Evening star., 1915-10-16

Sportsmen who enjoy bass fishing
only have had anything but good sport
during the summer season, while the
saltwater anglers have had an excel
lent time. This Week there was change
enough in the water conditions up the
river to induce scores of anglers to get
their fishing paraphernalia together
and seek the holes in which the game
sters usually are to be found. Many
of them succeeded in getting Few
bass, while some of the disappointed
ones felt they had made a mistake IN
deserting the down-river places.
Saltwater fishing has been excep-
tionally fine this season, and during the
past week or two the sportsmen were
free from the annoying toadfish. that
troublesome species of the finny tribe
having almost completely disappeared
And late in the season." said one of
the river captains. ''the trout, rock and
perch are larger than during the heat
ed period.
And" he added. "the sport is CORE
spondingly greater"
plymouth bass fishing at the tidal
basin and on the creeks below the city,
especially MaltaWOnldT, tlSCdldW dS F,
Broad, Pohick. Potomac and Hunting
creeks, has been good during the past
tive weeks, sportsmen say, and many
big catches have been made.
There were many fishing parties on
the river during the> PAST week and
most of them WSfc able to display long
strings of fish when they returned, and
tomorrow boats and bait will be in de-
mand both above and below the city.
The question of bait deserves consid-
Grafton on the part of anglers There
are some places where bait usually is
obtainable, especially early in the sea-
son. but this late in the season it is
said to be advisable for anglers to get
in supplies before starting on their
trips.
For saltwater fishing" said one of
the enthusiasts. sit is well to have
are plentiful at this season, but peelers
are scarce. and soft crabs should be
taken for use in place of the peeler
bait.
"Madtoms and smelts are the only
nsh to use for smallmouth black bass"
he added. 1T is an easy matter to
Keep the bait alive in cool weather and
not much trouble to carry.
1T is well never to trust persons
along the river for bait" he concluded.
for the question of getting it in that
way Is a lottery"
Many sportsmen use various kinds of
bass. while spooning for large-mouth
bass is regarded being interesting
sport Rockfish are being caught at
numerous nearby places, many catches
having been made opposite the steel
plant during the past month.
There are many sportsmen who are
fond of both cunning and fishing. and
some are putting aside their rods and
lines for their guns and ammunition
In the District of Columbia there is
not much game to be killed other than
reedbirds. ortolan and blackbirds, al
though the possession of game killed
elsewhere is permitted during specified
periods.
The season for shooting reedbirds
opened September l and closes Novem-
Der l. while the ortolan season ends
one month later. Snipe and plover are
In season. the law permitting their
killing from September l to December
16. but the season for shooting wood
cock does not open until November l.
Quail and rabbit shooting in Mary
land is permitted from November 10 to
December rs. while in Virginia the
season opers November l and closes
February /, the law in the District of
Columbia preventing such shooting.
after November 1, the season for rab-
bits closing February l and for quail
March Is.
nearby. states and enjoy the sport of
shooting upland game, 1T is stated
they do SO under conditions which make
the sport little difficult to enjoy Lii
censes are required IN some counties
while in others it is possible for non
residents to visit the country and do
shooting as guests Of owners of farms
But there Is such a variety of local
laws especially in Maryland" said a
sportsman. that man has to make
study of them in order to prevent
transgression."
The shooting of wild ducks and geese
is a sport that appeals to hundreds of
residents of this city. In the District of
Columbi such sport is permitted be-
tween November and February l, and
without the payment of license fee.
The law, however. provides that such
shooting must be done off the Virginia
shore below Aqueduct bridge or on the
Eastern branch above Anacostia bridge,
and Maj. Pullman intends to have the
harbor force see to the enforcement of
the law. 1t is stipulated in the law that
no shooting shall be done within 200
yards of dwelling. bridge or public
highway.
Speaking of duck shooting" said
Lieut. Russell A. Dean of the harbor
precinct. who is charged with enforce
ment of the law, there Is not much
sport to- be enjoyed in the District
Ducks were plentiful here years ago,
OUT tne reclamation OF 30 large an area
Of the fats has decreased their feed
ing frounds to such an extent that the
game does not come IN such large num-
bers as formerly"
Lieut.. Dean says there was a time
when ducks were plentiful on the Ben
ming marshes. but the space is SO small
and there Is so much going on there
now that the ducks appear only in small
numbers and remain only a short while.
There Is small feeding ground near
Shepherds. the lieutenant said, and
many ducks are there in the winter
The law does not permit shooting
there. however, and gunners have to
keep of.
". W. Deal. Louis Barghausen, Percy
Harding. William Ward. George Up
dyke, Charles G. Barteman and Lester
Talbert composed a party of anglers
wh.ch had enjoyed a weekend outing
at Rock Point, Md. They got started
about l o'clock in the morning and
reached the point long before day
break. spending the early morning
hours about stove and making an
early start for the fishing grounds.
1T was a blustry morning" said one
| of the sportsmen. "and there was not
much doing before noon"
Except TO crawl into the abin and
se ooze." added another.
Dinner was served at noon. Then
came a change in the tide, the wind
died out and the fish started taking
the bait. string of large trout. few