Evening star., 1925-03-08

! Today the water is almost normal,
Ihere being very little discoloration.
md the swift current is conspicuous
by its absence. Unless we have some
very hard April rains, the first run
pf perch should please the anglers.
During the fishing season last year,
FROM June l to November !, there
we're exactly 81 days of clear water
fn the Potomac. But the first real
rlear water was not until July To-
tThe percentage of days during the
= Efve months from June to November
= bf 1924 was therefore very small and
he early run of fish, namely, perch,
herring, shad and rockfish, did not
kfford much sport for the anglers.
Catfish First to Appear.
The first angling after the ice
breaks from the river is for the big
fcatfsh, which seem to take this par
ticular time of the year TO attack
=savagely any bait offered. Then
homes the tailor herring, commonly
Healed the hickory shad. OF course,
khis fish is d member Of the herring
Family and, strange as it may seem,
{very seldom enters rivers for its
|spawning 1t has selected the Po-
Iomac as one of the few streams for
hts annual Spring pilgrimage and can
&be caught as far upstream as the
E-hain Bridge. This fsh reaches
Zength of "a inches and attains
weight of pounds, and, like the
HERRING, has many bones.
\ Following the tailor herring IS
| he ever-popuIar perch, a good fighter
FOR it's size and we'll known for its
&havor when prepared for the table.
EThen the perch are actually driven
From their spawning grounds by the
thousands, of herring that swarm into
ne Potomac and are 50 numerous
L hat the river seems to be alive with
4hern. Following the herring comes
/ Erhe shad The last of the salt water
Eienizens that visit the Potomac to
Say their spawn are the striped bass
|or rockfsh, eagerly sought by all
sanglers, both for the game fight they
hut up when hooked and\for their
Hood value The herring, shad, perch
Il and roChfish return to salt water aft
<er laying their spawn, but some of
1.-The rockfish remain in the upper Po-
&tomac until late in the Fall.
AS these fish leave the scene of
1 Stheir Spring mission the anglers at
3tention is directed to the members
OF the bass family, both large and
Esman mouth, which, inch for inch
$and pound for pound, are perhaps the
5gamest fighters to be found among the
Zhuny tribe.
OTer Plenty of Variety.
The catfish, of which there are
Esnany kinds, are of considerable inn
Eportance commercially. the annual
zcatch being in the neighborhood of
A. 600 900 pounds. The blue catfish,
the Mississippi Valley, is
! sfhe largest and best Of all as Il food
81 fish. The spotted catfish belongs to
= tho Mississippi Valley and the Great
ILakes. and. like the blue catfish, is
strim and active fish There are four
species tn this genus. all having
forked tails. one Of the best known
.ratfish Is the common bullhead. in
fhabiting streams, lakes and ponds Of
. .ihc Eastern and Middle states An
Inther nsh Of this round tailed genus
/ H. tho black bullhead. having much
! tho same distribution. All of our
5uattye catfish have tough scalcless
|sktna and small eyes. and all have
eIuht barhcls or frclrrs ON upper aud
luudar sides of tho mouth
Tho trout family De- u very large one.
|romprIHluE brook trout lukr trout
Il Hlubou trnUf au1 steel fn'Hu Trout
rh, brook tt.uf Is f#. aWHIl,et mem.
b. af this ....... f0. .E. Tuut b.
| .ss neAt lsrsest ""d th, lain0ow