The Washington herald., 1917-07-15

More rain, more rain and then
some. This has been the cry OF fish
erman all week. Just when every
body gets ready to go, the clouds
come up and PUT the kibOsh on every
thing II amt like il used to be.
There were days when you knew II
you had rain one day 1t would be
clear the next day. But how things
have changed. And how FISH and fish
errnen have changed.
But Washington and vicinity hasn't
been the only place where the fisher
men have been cursing their luck.
Everywhere along the Atlantic Coast
except In the very far south where
you and I cannot go IL has been rain
ing and spelling the fishing.
II we of Washington were a race
of frog eaters it wouldn't he so bad
We could get plenty to eat and enjoy
the srort. But 1t happens that very
few Of US eat frogs, some of us have
never even seen a frog. So there is
no congolation in that. Deep water
fishermen haven't had the same trou-
hle as the man who infests the Po-
tomac River and its tributaries.
They have been a little more for
turate. on Colonial Beach things
havn't been quite so bad. Salt water
trout, and other salt water fish have
been fairly abundant when It was not
raining and some one could get at
them. The water there takes a good
deal longer to get out of shape than
it does up here.
Away up river. some mighty good
catches of perch and catfish have
been caught. The bass haven't been
what they should have been and
many fishermen are catching large
strings Of cats and calling it good
sport. Anyhow an adult size Mis-
81 ,sipDi cat Is not bad business after
all. They are a little hard to skin
but all told they make mighty good
eating to a hungry man or an Afri-
can.
II hasn't heen so many years ago
when il was thoroughly respectable
to go out and catch catfish and
bring them home and eat them. In
the last few years, the catfish propo-
stion. in the main. has been left to
our cOlOTed brethren. These days
the much-despised cat has come into
its own. Just the same as ham and
cabbage has become a dish which
the rich man has now on his table
so the catfish is seen on many tables
where a few years ago it was an out
cast
Rass fishermen have had rotten
luck all week. There has not been
that clear spell for several weeks and
warm weather enough to tempt the
bass to take a stroll in the weeds.
Yet across the river in the Little
River 10 fewer than thirty-seven
were caught last week. 1t just hap
pened 20 be a time when the bass
were not watching themselves and
were punished. White and yellow
perch have done very well all week
when the weather is taken into con-
sideratiOn. At Great Falls, above
the dam. and In quite a strange
place tor perch. nearly 100 Of these
little fish, none under eight inches
/ long. were taken in one morning by
Phil Crane, of Alexandria. He went
fishing for perch, but had no idea
he would bring home two bucketfuIs,
and big ones at that.
Up around Chain Bridge the Mis-
sissippi cats are catching the very
dickens (when it was dry). One
which weighed eighteen and a half
pounds was snagged by Chester Rum
kle. a Baltimorean. here for a short
visit. This was last Thursday.
Runkle and his wife went up in the
auto and stopped at the bridge for a
while. lie had his tackle along. and
II his wife hadn't insisted he would
have let the fish alone. He is quite a
aand at the game, living very close
20 good fishing grounds. And Mrs.
Runkle helped him pull It in. Nei-
lher are sorry for the accidental fish
He photographed It, as it was the
largest FISH he ever caught in these
waters.
Lots of fishermen who went to Rock
Point during the week know just what
L Is to get all perpared and be al
most completely disappointed. They
caught a few fish. but not enough
to satisfy their ocular appetites.
Clarence F. Donohue and Daniel
Altman headed a party of friends
] down to River Springs last week.
Although they did not get there un-
til almost noon. they gave a fairly
good account of themselves. Those
in the party were DR.. Francis Nc
Quillan, Adam Weschler, Milburn j,
Donohue. Thomas L. Doyle and John
&C. Hardy.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Baur spent a
few days at Ocean View near Nor
folk. II rained a good deal while
they were there, but that did not
hamper them but little, as the waters
there require more than rain to make
them unnshaDEe. Ihey caught plenty
OF sea bass. hogfish and innumerable
hardheads. Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Abra-
hams were their guests.
Russell o. Beane, r. P. Andrews,
Jerry South and Howard Lang spent
a short while at Rock Point. The
big fish saw them coming, but the
little ones were nearsighted. Spots
and perch galore, but nothing that re-
duired two men tn haul II in w F.
Small, jr.. Chester w. Taylor, NJ.
oliver, F. K. Steele, L G. Randall,
E. Stelle, T. Lonagan and z. N. Mack
intosh were the other Washingtonians
who visited Rock Point last week.
Joe Gillian went to the Falls last
Thursday. and put a madtom over
board. intending it for a bass. But
lepound catfish beat the bass to
bit and was caught 1t fell In the frying
pan also,