Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-10

- every afternoon mas been ulleo
with base ball-Simnnons knocks
out a home run or somebody
else strikes out--but base ball now
is over until next Spring. Before
very long the golfer will, perhaps, ind
the ground covered with snow and, OF
course, the foot ball season is very
short one, but the anglers season never
ends. When it gets too cold for fish,
ing in the North, those anglers who
can abort it pack up and 60 to Florida,
or even to California, where the big
ones furnish wonderful sport.
Here in washington the dyed-in-the-
wool angler can be found fishing IN the
Potomac even when there Is ice on the
river. True, he only catches catfish at
this time, but he experiences the same
thrill as he does during the regular
fishing season. And Notwithstanding
the almost general opinion that cat
fish is not a good table fish, the con-
trary Is the case; that Is, when one
gets q Mississippi or spotted catfish.
I can't say the same thing for the
common bullhead and other catfishes,
but I do know that the Mississippi va
riety or spotted kind are good table
fishes. It is cross between q catfish
and q trout, and Is sometimes called
the Government cat, as it was the Gov
ernment's scientists who produced this
particular series.
In an effort to protect its readers.
Rod and Stream several months ago
cited the fact that the Bureau of Navi-
CATION Of the Department Of Commerce
was strictly enforcing laws regarding
navigation on Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries; that every motor boat must
be equipped with q whistle and a life
preserver for every one aboard and, Of
course, at night there must be green
and red lights, etc.
Many persons are under the impress
sion that only craft with q built-in
motor Is motor boat Such Is not the
case. A rowboat with an outboard
motor Is classed as q motor boat and
must comply with the laws governing
navigation.
The latest report to reach us regard
ing violation Of the laws Of naviga-
ton comes from q party Of Washing
tonians who went TO Herring Bay for
q days grabbing. They rented q row.
boat and the owner asked II they did
not want TO use his cupboard motor.
Naturally they said yes, for who wants
TO row about when he can use one Of
these very handy little motors?
These men went out in Herring Bay,
not in Chesapeake Bay proper, and had
q lot Of fun swimming and grabbing.
The water was not over their heads, It
being only or 5 feet deep. During
the afternoon they were approached by
a real motor boat, and the captain,
navigator, or whatever his title L.. asked
II they had whistle In addition to
life preservers for every one in the
boat. Upon receiving negative reply,
the spokesman in the motor boat asked
the name OF the man In the rowboat,
which was given.
Several days later the man who gave
his name received notice from the
Bureau Of Navigation of the Depart
ment OF Commerce from the customs
house in Baltimore imposing a fine of
500 Tor not having a whistle and 500
Tor not having life preservers aboard
the notice read: ITO Owner Of Motor
Boat OF Violation of Navigation Laws. I"
The notice was not sent to the owner
OF the boat, but to the man who was
operating 1t at the time Of the arrest.
II this fine Is paid, 1t will be a pretty
expensive trip for the men, whom Rod
and Stream firmly believes did not
know they were violating the law.
We again wish to impress on all
anglers, crsbbers and pleasure seekers
the necessity Of complying with the
laws Of navigation, to ask before they
go out in boat just what Is necessary,
II they are ignorant in matters per-
tanning to navigation. Rod and Stream
sincerely hopes that the Bureau of
Navigation will find some mitigating
circumstances in this case to reduce the
fine or let them of with warning.
IRVING COBB, when asked by Grant
i land Rice in a radio presentation,
What Is the hardest bird to kill?"
replied: why, Grantland, that's easy.
The bird missed"
His answer applies to the hardest
kind Of fish to catch-the fish that get
away.
up in the Shenandoah valley, where
the angler usually finds the small
mouth bass, especially the larger ones,
hard TO land, the low and clear water
this Summer and Fall makes IL almost
impossible to get anywhere near them,
ana the consequence Is that the report
reaching US says mo bass fishing" This
does not mean that an occasional bass
Is not landed, but the fish are Just not
striking.
A great many small bass are being
caught, but not by anglers. Our cor
respondent there informs us that the
kingnsher birds, more numerous than
for years past, are having all the fun.
These birds are wonderful anglers and
seldom miss a strike. They fly over the
surface Of the water and. spotting a
bass three or four inches In length,
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