Evening star., 1925-01-19

or course, We do not want to wait
until the next meeting of the Mary
land legislature if It is possible TO
accomplish the end in any other way.
Just what that way is no one knows
at the present time. but this column
is going to call II to the attention OF
Swepson Earle, conservation commits
sioner Of Maryland, and ascertain IL
there Is not some way in which he
can call on the different counties or
county commissioners to put such
| ban on fishing In the Potomac until
the Maryland Legislature convenes in
1927.
! There is no doubt that Mr.. Earle
will be in sympathy with the move
ment. as he has already shown his
! sympathy in the matter of net fishing.
| There is no law in Maryland against
net fishing, but he is going TO prose-
! cute on the grounds that net fisher
men catch fish below the size allowed
! by law and he believes he can curb
| the meters to large extent by this
means.
Want Law Enforced.
| If nothing else can be done, perhaps
Mr.. Earle can call on the game war
dens Of the counties bordering the Po-
| tomac TO enforce to the letter the law
| in regard to the catching of under
size fish. This is one OF the main
troubles today, there being taken an
nually from the Potomac thousands Of
| small, under-sized bass weighing less
| than one-half pound. II the fishermen
cannot get a law enacted to protect
| the bass, surely they should be able
| to have enforced the laws already
enacted.
G. c. Leach of the Bureau of Fish
| cries is taking a very active interest
in the movement and, under date Of
January Is, sends the following letter:
Il note you are receiving some very
interesting letters from sportsmen
who are interested in pres rving bass
fishing in the Potomac. After care
full reading Of these letters I feel that
their arguments against closed sea-
son are not we'll founded. The idea
OF A closed season is not TO produce
q large number Of bass during
three-year closed period and then
permit wholesale slaughter thereafter.
During the three-year period the
river would be we'll stocked with fish
and at the expiration Of that time
those introduced in the Potomac dur
ing 1925 would be spawning in 1928
If the present act to prohibit the
interstate shipment of bass becomes
a law 1t will prevent communicating
this important game fish. In the
meantime it might be possible to Sc
cure better legislation fol- the pro-
lection of fish.
1T is my opinion that bass fish
ing should be left for the angler and
the States should prohibit the taking
of bass by any other means. At the
expiration of the three-year closed
period, I feel that the people would
be better educated along this line
and that the various States will have
enacted more stringent laws for the
protection OF this valuable fish and
that the laws would be better in
| dorsed.
There is not much use in the Bu-
reau of Fisheries stocking the Po-
tomac River with black bass under
present conditions. 1t is felt that
placing of this valuable species in
waters where they will at least be
protected"
Closed Season Needed.
Mr.. Leech is chief of tho Bureau
of Fish Culture of the United States
Bureau of Fisheries, and a man
| whose ability is we'll known and un-
| questioned. His argument for a
closed season in the upper Potomac
/ should be conclusive proof that not
much can be accomplished without
it. If the Maryland Legislature were
in session at the present time. this
| column believes there would. be lit
! tie trouble in having a bill passed
| to close the Potomac for small ba SIS
fishing for the desired period The
governor has expressed himself in
favor of the movement, and Mary
| land is State that is doing every
| thing in its power 10 preserve game
and fish.