Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-17
Special Dispatch to
HARPERS FERRY w. Va, May 17.-Potomac and Shenan
doah both clear.

| A seventeen pound rockfish landed
Thursday afternoon by Mack Sparrough
gives him the record thus far this sea-
son. The fish measured thirty-four inches
in length, and put up fight enough to
keep Sparrough busy for more than flf-
| teen minutes.
! Il was little exhausted when the ex-
citement was over. Mack stated when he
reached the. shore, but / stuck to the
game until | got few more fish"
| Sparrough has missed very few oppor-
tunities this season to try his luck on
the river. and everybody says he deserves
what he caught Thursday. During the
| white perch season he was on the river
almost every day. reaching the fish
ing grounds early and staying late. and
since the rockfish put in appearance, ne
says, he has put in little time at home.
Thursday afternoon he went to Bush
eddy near. Fletcher's. and had been out
some time before the big fish came along
and took his bait.
Il knew it was a big rock as soon as
it struck my line, said Mack. and l
wondered if I would be able to land it.
1t was a game of tug-of-war. and the FISH
lost.
score or more Of anglers who gath
cred in the boathouse Thursday could
hardly believe the fish had been caught
in the Potomac. Several had witnessed
the catch, however.
George NJ Burdine. Fred H. Cole. C. G.
Swan and Herman Cole are anticipating
an enjoyable fishing trip to Cmbog iake,
Maine, later in the season. Last year the
quartet spent three weeks in the vicinity
of the Take.
Lamont E. Cole. George Swan and
Fred Bean Of East Bethel Me-. were
with the Washington party last year Inc
| fishermen travelled seventy-hve miles
through the virgin forest lands to the
| place where they established camap.
"I'n admit we belonged to the tender
! foot aggregation when we reached the
lake." Burdine said, but We soon De-
came accustomed to the noises of the
wild animals and paid no attention 10
| them.
The camp was fifteen miles to the north
| of the lake at what is called Hedge HOG:
near the mouth of Rapid river Beds of
spruce pine boughs made them comfort
able at night. Fish, and game were IN
abundance. and in consequence the large
black catfish caught in the icy water had
| never appealed to the Maine residents
| who entertained the Washingtonians
| Burdine, being good cook. prepared
/ chowder and had it ready Tor the
| party when they returned from fishing
trim. 4 second helping was wanted by
every diner. and in a letter received from
| one of the Maine residents last week
/ Burdine was begged to return and make
| some more chowder.
| John W. Hurley this week had the I'M
usual experience of spending an afternoon
on the river and not catching fish.
| Il don't understand Ii, commented the
l veteran rod and line sportsman. I'D
be satisfied if | could only get one fish"
| Hurley was after rocknsh 1t was A
| case of catching a gamester or nothing.
/ but ne caught nothing. Small white
| perch annoyed him and he was willing
to feed them in effort TO get bigger
1 game
Five rockfsh were landed by him the
| day before he had the fruitless trip and
! that made his disappointment all the
| more severe. He says he had the salts
faction of knowing that other anglers
near him had shared his fate.
but I'll keep after the big fellows until
| get them.' he remarked: and the next
day he was on the river again.
| Six rockfish succumbed to his enticing
bait that day. and ne was happy. inc
| largest weighed nearly six pounds. Three
days of fishing this week Melted him a
| score.
fishing line and he spends much time on
the river He thinks the deep water
| above Chain bridge Is the best place to
find big rockflsh and early in the morn
ing he says. is the time to get them
There il such a current in the river at
that point that II Is difficult to get there
without the aid Of a power boat. The
water is exceptionally deep and swift
and the fish that are caught there are
usually big enough TO furnish sport.
Fletcher has caught several six-pound-
ers there this season, while last season
his biggest fish weighed nineteen pounds.
He has arranged to be on the river at
ldaybreak tomorrow.
Edward o. Craig, one of the most sue
Icessful fishermen on the upper river,
made some OF the anglers feel sick Thurs
day afternoon. when he displayed a string
of more than a dozen rOckfish. Ii Is
stated that the largest one on the string
weighed about six pounds. but the ordi-
nary fisherman would think he had a
whale IL he caught SO large a fish as
that.
Il wonder how he manages to get SO
many more fish than other people?' in
uuired friend in an aggrieyed tone
.He seems TO do IL. however, and others
have the same kind of bait he uses He
must have a secret way of putting on
! the bait"
The successful angler has his own boat
and II is one of the few craft on the
) river that are properly rugged for fishing
. liz is stated. He is able to move from