Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-18
BASS DISAPPE4RING.
Carp and Unscrupuious Sportsmen DE.
plotting the Irandywinc.
Tea bal al

piotihH inc hrhHlyWlhS.
West Chester Local News.
Bass are scarce and year by year their
number is growing smaller IN our
streams. This is the unanimous verdict
of all our devotces Of the rod and line
Especially is this true Of the Brandy
wine and in support Of the fact it may
be stated that last year the number
caught was far below that of all proceed
ing years. Of course there arc yet few
caught, but the man who comes home
to-day with four bass averaging over
foot in length may consider himself
lucky. This season the fishing has been
extremely poor and the catches made
have been small both as to number and
size. Occasionally large one-an old
resident Of the stream which has for
years eluded the schemes laid to entrap
him, is taken, but it is all luck il one is
captured.
few years ago the fish were quite
plentiful in the stream and 10 or dozen
Eood-si2ed bass was no uncommon
catch; but such things are Of by-gone
days. All of the old time anglers, John
Ingram, Tyron Rodebach, AL Ingram
and others, will bear us out in the above.
At the present time the best fishing is
to be had in the west branch of the
stream, but this is due to the energetic
work of the Wilmington & Northern
Railroad Company, which is untiring
in its efforts to restore the stream to its
old-time reputation as q fishing resort,
II has several times since the rapid de-
crease of the fish, it has been noticed
placed hundreds OF small ones in the
water from time TO time and this has
served in some degree to offset the de-
creasein numbers.
The introduction of carp into the
stream Is given as one of the principal
causes Of the decrease of the sportivc
bass, and this is probably correct. The
carp, it is claimed, is vegetable feeder,
but this is true in part only. They will
eat almost any variety of food, as an
examination Of the stomachs Of several
caught in the stream will show. Inside
Of them have been found undigcsted
| portions of small fish, bits Of meat and
earthworms. Nearly all of which have
| been caught were taken With com
mon earthworms rs bait while thu
fishermen were angling for cells OF
! suckers. Ii the carp will take sucl
food as prescribed above they will Ger
tainly partukc literally of the spawn o.
| other fish which happens TO be de
/ posted near their feeding grounds
They feed from the bottom and along
the sides of the stream in the same man
| nCr us the sucker, and naturally partak,
| of all food which comes within thei
reach. The spawn deposited beside
rocks or on roots or sticks is partakcn o
with n relish. The carp is an unpalita
Die, overgrown, fust.incrcasing monSte
Of which our waters would well lie rid i
such thing We're possible.
While the carp, the hog of all fishes
is charged to great extent with til
trouble, there is another factor whicl
enters largely into the case. II is tn
INSCRIPTIONS, selfish fisherman, VIII
with no respect for the laws or to him
self as sportsman, goes to the Strear
day after day and when he comes HON
at night goes forth and proclaims 10 hi
friends the remarkable catch he ha
made. All bass in his case are stated I
have averaged at least foot in Length
He is, perhaps, truthful as to the nun
Der, but one glance at the scene Owe
which the cook is presiding in hi
kitchen and the true sportsman woul
turn away in disgust. Two dozen bass
Well, we'll, such fish The large.
will he perhaps 10 or l2-inch one, bu
the rest-iive inches would be Il goo
average, And such man is n sport,
man. A fisherman of this stripe lai
t year boosted of having caught 60 ha:
in one day in stream over mes
PhpniXylllg An investigation afteI
ward showed that he had been tishin
on a spawning ground. He had reall
caught the number he claimed, but OF
! Of the entire number probably not on
! dozen were over the lawful size of 81
= inches. Reading and Lancaster have
good supply Of such sportsmcu an
; they visit the Brandywine every sun
, mer and many times.
, Are there amy such men in We
! Chester?
We hope not.
. Many remedies have been PROPOSE
u and that Of restocking the stream III
{ been tried with indifferent success
:. There Is but one remedy which Won
7 prove successful, and that is TO close Il
stream for five years, restocking il enc
Il season until the expiration of the tim
/. Then, and then only, will tho Brand
wine regain its name rs one Of the fine
r. and most popular bass streams in III
i state. 1t would not be necessary
l. close the stream entirely TO do this. Oh
y branch could be closed for the time pr
= scribcd, the other remaining open. son
:, Of the fish would undoubtedly ma
=. their way down to the main stream 1
a low the junction of the branches, b
i the number would be comparative
u L