Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-08

Joe Fletcher Monday afternoon
brought joy to hundreds of anglers
with the information that he had fished
in the high water off Walker point and
landed fifty white perch.
Not many of them were large" Joe
admitted, and they were such full-roe
fish that high water will not have the
effect of driving them back down the
river They are here to stay
Many sportsmen enjoying their week
end outings on the river complained of
continual annoyances experienced with
their bait. 1t was almost impossible
for them to keep their hooks baited,
they said, and still they were satisfied
that Mississippi catfish were not caus-
ing the anoyances.
| Il have an idea that small white
Iperch annoyed the anglers commented
Joe Fletcher, who said he saw herring
jumping, and thought there were perch
not far away.
The following day he dug a can of
worms and started out to try his luck
for perch. No fish of that species had
been caught. so far as he had been ad-
vised. but he thought it might be we'll
to give them trial.
| Somebody has got to make start.
he said, land l guess it's up to me to
do it,
Equipped with his supply of worms
and fishing tackle, Joe rowed to place
where the bottom of the river is rocky.
cast his bait and quickly hooked a
perch, proba bly, the first perch caught
with hook and line this season.
1T was rather chilly on the water
that afternoon" said the angler, but
the excitement of catching the first
Col ,r r.
the cold"
Scores of others have been the
| river since Fletcher made his catch.
and good weather and favorable water
conditions tomorrow will induce many
anglers to start the seasons sport.
Anglers have every reason to. believe
that there will be a big run of rockfish
here this season. 1t was not until the
middle of May last year that the big
gest of the rockfsh were caught in
this section, it is stated: but anglers
predict that they will be here much
/ earlier this season.
Reports from various points along
the lower river tell of the catching of
great numbers of rockfish in nets, and
it is stated they are being caught not
la great distance below the District
line.
with the fish only a short distance
from Alexandria, said Billy Wlthers.
sit seems that they soon will be here"
g.
S. j. Held made a catch of large rock
fish in the deep water near Chain
bridge. Last years catch did not in
clude any fish that weighed more than
eighteen pounds. William White carry
ing off the prize fish of the season
with an eighteen FOUNDER.
H W. Byers, one of several anglers
who last year made good catches of
rockfish from the pier at Plum point,
Calvert county, Nd, has arranged to
spend several days there the coming
/ week He says he expects to catch a
few fish.
Lieut. Russell Dean of the harbor
police says that sportsmen have come
to realize that the game laws cannot
be violated without fear of detection
and punishment. Many Of the sports
men. he stated, seem anxious to assist
the police in the enforcement or me
law, realizing that game ana nsh
should be protected.
."Thousands of wild ducks have been
in evidence on the flats since the season
closed" said the lieutenant, and I'm
satisfied that gunners nave maze no
attempt to modest them.
Jieut Dean said that the District law
closed the duckine season April ], but
officials of the Agriculture Depart I,
ment and the prosecuting oflcers held
| that the federal law, which closes the
ducking season February !. is applica-
BILE to the District, and there mas been
J no shooting since that time.
The lieutenant says he favors
change In the law that protects the
Ash. He would permit the taking of
carp and catfish in nets operated by
persons who catch bait The law
should provide for the use of such nets
only in the daytime. however, when the
| police could see what is done.
| Dick St John, on a weekend outing
near Fletchers, had an exciting expe-
rience with colored angler The lat
ter's boat drifted when the tide raised,
the angler being asleep and came near
, capsizing ST. Johns skiff
ut was such long time between
nibbles that the colored fisherman went
to sleep" said Joe Fletcher. and IT
was with some difficulty that st. John
aroused the sleeping occupant OF the
heavy boat"
The drifting boat was caught in time
to prevent an accident, however, al
though ST. John was made nervous by
his exciting experience and had to go
| ashore.
Fishing for Mississippi catfish was
not particularly exciting port that day
The weather was almost too cold to
make the outing an enjoyable one, and
St John had only one fish to his credit
when he gave up the sport for the day.
Mack Sparrough and William Wyn-
| koop were among the sportsmen who
were on the river for a weekend out
ing That was before Joe Fletcher dis
. covered that the early run of perch
were here. and the two anglers were
3 prepared only for the sport of catching
, Mississippi catfish.
1.-The water was high and muddy,
said Sparrough. land it was necessary
for us to seek sheltered places. We
. found the sheltered spots, and also
. found a few fish
Sparrough was fortunate enough to
pick up five fish. the largest weighing
five pounds and the others running be-
tween two and three pounds
Wynkoop did not have his usual good
t luck. He landed only one fish AS soon
, as Sparrough learned that perch were
running he took an afternoon off and
went to the vicinity of Fletchers and
) Copperthites and tried his luck
Z Not much luck" said the sportsman
, Probably because I caught the wrong
tide"
Gustave Knese. enthusiastic and sue
cessful angler. is said to possess the
greatest quantity of fishing para
. phernalia. Of any local sportsman. He
. makes his own rods and buckets, is
able to snood hooks and prepare other