Evening star., 1918-01-12

continued COiQ WedtHeI duu q Sooe
ing of from eight to twelve inches OF
ice on the river proved disappointing
to anglers. When the river froze and
there was prospect of thawing weather
many of the owners of small fshing
craft started preparations for an early
season. second cold spell was the
cause of their abandoning their prepa-
rations, however, and their boats stiii
are held fast in the ice.
1t is feared by owners Of boats who
failed to put them in protected har-
Dor or take them from the water that
their boats will suffer damage when
the thaw comes. The freeze came so
suddenly, said the owner of one craft.
that owners did not have time to take
their boats from the water before tney
were held tight by the ice.
Some of the owners have arranged to
have the ice cut from around their
boats as soon as there is any Hkeli-
hood of a thaw, hoping to save them
from damage should freshet occur.
They say the question Of a damaging
freshet will be determined by the man
ner in which the thaw comes. Should
a warm rain bring ice and water from
the upper river there may be dihculty
experienced in saving the boats. but
should the thaw come gradually no
trouble is expected.
Joe Gillian, one of the more enthu-
siastic anglers at Great Falls, says ne
is making hay while the sun SHINES.
but his neighbors think there is bet
ter way Of expressing just what he has
been doing.
"Filling his icehouse while the sun
possesses very little heating power
was one suggestion.
Joe found it an easy matter to get
ice twelve inches thick, he said. and 1t
was not much trouble to harvest II anu
slide it over the ice-covered ground TO
a place where he stored 1t for summer
use. He is surprised that more per-
sons residing along the river have not
nut in a supply of ice for the coming
summer.
Between times Joe finds he is able to
set his coon and possum traps. ana
His biggest catch one night was
possum that weighed eighteen pounds.
Charlie Porter says he is anxious to
try his luck for Mississippi catfish, and
a hundred or more other sportsmen are
Just as anxious. realizing that there
must be some horses" in the river
nearby.
"Mississippi catfish should be in evi-
dence as soon as shad appear in the
market" commented Porter. THE shad
are here, but the ice is too thick for an
angler to think of going near'the river.
AS soon as 1t Breaks" re added,
therell be nothing to 1t but catching
some Of the Ash"
Shad from the waters of Florida are
on market benches. They are OF all
sizes and prices. the smallest Of them
selling for so cents apiece and the
largest for 81, and the entrails Will sell
high when the river Is
in condition for fishing.
Jack Speaker Is anxious for the ice
to melt from the ponds in the bed of
the canal near his home at what is SO
known as Speakers LOCK. II
is about two miles above CABIN Jonn
bridge and is believed to be one OF the
most attractive spots on the canal De-
low Great Falls.
Just before the first freeze came JACK
carefully guarded a supply or live nsh
his intention to have them for few
fish dinners for his friends duIIns lns
winter season, but ice covered the pong
and made it impossible for him TO get
the fish.
frozen in the ice and are good for 1000.
or If they have been chilled IN Inc
bottom of the pond and killed. TO
entertain Representative J. Hampton
Moore and friends and hopes ne VIII
be able to serve them a fish dinner, ana
to let the member OF Con-
gress see something of the waterway |
he hopes will be more fully utilized IN
getting a supply of coal to this city.
John w. Hurley was in Cumberland.
Md. near the head waters of the Po-
tomac river, this week. and had an op-
portunfty to hear of the great catcnes
Of bass that have been made there IN
past year. Hurley declares he will pay
q visit to that part Of the river the
coming season and try his luck.
Reports from resorts on the lower |
Potomac and Patuxent rivers tell OF the
thick ice that is being harvested. An
glers welcomed receipt of the news. re- |
calling their inability last summer to |
get ice to prevent their fish from spoil |
ing.
'The people at the resorts probably will
need 1t the coming summer worse than
in past years." commented Hugh A.
Kane, one Of the victims OF hot weather |
last season. "If the war continues and
coal and labor shortage disturbs work |
in ice plants" he added, "the pond Ice
will come in mighty good"
violators Of the game and hsh laws
Of Scott county. Va, last year paid thes