Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-21

getting live bait. A bill this week was
introduced in the Maryland legislature
that is intended to prevent the shipment
IF live bait from Washington county.
and it Is from that county that most OF
the mad toms that are sold in this city
are received.
What prompted Delegate Stevenson to
introduce such bill is only a. matter Of
conjecture, SO far as Washington sports
men are concerned. 1t is the opinion OF
many Of them that Maryland anglers
had to pay an increased price for the
bait and that some Of them had their
representative introduce the bill in order
to lower the price or to prevent a scarcity
of the bait.
"Pll admit that there are two sides to
every question" a local angler said, dis
cussing the bait proposition. land I can
see the justice of the side of the Mary
landers. 1t may be that the big ship
ments of the mad toms threaten to de-
stroy the species, and If that is the
case the Maryland sportsmen are not to
be blamed for trying to protect the little
fish,
IF we are unable to get mad toms
the coming season. said another Wal
tonite, I'VE will experience much diff
Guilty keeping ourselves supplied with bait
when we go on our trips. We simply
will have to return to the use of smelts.
and all anglers know what it means to
keep such bait alive on a journey up
the river
Local anglers are deeply interested in
the bill that Delegate Stevenson intro
duced, and, it Is stated, some Of them are
going to Annapolis to see If something
can be done to have it withdrawn or
defeated.
Mai. Sylvester, who is the District
game warden in addition to being chief
of police is using extra precautions this
fish from the river. Persons who are
engaged in the catching Of bait for
livelihood and those who catch them for
their own use have been notified to re-
new their applications for permits.
A number of permits have already been
issued and many more will be issued be-
fore the season Is fairly open. The per-
mits allow their holders to take from
the waters of the District of Columbia
young catfish. smelt, club, bull minnows
and crayfish, stipulating that the fish
are to be used as bait in fishing with
hook and line.
Because of reported violations Of the
terms of the permits in past years the
holders Of them are now required to put
in writing a statement that they will
not take from the river any fish larger
than those that are used for bait
1T would be good thing If the per
of carp found in the bait nets said
William T. Reynolds The carp kill mil
lions of young fish each year and destroy
much of the spawn of other fish"
Catching perch in the vicinity of the
city is a harbinger Of spring. COM
mented John W. Hurley. land now that
perch have been caught 1 presume we
may expect some spring weather"
The veteran angler was told Of num-
har Of ha
in the deep water in the channel below
the gates of the tidal basin. Anglers
who caught them, it is stated, used ordi-
nary angleworms and they have arranged
row.
why shouldn't the perch be here?"
asked Angler Hurley. Its true that we
have had several cold spells. but 1t is
the METERS and gave the fish chance to
get up the river, and the Indications l
think, point to an early opening of a
good season.
Charlie Porter and Al Buechler surpris-
ed many of their fisherman friends Tues
day night. when they returned from a
trip up the river and displayed a string
of nine Mississippi catfish.
And they were as heavy as a man
could easily carry, commented Joe
Fletcher.
There was a strong current and plenty
of ice in the river, said the anglers, and
it was impossible for them to reach the
several times. and finally they found a
sheltered place near Walkers point.
The anglers had scarcely anchored be-
fore a seven-pound fish took AL Buech-
ler's bait and was unable to get rid Of 1t.
Eight other fish were landed. the largest
Weighing nine pounds.
Dick Mullett, Edward Craig and Will
liam White braved the strong current
and drift ice early in the week and went
cove. Not one of the trio expected any
fast and furious biting, and they were
not disappointed.
The three anglers landed four fish and
returned before shutdown.
And the fish were large ones" COM
mented VIII Reynolds.
Edward A. Strachan and Charles r.
Holman were at Aqua creek for week.
end outing to look after their log cabin
and get things in shape for the opening
Of the fishing season. They were sur
prised to learn that hook and line fisher
men had already caught yellow perch.
I'VE didn't do any fishing" commented
the river and they caught perch that
weighed considerably more than
pound
Yellow perch furnish excellent sport,
anglers say, pound fish of that species
being able to put up a strong fight.
\ surprising report received today
from the steel plant at Giesboro was that
E. ]. Lycett caught two rockfish there
early this week. They were caught near
the steel plant, it is reported, and they
weighed more than pound each.
Mack Sparrough was on the river near