The evening times., 1896-10-24

ACtlSe steps are DelIlE taken by IN e Game
ana Fish Protective a association, W hich has
a large membership In this city and the ad-
joining counties OF Maryland and Virginia
| 10 preserve the bass in the Potomac River
The executive committee is working cut
plan which the members claim Will re-
suit in the saving OF more than q million
bass TO that stream every year.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which
runs parallel with the river is drained dur
ing the first part of each December When
the water is drawn off there are many deep
and shallow pools left. In these pockets the
young black bass, large and small, take
refuge until the canal is again flooded. IN
the past it has been the custom to allow
all comersto fish these pools Hithl line scoop
net or small seine and the fish have been
captured by the wholesale. The association
has arranged, ii is said, to prevent this in,
discriminate destruction in the future
For more than week Deputy Game
Warden George W. Massamore has been
along the river and canal arranging the
plan. TIE fishing clubs and individual
anglers OF this city have expressed their
determination to cooperate with him, as
have many of the farmers whose places
adjoin both streams.
ORDERS GIVEN TO LOCK TENDERS.
Col. G.. l.. Nicholson, superintendent Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, has volun.
teeTed TO assist in the praiseworthy work.
As preliminary move, lie has issued to
all lock tenders and other employees of the
canal company, an order, instructing them
the prohibit the fishing OF the canal 10y any
persons except those in the employ of the
Game and Fish Protective Association,
who will carefully capture the bass in the
pools in the canal bed and deposit them
in tue river, where they can multiply with
out danger from the pot fishers, who
formerly took them in great numbers to
supply tue Washington market.
As soon as the water is drawn off opera
tons will he commenced. They will at first
extend rrorh Little Falls to Hancock, Wash
ingtou county. Md. The bass will lie caught
in dip nets and seines. A seine about thirty
feet III length and five feet deep VIII be
drawn through the shallow pools, and
seine fully 100 feet in length in the larger
and deeper holes. Three men Will be as
S gned to each small seine and six to the
big ones.
The fishermen will have to work quickly,
as ii is estimated that they VIII have TO
haul seine in pools extending over sixty
miles of canal, which will require at least
fifteen days. As fast as the bass, big AMI
little, are caught they VIII be at once
thrown into the Potomac.
WILL MAKE THE BEST BASS STREAM
The pools VIII also be found to contain
myriads of catfish, eels, sunflsh. carp aud
suckers. The pick of these VIII be sold
to help pay the expenses attending the
Orders have been issued TO
destroy the smaller carp, as that species
is said to he destructive to other fishes.
The latter-day Isaak Waltons are en-
over this project. They claim
that by faithfully carrying out the proposed
program for several years the Potomac VIII
become the hest bass stream in the United
States. Through the efforts of the game
protecting organizations, the Virginia and
Maryland legislatures have passed excel
lent laws to protect fish in the river from
other than sportsmanlike methods of TAX
ing them. Efforts will be made to have
the West Virginia legislature pass similar
law this fall.
In the past seasons, when the fish were
caught in the pools left at the draining of
the canal, the poorer varieties were sold
to the farmers, wlile the bass were usually
picked out and sent to this city
The season for catching bass in Maryland
and West Virginia is from June to April |
15.
1t is said the first bass placed in the canal !
were carried in a bucket by Conductor Duke |
hart, of the baltimore and Ohio Railroad, |
who is deceased, and deposited in the stream |
at a point near Harper's Ferry