Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19
ROD AND STREAM
by PERRY MILLER.

land and the saline waters Of the sea
to mix completely, and the variation in
the volume of fresh and salt water en-
tering the bay, result in different de-
grees Of brackishneSs. One of the most
striking characteristics of part OF Chesa-
peake Bay is the higher surface salinity
ON the eastern than on the western
side of the bay. This condition Is due
to the fact that the deep-water channel,
which contains the most saline bottom
water, lies on the eastern side of the
bay and to the fact that a large volume
of fresh water from the rivers of the
western shore presses the more saline
water toward the eastern shore. This
undoubtedly accounts for the fact that
the best fishing grounds are to be found
on the eastern shore. Salt water fish
after they have deposited their spawn
like the saltiest water they can find
until the time arrives for them to re-
turn to their ocean haunts. This Is
especially true of the trout and bluef1sh.
The rockfish or stripped bass are be-
lieved to remain in the bay and deep
waters Of its tributaries the year round.
CHESAPEAKE BAY is a large estuary.
~ It forms a deep tndentation into
the States of Maryland and Vir-
GINA, extending inland about 100 nau-
teal miles, varying from to 20 naut1-
cal miles in width, and covering an
area Of approximately $500 square miles.
Sounds, small bays and many small in
let's make the outline very irregular.
Several moderate-sized rivers empty
their waters into the bay. On the
west shore, beginning at the head OF the
bay, are the Susquehanna, PatapSco,
Severn, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahan-
mock, York and James Rivers; on the
eastern shore, the Elk, SassafraS, Ches-
ter, Choptank, Nanticoke and POGO
moke Rivers. The Susquehanna and
Potomac, which are the largest, and
the rest of the rivers of the western
shore supply by far the greater part OF
T Asst Sunday a local angler visiting
- st. Clements Shore, on the lower
Potomac, observed many set nettles.
He reported this fact co Rod and
Stream, saying that he counted over SO
OF them, and asked If it were not I'M
usual for them to be found in these
waters at this time of the year. Austin
H. Clark of the National Museum, an
authority on sea nettles, informs us that
there Is nothing unusual in seeing net
ties in the waters Of the lower Potomac
or the bay at this time of the year. He
said there we're two kinds of sea net
ties, cold and warm water ones, and
that the cold-water nettles can be found
all during the Winter. He also informs
us that he has some very interesting
facts on fresh water nettles to be found
in the Potomac River above Great
Falls, a report of which will be pub
lisl1ed as soon as we are able to get
the data
FTTHE Luncheon Club of the Washing
l. ton, D. c., Chapter Of the /. w. L. A.
will meet tomorrow at the Raleigh Ho-
tel at 12:15. These get-together lunch
cons are growing In popularity, as evil
| denced by the attendance. At the
luncheon tomorrow the dinner commit
| tee for the second annual banquet will
submit detailed report OF what has
been accomplished to date The presi-
dent of the chapter requests that as
many as possible attend tomorrow's
| meeting.