Evening star., 1916-12-23
ROD AND GUN.

Very few anglers ventured on the
water this week The cold weather
ice and snow formed combination
that did not appeal to many OF 'he
more enthusiastic ones and. IT is stated
probably not more than dozen of the
Waltonites We're willing to chance an
attack of pneumonia or a severe cold.
at never gets too cold for John
Souder," said Will T. Reynolds, and
he was on the river usual.
And he added. the most enthusi-
astic of the rod-and-line sportsmen
was able to prove where he had been
when he came ashore; he had fish.
Souder. it is stated. misses very few
days on the river. 1t is only the windy
weather that keeps him at home, MS
friends say. and he has good reason
to fear such weather, having been
caught the river during storms
and forced to wade ashore. one night
the storm so severe that he mad
to remain on the river most of the
night.
The sportsman spends most of his
time on Little river. Yellow perch and
catfish are in evidence practically All
the winter, it is stated. and an occa-
sport.
Three anglers We're on the water at
the tidal basin early in the week.
They We're bundled in clothing enough
to keep the frost out and had ha't
enough to empty the basin.
But they caught no fish," said a by
stander who watched them from the
wall
Bob Ferguson. caretaker at Harry
v Lansdale's lodge. MoXley point. near
the mouth of Piscataway creek, is
popular with visitors to the lodge. as
is well known to owners of motor
boats.
Partly because of his congeniality
and partly because of his ability to
prepare game for the table, said Harry
A. Cole, who has been Lansdale's guest
on numerous occasions.
Harry Lansdale last week visited has
lodge and participated in a cunning
trip with Game Warden Smith. They
enjoyed both upland and river shoot
ing, bagging quail and rabbits in the
woods and fields and ducks on the
water
Thirty-eight quail and Ave rabbits
resulted from the upland shooting OF
the sportsmen, and later they bagged a
number of ducks on the river.
"And Bob Ferguson prepared them a
possum dinner" said Harry Cole.
Weighty responsibility rests unon the
heads of two black cats in this city,
according to friends of Hugh \. Kane,
! sometime successful angler and gun
ner.
More especially angler" remarked
| Ringgold Hart.
But all black cats are alike" Kane
admitted. and it is not only the two
felines that are liable to give him trou-
| BILE.
| Kane believes in the saying that it is
| bad luck for a black cat to cross ones
path, and willingly admits he will aban-
don a fishing trip when such thing
| happens.
"On one OCCASION" he said. Il was on
my way fishing and black cat crossed
| in front of my automobile. The car
was going SO fast that I was unable to
, stop and turn back, and that day all /
was able to catch was one toadfSh aft
er another. while my companions
caught real fish,
| The sportsman recalled another in
stance of a catch of a few eels after a
| cat incident.
And when you see me making turn
| in the middle of a block to get a start
| in another direction" he added, you
may rest assured there is black cat
nearby.
Many local anglers have received
copies of the book of Maj Richard Syl-
vester. former chief of police and game
warden of the District. 1t is entitled
Me. My Boy and the Bass" and treats
| glers. Much space is devoted to the
| Blue Ridge Rod and Gun Club. Illus
, trations are by Clifford Bergman.
| Maj Sylvester served as District game
warden for number of years and was
a member of the several clubs on the
upper Potomac He fished at practical
| II every place between Cumberland
and this city and several years ago
presented the President of the United
States with a six-pound gamester
caught at DickerSon'S
The author of the book was fond of
wading the river. favorite method
of the more enthusiastic experts years
ago. and on such trips he landed many
fine gamesters.
a lover of the fishing sport could
imagine no nicer Christmas remem-
brance than a real live bass Such
friends last year by Charles f. Heard,
known as one of the faithful" to
rod and line sportsmen.
Last year" the angler told some of
his fishing companions. IL had a sup
ply of live bass that 1 had kept in a
bathtub and was able to surprise
friends.
And he added. I'm going to try
to do the same thing this year. It's
an easy matter to put a boat over
board at the basin and get some big
fish in the deep water"
That was before the appearance of
ATeeZliS weather ana snow.
And now Heard'S cake is all
dough, remarked Mack Sparrough
Bob Sanders. the genial pharmacy
inspector of the police department.
owner of farm and fond of cunning
does not always find it necessary to
go cunning to get game.
One day the past week he heard
stories of muskrst hunting engaged in
by William T. Reynolds, angler and
gunner. who made one of the largest
catches of muskrats he had ever heard
of.
And Reynolds thinks he got one of
the largest ever seen in this section
sa id the sportsman who told the story.
Sanders said he would not dispute
the claim. He had caught an eXcep-
tional'y large one several years ago.
he Sd d. and he was in a position of
playing the man from Missouri on
the question of size.
The water in the river was higher
than usual. he explained, and he was
doing duty near Pennsylvania avenue
and 9Th street when he saw the musk-
rat emerge from a sewer opening.
Il followed the animal to az street
caught it and made il a present to
Jack Boland." he said, but that hap
pened SO long ago that I'd be afraid
to suggest its weight"
There is a otorman in the emplOy