Evening star., 1897-01-08
Anglers Assisting the Project Of
SEEMING the Canal.
INDIVIDUALS AND CLUBS HELPING
Views of the Fish Commissioner
and His Assistants.
A TEN STOPPAGE

Capt. L. H. Harron Of the United States
fish commission returned to Washington
last night from Point of Rocks. 70 which
place his party had seined the canal from
Harper's Ferry. Capt. Harron stated that
the ice had formed too thickly on the pools
and holes in the canal for the work to be
prosecuted with anything like success, and
he had accordingly discontinued it until
warm weather set in and thaw came
In the stretch between Harper's Ferry
and Point of Rocks, said Capt Harron
there mad been taken out of the canal and
placed i'll the Potomac over 1900 bass, of
breed in the spring.
Expert Harron's Opinions
In response to an inquiry of a Star re-
porter as to whether he believed the pro-
oect would bear good results in increasing
the supply of small-mouth black bass in
the Potomac. Capt. Harron said that it
would most assuredly
Il am sure that at a low estimate" ba
remarked. "the thousand large bass we mt
IN the river will produce 100000 young bass
Which will reach maturity. There is no
doubt about the value of the work
Il am confident that better results will
be secured nearer Washington. around
Seneca, Great Falls and other points. The
holes in the canal there are deeper and
fish.
In transferring the bass to the river"
continued Capt. Harron, 1--WE also put into
tne Potomac every white perch. yellow
perch, chub, minnow and sinner which we
caught There were bushels of the little
fish. which are the food for the bass. SO
altogether the result of fhe work so far has
been of great value
CommissiOner Brice Pleased.
United States Fish Commissioner Brice
expressed himself as well pleased with tie
results of the work so far.
1T is f1ne, he said heartily, land as
soon as the work can be recommended it
should be and continued to completion"
To show what the possibilities are of the
mouth bass, which the seining is accom-
plishing, and the results from the introduc-
tion OF so many matured bass into It's
waters, 1t was said at the fish commission
that from a group of fifteen bass the COM
mission had secured and distributed 81, 900
yearling bass So Ii will be seen that Capt.
Harron's estimate given above is extreme
ly conservative, he allowing each bass only
200 progeny. instead of over 1000.
The results above Harper's Ferry have
been even better than those below. The
party seining between that point and Will
Transport, which is being directed by Mr..
David Dement,, also of the United States
fish commission, has placed in the Potomac
over 1900 bass, besides about 25,OOO food
fishes of other varieties. Half of these
bass were matured, SO if the same esti-
mates of expected production and propaga-
ton extended to them the additional
value to the Potomac can be easily un-
derStood.
Substantial support Given.
The success of the seining and the neces-
sity Of additional funds to meet the ex-
penses of continuing the work has inspired
individual and associated anglers to gen.
erous determination to provide the means
for it's completion.
The Montgomery Sycamore Island Club,
of which Mr.. James F. Hood of the Amer
ican Security and Trust Company is the
secretary, and whose membership includes
many of the most prominent gentlemen
sportsmen in Washington. held its regular
monthly meeting last night and contributed
$40 toward the expense of seining the
canal
The Anglers Association Of Washington,
which includes expert and indefatigable
bass fishermen with the proudest sort of
records in its ranks, subscribed SO for the
same purpose. So the subscription fund
toward saving the bass. which was opened
by The Evening Star recently shows most
substantial and gratifying increase today.
The record to date Is as follows: