Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
WALTOSIAN DEVOTEES.
The Perch Season is and Local
Fishermen Are Happy.

While We are some distance from the
Potomac, We may talk fish, Just the same"
said the manager of the sporting depart
ment of one of Washington's large stores
to Star reporter this morning.
THE perch season is now on, the fish
are fine and the catch good. We make
special preparations every spring for the
fishing season, for Washington is one of
the best centers for the sale of fishing
tackle. Whether it's Waltonians are ar
dent followers of their iIlustrious apostle
of the rod and line may be judged from
the fact that we sell $4,000 worth of fish
ing material in a year, and there are sew
eral other places in the city where the fish
ing trade is catered to. The Potomac bass
which are caught almost at our very doors
are famous all over the country, and justly
SO.
There is something entirely new In the
way of hooks this spring which will be
found quite an innovation as regards shape
The regulation fish hook which every man
and boy has in mind has a straight back
down to the curve-up to the sharp point
of the hook. This brings the hooks point
out from the back at the curve anywhere
from quarter of an inch to whatever size
the hook may be. The new hook has a
slightly bent back which brings the sharp
point of the hook in direct line with the
end where 1t attaches itself to the line
and makes 1t easier for the fish to swallow
and the more certain of 1t being hooked
than by the STRAIGHTFORWARD hook If this
hook should fulfill expectations there won't
be so many fish getting away the big
fellows, you know, the fish liars are al
ways talking about bringing up to the
side of the boat
Another new thing in the fishing para
phernalia Is the fly rod made Of an import
ed wood called the vine wood, and it may
In time supersede the time-honored split
bamboo. This latter wood, when split and
bound together with fine thread in the
slender, bending fly rod which is the pride
of every true fshermans heart, breaks
easily In the hands of a novice and fire.
quently when manipulated by an expert
1t breaks square off with a snap The vine
wood is much more tenacious and fibrous
and instead of breaking off sharp it twists
at the point of fracture not unlike rope
the strands or iberS of the wood holding
The fish does not get away, and may be
hauled in hand over hand Rods from
this wood may be made with the match
like slenderness of the split bamboo, some
of the latter costing as high as SO and
weighing four ounces. These delicate rods
are useless save in the hands of men who
know how to use them.
Still another new thing this spring is
the green-colored smell. These fine strong
OF mist color. The new green shade will
make them it is expected, even less visible
to the sharp eye of the game fish
Nearly everybody, including fishermen
gut, as they pass under that name They
are. however, made from the gut of the
silk worm after it has delivered it's tiny
thread of Silk and they all come from
Spain, and % per cent of the fish hooks
We use IN this country are imported from
England We smell them, that is attach
the hook to the smell by very fine waxed
thread, In this country, and most Of the
output comes from Brooklyn. The opera
tlVes in the factories become very expert
and in the time the average fisherman
would smell in an equally expert manner one
hook they will smell a dozen. They must
work fast, for it is all done by hand and
l don't fancy they receive over cents a
dozen for their work, Judging from our
retail price.
The fishermen all tell me that this wear
promises to be a good year for bass in the
Potomac and judging from the prepare
lions they are making the fish will get It
where the lady wears the ruche in thou
sands.
The long. slender bamboo pole of IA
miliar sight is imported by the thousands
from Japan. 1t will be of interest to fish,
ermen, and the import trade. for that mat
ter, to know that have received a letter
from parties in Alabama in which they
state that these poles are now grown In
that state equal to the Japanese product.
When the American product is introduced
on the market it will be interesting to OBJ
serve whether fishermen will take as kind
ly to them as they have to the old standby
hay, ho0