Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-30

|HE Potomac has cleared some
what during the last couple of
DAYS and is not so badly diScol-
ored as IL has been for some
time past. River men report
few anglers attempting to fish IN the
muddy waters recently. but that fsh
constantly are heard breaking water and
one cahoeiSt actually had a bass Jump
into his craft This would indicate that
the fish are hungry and when they see
their prey they go after 1t IN sucn
vicious fashion that they leave the
water entirely. sometimes jumping TWO
or three feet out OF 1t.
The muddy condition OF the river at
this time is nothing new. Summer aIter
Summer bass anglers having TINS Try
ing condition to contend with. But, as
every angler knows. his inning is bound
In come and the most likely time Is
during the months of September, Oc-
tober and November. when the water
GETS a little cooler and the heavy rains
have ceased. At that time OF the year
bass are more activs and put up mucn
better fight.
This column constantly Is being asked
whats the matter with tlshing?
This is a hard question to answer, put
reportS from the lower bay and at the
mouth of the Potomac indicate that the
different species of salt water flsn pest
known to local anglers. namely, naru-
heads. rock or striped bass. trout, Spots,
perch and others are being caught WIN
great regularity. The most grauiylns
reports continue to reach tnlS CoiutIlIl
from Wachapreague, NorIolK ana o'tiel
places in that section, rms means the
III
many of them will reach the upper DAY
is question. -.
The different species have many oo-
stacles to overcome In their annual
trims no the bay and its tributaries
FIRST thew encounter miles ana miles
Of nets off the coast and the same tnlng
when they enter the bay. When they
are at last free of the big Setnes tney
run into the purse nets. but from what
we hear from different sources THESE
commercial fishermen so far EniS season
have not made much money. Last sea-
son these METERS reaped q narVeSt, over
10 tons of rockfish. trout and tayiorS
being reported taken from the Herring
Bay district alone.
The Baltimore sun has THIS 10 say
about the purse meters:
"It's been a considerable time now
since we have had anything 10 say
about this type of commercial nShinS,
for long ago. when the last Legislature
nut the uuietus on move which might
have been the means OF helping the
fish conditions in the bay by regulatihg
the use Of this and other types OF
killer nets. we sort of adopted the at
titude of what's the uSe?'
Frequently We have predicted tnat II
those nets were allowed To operate III
the bay. particularly In the upper part,
there would come q time when tnere
would be about as much use OF wettinS
a line In Chesapeake's salt water as
there would be in a wash bowl with q
bent pin. We wonder II tIiat tlhe ISA'
pretty nigh? -.
"The purse METERS won their ngnt
against the abolishing of the nets
either by virtue of timidtty OF some OF
the county politicians who were unwll-
ing to see the logic III the bill Tor lear
that IL might cost them some preStige
with certain voters In their counties,
or by sheer dumbneSs In imagining tnat
the continued use of contraptionS when
took whole schools of rock. trout ana
hluefish out OF the bay could not pos
sibly hurt the future supply
FISHERMEN who owned nets or worked
lUI tiClNCIA CNNlt AtttNVQ tAAseN wv
purse nets and such like was q benent
rather than detriment tn bay nSnlng
One went so far as To suggest that TINS
method kept the Ash stirred up.
I'm former years at this season SCHOOLS
OF fish would certainly have shown
themselves by this time, but this year
they simply haven't. Trolling IN deep
water has failed utterly to bring any
evidences of real fish. and the SUPPOSE
ton is that the fish simply amt
Fishing guides and Summer resorts
of the bay have suffered accordingly,
One OF the better known guides told us
that In former years he would have
made so trips with fishing parties up
TO this time. where this year he had
made but three or four. That man Is
one who frankly tells his patrons that
he hasn't seen any signs of fish and
advises them 10 stay away until they !
them show up"
Some splendid catches of hardheads |
were reported from Chesapeake Beach |
last week by those who have gone out |
In the BaSard boats a. night and the !
specimens of these liberal bait-hiters |
show they now have attained their |
maximum size The fishing from the
pier has varied with the wind and tide.
The southern and southeast winds have