Evening star., 1915-04-10

/ Fishermen were made happy this
| week by the appearance of the early
run of large white perch.
They are the big fish with black
backs" said Joseph Fletcher, the KIND
that fishermen like to CATCH"
An occasional white perch had been
caught from time to time during the
past month, but not until Wednesday
morning was the first killing" made.
Three men in a boat stopped near
Walkers point and tried their luck. the
weather and water conditions being
perfect. and when they had caught
few big perch, news of their success
spread along the river and all the way
to the city.
Some of the more progressive dealers
placarded the news with an announce
ment of a supply of bloodworms on
hand, and late in the afternoon scores
of anglers were on the river trying
their luck
Those who were on the river Wednes-
| day had such good luck that the num-
| ber of fishermen on the river Thurs
day morning was much greater than
| the preceding day, favorable reports
having induced them to take advantage
of the early opening of the season.
! "And nothing but bad weather will
keep hundreds of sportsmen off the
river Sunday was Will Reynolds
Boatmen already have received many
orders for boats for early tomorrow
morning, while dealers in bait, more
especially bloodworms. say the demand
| is exceedingly large.
| Ward Savage and John W. Hurley
We're on the river at Weverton all day
Thursday The spring season for bass
fishing in that section closes April Is.
| it is stated, and the two sportsmen
went there to have the last days sport
| of the season.
| "And it was one of the' best days
sport l ever had said Savage. The
weather was perfect and the water
| ton"
And the fish put up lively fights"
said Hurley.
The two anglers landed ten fish, the
caught by Hurley. George w. Leopold,
boatman. caught five-and- -a-half-
pound fish Wednesday.
"A game warden is what is wanted
to preserve the fish during the closed
season." said Hurley. The fish are as
numerous as they even have been. but
residents of that section say that very
little attention will be paid to the law
| unless a game warden is on hand to
enforce it,
Much speculation is being indulged
in by lovers of the sport of bass fish
ing concerning the closed season in
nearby states. They have heard so
many conflicting reports, they state,
that they hardly know what to do. w.
F. Bowie. who is considered an author
ity on questions relating to fishing.
| confessed that he was at sea so far as
the Maryland law was concerned, and d
| letter addressed to James p. Curley.
state game warden, enlightened him.
The law is somewhat confusing" p"
wrote the game warden, who referred
| to two laws of the state and explained
! that bass taken from the river must
| be at least eight inches in length.
Il only caught this apparent conflict
! in the laws this morning." wrote the
| game warden, "and ] think I have adj
| vised some one that it is lawful to fish
| any time in Montgomery county, but
| this statement is not in accordance
with law.
MY view is that there can be no fish
| ing for bass in Montgomery county,
! above where the tide ebbs and flows, be-
| tween April and June 49,
! The question of proper bait for fish is
one that is rather perplexing to fisher
! men at certain seasons of the year. and
| there are many anglers who make sue
! ceSSIul caIcneS. DuI VINO prefer TO Keep
| the question of bait to themselves.
There was young man in this city
several weeks ago who never failed to
| bring home an abundant supply Of fish
| when he went to the river" one of the
! sport smen told Star reporter, but he
| fatty refused to tell others of the kind
of bait he used.
! Ills friends called at his place OF
! employment and were presented fine
! specimens of bass pike, perch and
l n "
| waters" the sportsman continued. "One
day he left with his rod and other para
| phernalia. Night came on without any
| word from the fisherman. but word did
| come from the police"
The sportsman explained that the
| young man had been in the habit of
going to a secluded spot and using an
explosive. He went once too often,
however. and the police caught him.
| His last catch cost him $25.
| Austin Savage is In the class Of fisher
men who enjoy the sport 1t is not a
| question of numbers with him, his
| friends say, but it is a question of how
to get the most enjoyment when he
| goes on an outing.
| Savage saw to stocking Squirrel creek
+, with brook trout last year, but he does
not know If the fish are there or il
| they have left the stream and reached
| the Potomac. and now he is arranging
to plant few large trout in the
stream.
He baited holes along the upper river
thinking the bait would attract the fish
but without success. and his latest sug-
gestion Is that a raccoon be trained to
| do his fishing for him.
| "coons are very fond of fish," he told
a friend, "and they also are fond OF
fishing. The, go to the river after
| sundown. wade out a short distance
| and catch fish. and the proper training
of such an animal might mean as much
sport as catching the fish with hook
and line"
speaking of fishing" said a resident
OF the Old Dominion. very few fish
ermen along the river know Of how
thousands of carp were caught in the
upper river many years ago. and when
they hear the story told very few OF
| them believe it..
The old fishermen related story
of how holes in the river below Lees.
burg were baited with canned corn to
attract the fish and of how explosives
were used to bring the fish to the sur.
face.
l dreds of fish were killed with a single
4 Mast he said. There were two men