Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-17
Long. Headed Sportsmen Are Now
Engaging "Pushers."
THIS A BAD FISHING SEASON
Potomac Has Been Too Muddy.
Many Anglers Try Their Luck
at the Salt Water Resorts.

pected to make the recent warfare down
the Potomac fade into insignificance. The
gunners. many of them at least. will
have something more than sunburned
faces to show for their outing Fact is.
if there is anything in forecasts. they
will have the biggest bags OF game In
years.
Conditions were never better" re-
| marked a sportsman to a Star reporter
last evening. land birds have not been
so plentiful for several seasons. The only
| question is II they will remain until the
opening OF the cunning season."
BIRDS are numerous on the marshes
around Benning. gunners report, and
there is no scarcity Of themon the marshes
down the Potomac and along the Pa
tuxent river Blackbirds have been in EVIL
dence several weeks. and are as fat As
reedbirds usually are during the cunning
season. Plenty Of reedies and ortolan
nave appeared during the past ten days.
all that is necessary to insure good sport
| the opening day of the season.
All the real hunters in town are getting
| ready for opening day. Some of them
engaged their ''pushers." There are not
| SO many of the gentry around the local
| marshes as there were years ago, and II
| Will be a case of the first come first
been seen near the marshes. especially in
the vicinity of the Benning bridge, in
specting the wild oats and looking for
birds. but no complaints have yet been
made OF violations Of the law.
Wait for the First, Sports.
But the policemen who patrol the
roads near the marshes are on the alert
1t Is illegal to kill marsh birds or to
nave them In ones possession before
September I, and there are other sec
tons Of the law that the gunners must
obey The law on the subject reads:
That no person shall kill, expose for
either dead or alive. any water rail or
ortolan. reedbird or ricebird, marsh
Dlackbird. or other game bird not previ-
ously mentioned, between the first day
tember: under penalty Of 81 for each
water rail or ortolan. reedbird or rice
bird. marsh blackbird, or other game
bird not previously mentioned. killed.
possession. either dead or alive. and in
default thereof to be Imprisoned in the
Workhouse for period not less than
| fifteen days nor more than six months"
trespass. There are many gunners who
shoot along shore instead Of in boats,
THAT any person who shall know
ingly trespass on the lands Of another
for the purpose Of shooting or hunting
| thereon, after due notice by the owner
or occupant Of lands. shall be liable to
such owner or occupant in exemplary
damages to an amount not exceeding
800. That notice shall be siven BY
1 erecting and maintaining siEnboards.
at least eight by twelve inches in d.
mansions, on the borders Of the prem
ises and at least two such signs for
every fifty acres; and any person who
shall maliciously tear down or in any
manner deface or injure any OF such
signboards shall be liable to a penalty
of not less than IS for each and every
signboard SO torn down. defaced. or ia
jured; and, in default. to be Imprisoned
| for a period not exceeding thirty days
in the workhouse."
There is a section of the police resula-
tions which provides a penalty for the
dischargine of firearms near dwelling
| houses or county roads, and the police
have been instructed to see to ite en-
| forcement.
Anglers Up Against It.
Anglers are not having a particularly
| good time in this section this summer.
| the water having remained muddy 30 long
| that bass fishing is almost a forgotten
sport The water in the Potomac river 10
muddy, but there are places where ang-
lers with time or money find some sport.
| Jesse Middleton, who 10 one Of the most
| enthusiastic anglers In this section. went
to Chopwamsic last Sunday and succeed
| ed in enticing eleven bass to his line.
But he admitted. only two OF them
were worth bringing home. One weighed
something over a pound and the other
was about a pound heavier. Nine OF the
| eleven weighed less than one pound each
| and 1 threw them back"
Mr. Middleton thinks there are no better
! fishing places within a few hours ride OF
! Washington than/t the north and south
branches of the Shenandoah river at Riv-
! erton, Va.
| The bass are actually there. he says. and
| they seem stronger than In other places
All that is necessary to insure good sport
| in good condition. and frequently when It
| happens that one stream IL muddy the
| other is clear. so that an angler who goes
| there to enjoy the sport has two chances
| to one.
| There are plenty Of plymouth bass in
the small creeks that empty into the
Potomac below Washington, but the
water is not always clear. Lake smith.
where the city of Norfolk gets its water
supply. is about the only place within .
| few hours ride Of this city where good
sport is always pretty certain. There
are both varieties of bass In the lake. a
we'll as crappy, and weather conditions
seldom interfere with the sport
Ho! for Salt Water.
Many Of the more enthusiastic anglers
became tired of waiting for clear water
| In the Potomac and concluded to try salt
water fishing number OF those who
visited resorts on the salt water recently
report that some fine catches were made.
| Fishing has been particularly good along
| the lower river and is getting better a.
| the season advances. Some anglers who
returned from Piney Point yesterday told
| of big catches of trout. spot and croak-
| ers The trout are plentiful and OF good
| size, while the other fish, although less
plentiful. are in splendid condition. Fish
ermen who tried their luck in the vicinity
of Colonial Beach landed many rock.
perch and tailers.
There is also good fishing in the Chesa-
peake bay and tributaries other than the
Potomac. At Chesapeake Beach q num-
Der of rock were caught during the past
week, the anglers who went some dis
lance from shore landing some weighing
more than two and q half pounds. Good
sport is also to be found in the vicinity
Of Annapolis, the Severn river being noted
for its rock. tailers and perch: Fishing
IN the bay about Annapolis Is also fine.
Branch Not So Bad.
The Eastern branch clears enough to
insure good sport occasionally. fishermen
having taken a number Of pike this sum-
mer. Catfish and carp are plentiful In
the branch and at times some 6ne white
and yellow perch are caught Many nsh-
ing parties have been arranged for to-
,o,orrnuu ,,,oat ~ them for salt water