Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-01

What great sport the Pied Piper OF
Hamlin would have were he to drop down
upon the rodents in Potomac Park" COM
mented John W. Hurley, following a fish
ing trip to the park.
"And what a great boon he would be
to the anglers" added the enthusiastic
fisherman.
Few persons other than anglers and
automobilsts who tour the park know
anything of the great numbers of rats
that infest the park, and it Is only the
fishermen who know of the great annoy
ance they cause.
George Johnson. Il night fisherman, says
he knows more about the mean habits
of the rodents than the fancy fishermen
who try their luck from the wall during
the day.
But il was a long time before L was
able to solve the mystery of how the
bait was stolen" George stated. land
when / did learn about it. it didn't do me
much good.
George was able to understand how the
angleworms might crawl away from bait
boxes and he even thought live bait might
manage TO get out of the bucket, but
pcaring almost from his hands, he was
puzzled AS if adding insult to injury,
his lunch disappeared from his pocket
several times, and finally one night he
put his hand into his pocket and discov-
cred the cause.
And all the other fishermen along the
wall knew there was something the mat
ter. the fisherman said. II just caught
hold of big rat that was about to carry
off my lunch and since that time I've
had to hide bait and lunch.''
! 1t is not an unusual thing to see hum
dred or more rats running about the
park between the south end of the rail-
road bridge and the lower end of the
park, the fisherman declared, and unless
the government adopts some means of
come L serious menace.
If you can't keep bait the fisherman
concluded. you can't do much fishing"
X = x x
The annual outing of the Sharp Shinn
Fishing Club for 1913 is thing of the
past. 1t does not mean that individual
members will not be on the river again
this season, but it means that the people
of Catoctin will not have the pleasure
of the clubs company again this season.
Because of the continued muddy condi-
ton of the river Al Reinburg, w. b.
Cameron, Dick Peed and Ed Burrows.
members of the club. failed to make their
anticipated catch Of 800 small-mouth
black bass. They made some splendid
catches during the three weeks they were
anchored at Deans lock, however. and
were able to tell of something like lbs
gamesters having been caught.
Charlie SimOns. one of the several
guests of the club, won the distinction
of landing the largest fish, having caught
one weighing five pounds. while Dick
Peed landed Il four-poundcr and brought
it home alive the day the outing ended
One especially exciting incident attended
the outing. Somebody went overheard
after a big fish. succeeded in getting it
and then failed to properly secure 1t.
"And now the fish probably Is swim
ming about the river with a wire attach
ment" suggested one of the anglers.
Club members refuse to divulge the Sc
cret of which one of them got overheard
to get the hsh. II is certain that one OF
them got the drenchinl. however, al
though it was a rainy day, and he prob
ably would have been soaked had he re-
ma ned in the boat.
Ii is related that AL Reinburg hooked
the fish, and had SO much trouble with
it when ii got behind the rocks that 1t
was found necessary to enter the water
to release il. One end of a piece of wire
was run through it's mouth, and the an
gler. thinking the other end was fastened
to the boat, let go.
And down the river Mr.. Fish did
SWIM chorused the disappointed anglers.
* I = ;.
Am having the time of my life was
the message contained i'll a letter Ward
Savage sent John Hurley from Masons
; Island Thursday. Went out today with
Bill Hefiin and got nine bass.
Some going in the muddy water, he
added.
Ward has long been trying to get a
slice of the island. He has an idea that
there are more black bass i'll the vicinity
of the island than there are in amy other
part of the river and to p. owe he knows
what he is talking about, he says, he al
ways catches fish, and the flSh We're
caught in muddy water.
Il don't know what induced the fish to
take the bait in the mud, suggested the
fishermen 1T may be that they couldn't
see the bait or it may be that the bait
was so fine that they couldn't pass it
without q stop.
Ever since he has been in the country
writes Ward, he has been stumbling over
rabbits. and he was only waiting for the
opening of the season today.
Meet ME in Georgetown Sunday morn
ing" Ward concluded .as l expect to
send my fish and game down the canal"
Edward A. Strachan and Mrs. Strachan
are able to make anglers sit up and take
notice. The husband Is said to be one of
the most successful anglers about the
city. and he boasts that his wife is al
ways able to catch as many fish as he
can.
A weekend trip last Sunday to Aqua
creek was productive of one of the most
attractive strings OF fish brought here
from nearby places this season.
Early Sunday morning the couple were
on the river with live and artificial bait.
and il was not long before the fish were
In evidence. The best catch of the day
was q rockfish weighing seven and one
half pounds. It was caught with arti-