The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-18
WHAT N BE
DONE TO SA We
BASS FISHING?
Old Timer Writes to Know II
Anything Can Be Accom-
pIished to Help Sport.

BY r. "A. ANGLER
lfN ONE seventy odd years ago
- there was planted In the
broken waters of the upper
Potomac, thirty black bass of
| lesa than d foot IN length. This
was the foundation Of the game
fish angling III this section Of
the country. The marvellous
fishing Of the past is beginning
to crumble % the following let
tier would indicate:
Fishing Editor 81 The Times:
While sitting at home these long
winter days. happened 20 think
LOT my fishing tackle, and the good
lold times we used to have M at
lPennyfields lock, some ten or If
tteen years ago, fishing for bass.
i Wen. i rot out the nice shiny steel
irods and reels. and 70 my sllfuriae
they were getting rusty. have
mot used them Tor two years, simply
i because lots OF our fishermen here
lin town, who are better fishermen
than have been, 50 fishing IN
the Potomac river and come home
/ with one Or two little fish thassl.
If you ask them what was the
matter. they say, mo luck, no bass
up there.
Now what has become of All tho
Ibasa7 Does anyone pay any atteu-
4 ton to the high-class sporty fish3
/ 1t seems to me some people ought
Ito try and restock the old Potomac
Il with them.
Our fishermen here say you can
lcatch catfish, but who. that ever
was bass fisherman, wants 70
catch catfish; they remind me 0f
Ia snake, and they are no good
latter you catch them; or an old
carp. they are nothing but = lump
OF mud. Some people say the
lcarp and the catfish eat the spawn
LOT the bass, but how they know
Ills 81 mystery to me.
Il I remember some ten years ag0
III went up to Pennyfields Tor
Idayss fishing ! engaged q Mr.. Sell
by to do the boating. We started
out ard went down the river IN
the morning We didn't catch any,
$50 after lunch, we started up the
river, and fislned every hole with
Iouf any luck Ny boa1man said:
Il I'VE will so right up 70 the foot
LOT the rapids, and then if we don't
Icatch anything, we win 50 right
iup III the rapids to Flat Rock.
$50 we started, he was 3 fine boat
imam. big ana strong. and we rioaed
Iour boat along shore through the
Iswtft water up to Flat Rock. No
t0rdinary man could have taken that
boat through those waters.
lt was q fine place to fish, the
rock stood out Of the water about
two feet. Hat on top. and extended
out In the river some ten feet or
lfnore. This boatman Of mine knew
the best places to fish, SO We
Fastened our boat and went right
TO fishing. He caught bass. then
lanOther. and sim another, about
IL pound apiece. So he asks, 'syVhaf
IL the matter with you2'' Right
away had q strike. q regular
buzzer, right down In the swift
water. So hooked him. knew
he was real fish. started to
reel him in. but he was 50 strong
, several times. After about five
minutes i landed him and ne was
q bird" three or four pounds.
Selby was all excited ana shout
led. don't let him get away" We
} put him on a string, and right
then had another strike. He
went. too. didn't stop, he ran all
my line out, and I had to pull or
Jump in. got him out, mate
to the other one. Well, SeIby did
look too funny. j just laid hack on
the rock and laughed, and laughed.
i Wen, sir, think we caught
eight nice bass right out Of that
hole. Now that was fine When
boo %r. %trn@I
lPennyfield said: where did YOU
get them I think old Charley
was as proud OF those fish ais we
were. You can't do anything like
that now. But many fishermen
can well remember such delightful
and entertaining times such as I
had that day.
It seems to me somebody should
do something about putting moro
bass in the river, or taking ont
those common mud turtles. !"
would be willing to help, and
II know my friends here in town
would do what they could. have
been a reader Of The Times for
suggestion.
Rockville, Nd, Feb. il, 1928.
"a BASS FISHERMAN"
| what shall we do to save the
bass fishing In the upper Potomac?
The following objects, ideals and
principles OF the Izaak Walton
League of America should be put
into practice
To promote by precept ana ex-
ample the highest ideals in angling,
so that 1t may be rightfully called
the blameless sport. To increase
for permanent preservation fellow
ship among fishermen and to band
them together into a fraternal and
militant organization whereby they
may lay the foundation for the
preservation OF game fishes forever.
To advocate the use of appro-
priately light tackle.
To cause proper literature TO be
written and to be- circulated so
that the public may be educated
to know that the true fisherman
Feels like a gentleman and acts
like q sportsman"
To awaken the public to the need
Of better fish laws 90 that it may
realize it's duty OF voting for can
didates who have before the election
announced their support of meas
urea which will advance fish prOpa-
gation and fish preservation. To
champion such laws before legfgla-
tive bodies SO that legislators may
kuoxw the wiahAa Of the anglers Of