The evening times., 1896-12-08
ANGLERS MAY REVEL THEN
Potomac to Be Made a Great
Bass Stream.
DIR. GEO. MASSAMORE'S PLAN
United States Fish commissioner
Brice Heartily In Accord With II.
Idea Is to Transfer All Bass in
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to the
River-Carp to BE Destroyed.
From, the Baltimore Sun.


land Game and Fish Protective Associa-
tion, has arranged to seine the Ch.sa-
peake and Ohio Canal, in order 10 trans
fer all the black bass in the canal TO the
Po omac River, Il scheme which he has
been following up since last spring. All
the German carp caught in the caiai VIII
be destroyed, as they are tonsiuereu Il
nuisance, beng OF 10 account as 1000
fish. ana a destroyer OF other ilsh ana Their
spawn.
Last week DIR. Massamore went 10
Washington TO perfect the arrang.'-
ments He first visited Gel. Ii. l..
Nichuls on, At Georgetown, general super
intendent of the Chesapeake and ono
| Canal, who assured him that he was VIII
ing 10 lend assistance 10 the scheme lie
gave TO Dr. Massamore, as the TepT.-
| sentative Of the Maryland Game and Fish
| Protective AS ociation, permission tn
| seine the canal, the work to he dome N
/ sections.
STOCK THE POTOMAC.
"our object" said DIR. Massamure last
night, lis TO make the Potomac one of the
greatest bass streams in tue country.
! The bass In the Potomac VIII bc protected
| by laws already passed by the legislatures
! of Maryland and Virginia, ana laws - Le
pa Ssed next year by the West Virginia
| legislature. These laws provide that bass
Cannot be taken except 10y hook and line.
! Having obtained permission of Colonel
! Nicholson. went to Washington, ard saw
/ United States Fish Commissioner j. j.
| Brice. Members of the Blue Ridge and
the wocdmuunt Clubs Were with me.
| MIR. Brice entered heartily into the spirit
! OF the scheme and commended the enter
/ prise. He said he would assist us by
| furnishing men and material 10 90 the
! work. We WILL OF course, attend 10 the
| transportation OF the nets, and VIII take
sl.ft . -T.r
Every year the water in the canal Is al
| lowed TO run out, except what is eft IN
! the holes or pools, and people living along
| the canal used to seine out thousands or
bass.
The water will be draw n from the canal
this month, and then our work VIII begin:
! We will divide the canal into four sections,
| and take out all the bass III the holes, ana
transfer them, in baskets, To the Potomac.
| 1t proba bic that we may repeatthis year
after year.
AN ANGLERS PARADISE.
The Potomac ac is adapted TO bass, and we
! want to make it an anglers paFaulse
| There are accommodations all along the
river. Boatrnen will be on hand to wait ON
the fishermen. All the expense OF the work
will be borne by the fishing cluhs and our
| association. The work can be done in
one week at a cost of about 81 900.
I'VE will clean out the canal from point
Just a bove ancock down to Little L ans,
| lust above Washington. Thus. IN iew
| days we can put bass into the Potomac
| that il would require years to propagate.
The pets we VIII use Can catch Hsh rom
| tnre, inches 10 ty-nty Vt " % inches in length.
We will he amply repaid for our work. An
| Clers all over the State are interested in
the enterprise, and are willing TO lend
/ helping hand
| DR.. Massamore is representative
sportsman He is experienced and expert
as an angler, is an excellent shot. and
| a hearty and vigorous champion OF any
method which seeks to protect nsh or
| game, aud Increase the supply. The idea
OF seining the canal and saving the quanti-
ties OF bass, which would otherwise be
| killed originated with Or. MassHmore,
aud he placed himself In correspondence
with Dr. Walter 5. Harban, OF the Blue
Ridge Rod and Gun Club.
CANAL FULL OF BASS.
There was some correspondence upon the
subject, and it became evident that there
would have to be cooperation among The
Maryland and District anglers, in order 10
meet the expense of the proposed Under-
taking.
The canal Is full of bass. 1t is fed from
the Potomac, and when the water is let
in the bass come in with 1t. and remain
between the narrow banks until the water
| is withdrawn in winter. Heretofore the
fish thus left in the mud and pools that
remain after the wter is taken out OF the
canal have either been smothcrcd IN the
| slime or frozen when cold weather came.
Some idea of the scope OF the operations
| TO be undertaken may be gained from the
fact that the canal is sc miles long, and
will be seincd at the points where the water
| collects in the pools and small lakes, FROM
| Cumberland to Georgetown.
Asked whether he thought that the carp
could be gotten out of the Potomac, Dr..
| Massamore said:
There are professional carp catchers
who are familiar with the habits OF the
carp, and who know where to locate them.
They have cleaned out some of the streams
in New Jersey. These fish move in schools
and can be silly gobb!ed up by professional
carp catchers. We might possibly consider
the matt erlater, but seems ratherremote.