Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18
Work of Saving the Bass to Be Com
menced Monday.
TEE SCOPE OF 4HE OPERATIONS
Fish Commission Experts Will Be-
gin at Little Falls.
GOOD RES ULTS EXPECTED

and other game and food fish contained
therein and placing them in the Potomac
river will be commenced Monday morning,
under the auspices of the District Game
and Fish Protective Association and the
United States fish commission.
The seining will be under the direction of
Mr.. Joseph Hunter, the well-known and
enthusiastic angler who acts as the repre-
sentative of the association, and the seines
viii be operated by party of the expert
men from the United States fish commits
sion, under charge of Mr.. l.. G.. Harron.
who managed the work with such success
and wise discretion last year. Mr.. Harron
and his assistants have been assigned to
the work by Commissioner Brice, who real
ICES full well the Importance of 1t, the eX-
cellent result of the sein:ng last year being
shown in the increased number of bass in
the Potomac this year.
How the Fish Are Taken.
The mode of operation in saving the bass
is Interesting despite the extreme hard work
it means for the men who manipulate the
seines. The Chesapeake and Ohio canal IS
ordinarily six or seven feet deep, but at
intervals are deep holes, caused in various
ways, ard pc OILS. which hold two or three
feet of water when the rest is drawn off.
The very deep holes cannot be seined, but
where wading is possible the work is prose-
Cuted. In the majority of pools thirty
foot seine of quarter-inch meshes is used.
Two men, clad in rubber suits reaching
their armpits, draw the seine slowly to-
ward a desirable landing place, while two
others, similarly clad. walk through the
water in front of the seire and keep the
fish moving by agitatinG the water with
sticks and starting them out from the hid
ing places they seek in the rocky bottom.
Mr.. Harron walks back and forth behind
the seine, watching the cork line and re-
moving debris, and occasionally reaches
over and captures a big bass who shows
tendency to leap over the line and escape.
When the seine is landed and held up the
bass are Immediately separated from the
other fish. placed in buckets of water and
hurried to the river bank and put into
the water. Thus no bass is out of wa
ter more than a minute. All carp taken
are killed Immediately, and catfish are CIV
en- to small boys, who invariably are pres
ent. All the other fish are then placed in
the buckets and taken to the river.
Successful Work Under Disadvantages
The seinng last year was commenced
during the Christmas holidays, and was
soon stopped by the ice. The operations
were carried on between Williamsport and
Weverton, and despite the obstacles in the
way about l., 500 bass We're saved from de-
s;ructon, which was inevitable had they
remained in the canal, and restored to the
Potomac. In addition thousands of white
perch and crappie were saved and put in
the river, and incalculaDle number of
smaller fish, many of which were young
bass, removed to the stream. The result
was seen in the increased catches of bass
in all the waters where the fish had been
placed. The commencement of the work
this year at the lower end of the bass wa
ters and its extension to Seneca has been
caused by the fact that the great majority
of District anglers seek sport in the Poto-
Infy nj md nd
it is due to their generosity that the good
work can be carried on. The earlier be-
ginning of the SEEMING was made possible
this year by the praiseworthy efforts of
Col. George l.. Ncoson, the wide-awake
and enterprisinS superintendent of the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal, who had the
water drawn off from the canal sooner
than customary. Col. NicolSon is one of
the most Jealous champions of the bass
and of measures that will tend to the pro-
lection and increase of the noble fish. He
has issued strict orders to all canal en-
ployes to see that all bass taken from its
waters by parties hauling seine at any
point are put in the Potomac. Many par
ties living along the canal seine the pools;
that remain when the water is drawn off
and heretofore they have taken the bass,
as we'll as the other fish caught for their
own use. Last winter party of men near
Williamsport, apparently acting for DR..
MMassamore. the deputy game warden of
Maryland. who believed they were going to
put the bass taken by them into the river,
hauled seine near Williamsport. They
caught number of fine bass and placed
them in cans in wagon to take home with
them. A canal employe, acting under the
orders issued by Col. Nicolson, frustrated
this intention by compelling the men to
put the bass in the Potomac. This year
col. Nlcoison has ordered that no canal
employees can use fish pots or other de-
vices to catch fish, but that all facilities
must be given the bass to get back to the
river, and that weirs must be opened and
hnr tt0rc bots
the canal kept as free from distractions
as possible. He will give the seining party
OF Messrs. Hunter and Harron all the as
slstance in his power, which will doubtless
certainly be appreciated by every angler in
this vicinity.
Expense of the Work.
The cost of the subsistence of the men
engaged in the work and the expense of
transporting the seines from one hole asin
or lock to, another will be borne by the
anglers of the District as it was last year.
There remains available from the fund sub.
last winter the sum of $91, but the continu-
ance OF the SEEMING up to Seneca which 1t
is confidently believed, can be reached be-
fore cold weather freezes the pools and
makes sening impossible if vigorously
prosecuted, will require additional money
The Star will receive and acknowledge sub
scriptiOns for the good cause
The Fish Commit ssiOner's Views.
'The success of the original experiment
last year was so great that l am heartily In
favor of continuing the seining each win
ter" said United States Fish Commissioner
Brice to The Star reporter this morning
THE adult bass taken out of the canal and
returned to the Potomac and their natural
surroundings breed, of course, when spring
comes and add very substantially to the
supply in the river l am very glad the
commission is able to assist in the work
1 cannot express my appro val Of the SEM
ing too highly:
A father recently wrote to Oxford Uni
versity: What are your terms for q year?
And does it cost anything extra if my son
wants to learn to read and write as well