Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-19
They Will Request the Legislature to
Amend the Laws Prohibiting
the Use of Outlines.
FISH WARDEN HAGUE'S WORK.
Campers-Out Along the MOnongahela River
Inspired With a Wholesome
Dread Of Fines,
RESULT OF NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION.
Peculiar Point Raised in an Action Against a
Game-Law Tioator.

Fish Warden John W. Hague has Just
arrived home from a tour of the Mononga-
hela river in a canoe, and he reports that
the fish in his district are almost free from
the violators Of the law. His former raid
down the Allegheny river had wholesome
effect upon the fishermen in the other streams
and they all evince a wonderful respect for
the law. He found but few violators, and
most of the people who formerly used nets
have either disposed of them or are trying
TO sell them.
More than this, his last trip will probably
cause revision of the fish laws of Pennsyl-
vania. At present a number of objections
have been made to the act of May, 1889,
WEIGH prohibits the use of outlines and
night lines. Sportsmen think they should
be allowed to use these devices at least two
monts in the year-July and Augustine
months when most of the fishing clubs are
out in camp. In pursuance OF this con-
vention of the United Hunting, Fishing
and Camping Cluos' Association of Western
Pennsylvania will be held in Pittsburg in
October. Resolutions will be framed pc
titioning the State Legislature to amend the
present law so that the use of outlines will
be allowed during the months of July and
August.
A FINE POINT RAISED.
This part of the law has already created
much trouble. One case came up in the
courts on last Saturday where a man who
had been prosecuted for using an outline
appealed and Colonel Stone filed brief in
which he claimed that if it was illegal to
fish with fixed line man who fshed with
two poles and left one of them stick in the
bank was liable to prosecution. He claimed
outline fishing was not illegal. and that the
law did not prohibit outlines, only fixed
nets and fish baskets.
When Fish Warden Hague was shown
the opinion yesterday he took the following
position: "Colonel Stones opinion is mis-
leading and if anybody depended upon such
statements they would be liable to a fine
and Imprisonment The Colonel does not
touch the position. The act Of May %,
1889, tor the protection of shad and other
game fish prohibits the casting and drawing
of seins, dip nets, pyke nets, etc., or the use
'If the act had stopped at that point all
fishing would have been prohibited and any
one attempting to catch fish in any manner
would have been liable to a fine Of 500 or
six months Imprisonment But at the end
another clause was inserted which allowed
the taking of fish with a rod, hook and line,
and that is the only method by which fish
f.I1- =,
Any other appliance is illegal.
DEFINING AN OUTLINE.
s'Mr. Stone uses the third section OF the
act to further prove his position. This sec
ton prohibits any set appliance for taking
fish. He seeks to maintain the position
that fish baskets, racks and things of that
nature are intended to be meant. Any
person can readily see that an outline is a
set means of catching fish. One end is
anchored with rock or fastened to the bank
and the line is hung with short lines on
which are baited hooks. 1t is certainly q
fixed means of catching fish because it is
never taken out of the water. 1t is simply
lifted in sections and then allowed to re-
main as long as the parties owning it are in
that locality.
s'It is certainly a violation Of the law. ]
took this position after consulting with g
number of sportsmen. 1 also received le
ter from the gentleman who framed the act,
in which he said it was intended to prohibit
outline fishing and was intended to recog-
nize the rod, hook and line as the only
legalized method of taking fish, for by that
means only one fish can be caught at
time"
After he was through, Mr.. Hague leaned
back IN his chair and kindly told the e1-
perience of his last trip. He said: ''On
July %, started from Morgantown in a
canoe with two deputies. We visited the
camps of all the clubs between there and
Pittsburg. The intention was to
find out all those who were violating the
fish law and what means they were using.
Not having any authority in West Virginia
no work was done until the State line was
passed. 1 visited the Bachelors Club, of
Allegheny, early in the trip. They were
not catching anv fish at ali, so we stayed
there a day just to show them how it was
done.
A PLEA OF IGNORANCE.
"There were about 40 camps along the
river. We found many outlines. hoop nets
and gill nets along the river. 1 notified the
officers of the camps. They all pleaded ig-
norance of the law on the subject,
but when 1 told them the law they
all acuuiesced. 1 only found seins at
Fayette City. The man who owned them
said be was getting ready to sell them. He
had not used the nets he said, because he
had read the account of-my raid up the
Allegheny Valley in The DISPATCH. In
fact that was responsible for the absence of
violations of the law-they all seemed to
have read it and 1 could not learn of any
nets having been used.
"At Port Marion, at the mouth of Cheat
river, found fishing magnificent, but there
was no illegal means used. William Maple,
who owns Dunkard creek at lock No. 9,who
had repeatedly defed the local authorities,
has now disposed of all his nets and pro-
hibited the use of might lines in his stream.
/ afterward learned that this was caused by
his having been prosecuted aud made to pay
a fine of $780, This had the effect OF
creating a Wholesome regard for the game
laws in that section.
'sThe camping clubs along the route ap-
proved OF nv actions. and I made great
MANY friends A number of them want to
be admitted to the United Hunting, Fish-
ing and Camping Clubs Association of
Western PENNSYLVANIA. / don't believe
there will be any more violations of the
Law for some time at least
81 myself believe that outline fishing
should be allowed during the months of
July and August, when most of the clubs
are in camp. We will hold convention of
the United Hunting, Fishing and Camping
Clubs Association in Pittsburg this fall
and endeavor to have the law so amended.
L u