Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-19

weather during the day. the enthusiast
tic angler made an early start and was
on the river long before hundreds of
fellow sportsmen had answered the
call for breakfast.
And start was all 1t was" COM
mented Mack Sparrough, who reached
the river about the time the snow
started falling.
There was no finish." he added, for
the angler did not get a touch
Three hours after Heltzell started an
effort to catch fish against the worst
| odds Imaginable he left the river and
joined Sparrough and Will Wynkoop
at the boathouse. where the party dis
cussed the seasons prospects and got
pleasure out of their authorizations OF
| the fish they expect they will be able
to catch later in the season.
Sparrough and Wynkoop made no er-
| take bait. They were supplied with
quantity Of choicest bait and had their
fishing paraphernalia with them.
And" said oneof the disappointed
purpose of trying our luck. ard it was
only the snow and rain that prevented
us from making the effort.
| Sparrough and his companion remain
ed on the river bank until the snow De-
came almost binding. and no signs OF
cessation of the storm appearing the
sportsmen said they returned "hiie
the returning was good.
| Joe Fletcher bears the distinction OF
Having caught the largest MISSISSIPPI
catfish landed in the vicinity or TINS
city this season. 1t was an eleven
FOUNDER. Charlie Fletcher, his PROM
er. has made number Of catches OF
large fish, but none of them weieheo
as much as eleven pounds.
| thatcher ia one OF the pest
| and most successful anglers in the VI
cinity of this city," according TO w.
E. Buckingham, a veteran sportsman;
who has a reputation as a bass ana
rockfish angler.
when there is any possibility OF get
ting fish," said the veteran. "Charlle
Fletcher is the one to get them. ne
does not mind getting on the river
early and staying late. =.
"And remaining all night II there Is
anything in sight," concluded the vet
eran admirer Of his piscatorial ability.
Fletcher, it is stated. probably mas
caught a greater number OF large rock
fish in the deep water near sh, Gna,n
bridge than any other W ashihe loA
angler.
Patrick Riordan, who has the repu.
! tation of having made some or the pest
catches of small-mouth BASS ever sen -
| by local sportsmen, is anxiously await
! ing the opening of the season for catch
ing the gamesters
It is not a violation of law to catch
| them at this time. but, said the veteran
angler. it would be a violation of some
other law to sit on the river in this
kind of weather.
i although" he said, II have fished
for bass in the late fall when snow was
| falling and one of the best catches ever
saw was made in such weather
The sportsman tells of trip in which
he participated several years ago; wnen
a friend landed four-pound hsh near
Harpers Ferry.
1--WE had been Joking about catching
| a big fish," said Riordan. land the sight
| of the big gamester caught by my
! friends made me sick.
And I declared I'd not ride nome on
one" he added.
termed a "warhorse," a fish that I'M
questionably had been hooked before,
weighed fully seven pounds. j,
at was the longest bass ever saw,
he added, land the thinnest. but l
spread it on the outside OF my string,
was the heaviest fish they had ever
seen. 1t weighed only four pounds"
81 fear the snow and ice will shorten
the season for catching the big Mis-
sissippi catfish" remarked Mack spar
rough, after viewing the river during
the snowstorm last Sunday.
IT'S strange how short ), the ns season ssd
"They usually come in ,-sh after ice
disappears from the river, take shad
bait and then apparently disappear, al
though they unquestionabiy do not
leave this part of the river"
Many smaller ones are caught
throughout the spring. summer and
fall, said the angler. but seldom are
any of them heavier than three or four
pounds.
Sparrough predicts an early season.
for white perch He thinks the early
run will be here by the middle of
March because of the river conditions.
There is not the usual amount OF
snow in the mountains above the city,,
he said, land in all probability there
will not be the usual spring freshet to
interfere with and delay the opening of
the perch season.
William Wynkoop, fishing companion
of sparrough. agrees with his friend
that there ought to be good white
perch fishing along the lower river at
least three weeks before they are
discussing a trip to Rock Point in the
near future.
Buoy No. is great place for
catching white perch during the sum-
mer season." one Of the anglers re
marked, land why shouiunt they take
the bait there now
..It is at least worth a trial" he add
ed, land we intend to make the ef-
fort"
It is the intention of the sportsmen
to take trip to the popular hshlng
resort on the Wicomico the latter part
of next week If conditions are at all
favorable. They do not anticipate any
salt water fish taking bait before June
Charles Sanford and William E. Car
ner have memberes Of the Potomac
terest in the work Of making prep
arations for the opening of the fishing
season.
mechanics of all Kinds are members
of the club" remarked Wash Sanford,
one of their number, and all are
working steadily to get the boats in
good trim by the opening of spring.
The ST. Charles. the big boat OF the
club. is being given a thorough over
hauling and painting, and the Mercury
Bob Smiths launch, will be made prac-
tically a new boat. Members or tne
club do not pay much attention TO
early spring fishing, but are fond OF
the sport on salt water, when big trout
are running and when 1t is possible 10
enjoy crab feasts.
It is probable that the first club event
this season will be Fourth OF July
trip to the lower river.
Catching big bluefish in the ocean
and Chesapeake bay in the vicinity OIL
Norfolk is great sport and hard work,
according to Detective j. w. jones'
member of Inspector Grants force.
"Bluefish rock between Cape Charles
and Cape Henry he stated. us one OF
the greatest fishing places in that