miles above Havre de Grace, is
the most celebrated black and striped bass
fishing locality on the Susqnehanna, IL is
thirty.seven miles from Baltimore. The
black bass at this place are not only plentiful,
but very large, ranging in size from two
to seven pounds. The striped bass are also
wonderfully plentiful The bait which is
most successfully used here for the black
bass is the "mud dabbler," the live shrimp,
the ordinary minnow, and the helgamite.
The striped bass have partiality for salted
eel tail, and they are also captured by means
of the spoon. June and July are the best
seasons at this place for both kinds of bass,
but as there are no legal restrictions the sport
may be INDUCED in at all seasons. There
are numerous other fine fishing spots along
the Susquehanna notably Conowings bridge,
Peach Bottom, and Bald Friar.
On the Chesapeake side of the peninsula
sportsmen will find excellent rail- reed bird,
and duck shooting, rs we'll as perch fishing
along the Elk river. Town Point, at the juno
tion of Elk and Bohemia rivers, Is a great
resort for lovers of sport. The Elk at this
point is two miles wide, and the Bohemia a
mile and a half There are plenty of wood
cock and partridges in the vicinity,
and some Of the finest rail, reed bird,
and ducking grounds ON the peninsula.
Betterton, near the junction Of Sassafras
river with the Chesapeake, is another
favorite sporting resort. Its waters has hon
estly enjoyed the reputation OF affording the
finest white perch fishing in the United
States. There are three good hotels in the
village, and numerous farm houses in the vi
cinity whore boarders are taken. Near Bet
terton are Barnard's wharf, Groves point,
POOLS island, and Howells point, all splen-
did fishing localities. Along the Delaware
and Chesapeake railway, running from Clay
ton, thirty-six miles from Wilmington, 10
Oxford on the Tredhaven river, an arm of
tho Chesapeake, there is scarcely q point
where game cannot be found in abundance.
Rail, woodcock, partridges, rabbits, and squir-
rels are very plentiful. At Marydell, thir-
teen miles from Clayton and aoldsborough,
are fine partridge covers and ut Cordova,
thirty miles from Clayton, some of the finest
woodcock shooting on the peninsula can be