Evening star., 1915-02-27

JoHH w. hurieN SlriiS OIL fourteen
small-mouth bass, all alive. received
from weverton Tuesday afternoon,
gave scores of anglers the fishing fe-
yer. Hurley did not have the pleasure
of landing the fish. he admitted. but
the sight of them, with the evidence
that they had been caught with hook
and line, proved thrilling enough for
him.
Have bucket of bait ready for me in
the morning." was his first message
over the telephone after he had re-
ceived the fish and he read the letter
Gorge W. Leopold. boatman and hsn-
erman, had sent him.
Hurley packed his fish in a split Das-
ket and started homeward after his
days work was over. He stopped at a
number of places and displayed the
catch of gamesters that weighed more
than twenty pounds. and, it is stated,
he came near to being held up" by
sportsmen who appreciate such fish
served for dinner.
One of the anglers friends said the
sad part of the story was Hurley's ina
bility to tell how it happened"
Leopold wrote: II will let you know
that bass are biting some. 1 was out
yesterday, got six strikes and caught
| four bass. The weather has been warm
| in the day and cold at night; come UP
| the first warm day.
Hurley had his bait and outfit ready
Wednesday morning. Before daybrcak
however, the patter of the rain on the
| roof and windows was ample notlce
! that he would have no use for bal,
| that day. and he remained at home.
The only satisfaction l had, he
said was the enjoyment of a Lenter
dinner that could not have been ex.
celled.
1T may be a long way to Tipperary,'
he added, but it's a short road to We
verton when the water is in condi'
ton.
| Many devotees of the fishing spor'
who learned OF the catch of small
mouth bass this week expressed sur
prise that it was made so early in thu
season. Others have noted changes II
the fishing seasons the past few years
however, and took the catch as mat
ter of course.
"If a person had suggested fishing il
this vicinity as early as January o.
February a few years ago." said W.
Bowie an enthusiastic sportsman, M
| would have been put down as candi
date for a berth in an asylum, bu
something has happened to make
great change in the seasons.
Until few years ago." he contin
ued, Easter Sunday was looked upoi
this vicinity, and even if Easter came
early not many thought it worth whil'
to wet their lines much before May 81
"And now" he said. they are no
satisfied unless fishing is good through
out the entire year.
| Mr.. Bowie recalled that two winter:
ago bass were caught in the bash
every day that the water was IN any
thing like good condition. This win
ter. however. they have not been 81
4 fiSh inc
good now and some large fish are oelnf
takem
A great many anglers took advantage
of the holiday last Monday to en1o!
weekend outings on the river and tn
smaller tributaries. Some of them hat
splendid luck, while others. as one ex
pressed it, didn't catch a nibble.
Charles r. Holman and Edward A
lStrachan. who spent their week end
| Auuia creek. were in the didn't catcl
a nibble'' class. They think there is nj
other place along the river that il
!nearly so attractive as is Aqua creek
"It is a splendid fishing place. Hol
man said.
The party spent Sunday and Monda!
in the country and on the river. KeaIz
ing that trouble might be experienced
in the matter of selecting bait for suci
early fishing. the anglers went equipped
with bait of every kind, from worn
Ito an attractive smelt. including sew
leraI varieties of artificial bait.
I'VE fished and fished,' said Holman
but did not get 4 thing. We had pient.
of herring from the nets. however, ant
ate them at every meal
! Carl Dentler Austin Savage and Mat
Trodden had Il weekend outing AT Cat
pond, the most attractive fishing piac
up the Potomac, says Savage. ana
days outing netted them seven fish.
"It is a place where fellow seldom
gets time to eat his lunch while hi
line is in the water. said Savage: ant
at times the fish are SO plentiful tha
one of the finny tribe will follow
hooked fish almost from the waite
when a catch is made
Feeling satisfied that they Woult
make "a killing" last Sunday. the anS
Iers took !: variety of bait with them
Shad, chicken, sturgeon and other bar
that cost money were carried along
and when they reached their faVorit'
spot they collected a supply of mussel:
from the shallow water in the canal
THE mussels did the work, sale
Matt Trodden. 'They just suited thu
fish that day.
two pounds each.
| George Johnson. the colored janitol
at police headquarters, who says E'
would rather fish than eat when he j:
y
lored companion who gathers the wast'
paper in the District building and bale:
it to get additional revenue for thu
government, had holiday Monday Ions
enough to catch a supply of fish fol
one Lenten dinner.
johnson is something of fisherman
and a good bait getter. He VIII St
without his lunch and spend a quartz!
for bait any time he wants to go fish
ing.
"Of course said the janitor. 'wher
I go fishing and make a catch / never
forget the preacher, and he never ask:
if the fish are caught on Sunday.
When a fellow can satisfy his pastor
and his family he ought to be happy,
he added, land that's one reason why
I go fishing"
Twenty-one Mississippi catfish were
caught by the two fishermen on theil
last trip. Thep captured the string
in the deep water near Cisselfs mill
using only worms for bait.
A party of enthusiastic anglers. full!
forty in number. members OF the An.
glers' Association and friends, gathered
on the lawn at the home of the as