Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-22
ROD AND STREAM
by PERRY MILLER


Alexandria, Va, guest speaker
last Thursday in the Rod and
Streams weekly radio talks to
anglers, urged them to fish according
to the laws governing the sport. He
pointed out that there would be no
need of fishing licenses, no wardens
and no fish hatcheries Il we had used
in a decent manner the wild life at
our disposal.
One of the functions Of game de-
partment, he said, is to convince the
people that it is more enjoyable as well
as more honorable to play the game
according to the rules than 1t Is 10
win by cheating What thrill would
there be in winning a game OF bridge
by pulling a trump card from an extra
pack in the pocket when an extra
trump was needed; Of throwing base
ball over the center-field fence and
running the bases for a home run; OF
taking the uilruly golf ball from cup
to cup and dropping it in? The pleas
ure OF any sport is In playing 1t accord
ing to the rules and not cheating, ne
said.
Hundreds of years Of the enervating
influence of city life, coupled with the
absence of necessity to hunt as means
of livelihood or to kill as defense
against the ravages of beasts OF the neld
and forests, has failed to wholly eraol-
cate an inherent and inheriteo love Oh
hunting and fishing.
There is an indefnable something
In mans makeup that responds to the
lure of the open spaces. The beauties
of nature quicken his esthetic appre-
citation, the immenSities Of nature COM
fort his inadequacies, the successful pit
ting of his strength and skill against
the creatures of nature flatter his over
lordship. Hence we ind the oppor-
tunity to indulge in the secret long1ngS
of the heart that take one out OF doors
and especially to the hunting fields ana
fishing streams.
Judge Snow pointed out that last
year 1000, 900 citizens of the United
States purchased hunting and nsnlng
licenses in order that they might legally
engage in these sports. In Virginia, out
of a population now estimated at less
than two and q half millions, he said,
approximately 100000 purchased IL
cerlses and probably great many hunt
ed and fished without them.
THE Commission of Game and In
land Fisheries of Virginia has made
recent survey of its sman-mouth bass
and trout waters and finds that we
have in the State over 1000 miles OF
waters suitable for small-mouth bass
and almost as many miles of waters
suitable for either mountain. rainbow
or lochleven trout God richly en-
bowed the Old Dominion both in fora
and fauna.
Our early ancestors, who faced the
lion with shield and iron spear or the
elephant with implements equally as
crude were justified in employing any
means of destruction which their in
genuity could devise. But when we look
down upon the timid brook trout in
sparkling mountain stream, all decent
citizens now admit that 1t is not play
ing the game according to rules to sur
round him with q net or to blow him
out with high explosives, but all have
not vet realized that it is not playing
the game according TO, the rules to take
advantage OF his famished condition
and catch him in the early Spring
months before the season has opened,
or to catch him before he is big enough
to put up real fight, or to keep catch
ing him after the rules Of the game say
that the game is ended, and We should
call quits for that day. To make 1t
a game we have some ending point
| holes and in bass fishing Is legal-Sized
fish.
IF the fishermen of Virginia and the
stranger within our gates, whom we are
always glad to welcome, will only play
the game according to the rules, the
Commission of Game and Inland Fish.
cries will take the fund realized from
the sale of hunting licenses to repair
some of the damage done by our unwis'
use and oftentimes abuse OF our SPLEEN
did fishing waters.
In conclusion Judge Snow said: "Pla,
the game according to the rules, which
are, that we are not to commence fish
ing for bass until July /; fish only will
hook and line, keep only fish 10 niche
or more in size and only is of these pc
day. 1t means so much to US to restor
the Small-mouth bass to our 2,000 mile
of streams that all good citizens shoul'
join the movement to treat as chea
and outlaw the man who dynamiteS
who seines, who pollutes, who takes tn
brood bass from the nest or before tn
spawning period. The results of thes
conservation measures in the years Il
come are seen, cleaner streams, bette
fishing, and you may be able to say
with Ulysses of old, Many things hav
seen. part Of which was"
FISHING conditions improved al
j. along the line during the last week
From the many reports receive,
the angler can expect good results al
most anywhere he drops his line in tn
water. From SolomonS Island to An
napolis reports say good catches o
hardheads and some trout were made
and from the Eastern Shore of the ba
Capt. Dan Ball sends in the most en-
couraging reports The Lower Potomac
around Rock Point, Piney Point an
Leonardtown, also is furnishing its quota
OF denizens of the deep. So there yor
are, anglers, just choose your grounds
There is one exception that may b
given to offset to some. extent the abov