Evening star., 1932-05-08
NEARBY STREAMS
ABOUND IN FISH
Washington Anglers Finding
Good Sport This Season
at All Points.
BY PERRY MILLER.

iuChy Hlan Wlthn RADIUS OF from
IS to 80 miles he can fish to his hearts
content for the many species of salt
water fish. namely, croakers or hard
heads, trout or weakfish, blues. black
drum, Norfolk spots, King William
perch and the striped bass. or rockhsh.
Almost In his back yard he can
find the large-mouth bass in the Po-
tomac below Washington and above
Little Falls the sman-mouth, or he
can find excellent bass fishing in the
Shenandoah River and good trout
streams in Maryland, Virginia and
West Virginia. The Maryland trout
streams, all well stocked at the be-
ginning Of the season on April /. are
the closest to Washington, Hunting and
Fishing Greeks being located in the
Catoctin Mountains just a short dis
tance the other side of Frederick. Md.
Many Bass in Potomac.
When the waters of the Potomac are
Gear there are no better bass fishing
grounds. Since the Maryland fishing
law went into effect some years ago,
the Potomac is fast regaining its for
mer name as a good bass stream.
There is only one drawback for the
bass anglers and that is muddy water.
Following each heavy rain, especially
those which extend over the upper
Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers,
the anglers Just have to play the
watchful waiting game. At times the
river clears inside Of a week and at
other times the period extends for
many weeks. Two years the Poto-
mac was muddy practically the entire
Summer. OF course, this is good for
the fish, but not so good for the angler.
The saltwater angler does not have
to ascertain the condition Of the water
before venturing forth on a piscatorial
outing. He only wants to know the
time of the tides, as it Is only along
the shores that the effects OF the rains
can be seen and this nebulous condi-
ton quickly clears.
History again repeated itself, as far
as the Potomac is concerned. 1t was
muddy, very muddy, several weeks ago,
and this condition occurred just at the
time when the first run OF white perch
made their appearance IN the swift
waters of the river around Chain
Bridge 1t is easily within the realm Of
possibility that the river will be muddy
when the game rockfish make their ap-
pearance. This usually occurs the lat
ter part of May or early in June. but
this year the pan rock are already being
caught in the upriver. Fish Of this spe-
cies as large as "a pounds have been
landed in the Potomac around Chain
Bridge, where they go to deposit their
spawn.
Croakers Are Biting.
1t is no wonder, then, that the anglers,
who must have their fishing, turn their
attention to the saltwater fish The
croakers have made their appearance
in the bay and its tributaries in large
numbers. These fish made their ap-
pearance in the bay about the first or
second week in April The first report
of their catch came from Point Look
out and week later the same report
came from the bay off Chesapeake
Beach. These hard-biting fish are usu-
ally caught in the Spring Of the year
in shallow water on oyster bars. They
run very large at first, during May and
June, and then, for some unknown rea-
son. the big fellows leave for parts un-
known and return again about the lst
OF September.
As the weather and water become
warmer the trout make their appear
ance This usually occurs the latter part
of June or the first week of July, and
they are followed closely by the tayler,
or bluefish, the family with a single
species The blueflsh are animated
chopping machines and leave a trail OF
blood and scraps as the schools travel
about Being of excellent flavor, the
bluefiSh has become one of Americas
most important food fishes and eagerly
sought by anglers.
The rockflsh, or striped bass, are
being caught in the nets by commercial
fishermen in the lower Potomac and in
Chesapeake Bay. This striking denizen
of our waters furnishes excellent sport
when hooked. Many of this species are
caught in the Potomac between Hams
Point and Chain Bridge when they
come upstream on their Spring mis-
sion-that OF depoSiting their spawn
some tipping the scales as high as 20
or Is pounds.
Net Law Betters Fishing.
This season the anglers using the
waters of Chesapeake Bay for their
fishing trips will notice the benefit Of
the Maryland law prohibiting the purse
netters from operating. This law,
passed by the last session of the Mary
land Legislature, went into effect No
vember /, 1881. The hundreds of thou
sands of rockhsh, trout and blues that
have fallen prey to the meshes of the
purse meters will this year provide bet
ter fishing for the followers of old
Tzaak Walton.
The 1892 fishing season has started.
The trout season in Maryland opened
on April l and runs until the end of
June. In Pennsylvania, West Virginia
and Virginia the trout season opened on
April Is and closes In the two former
States on July 81, and in Virginia ON
June Is.
The bass season in Maryland opens July
and closes on November 80. In Virginia
the bass season opens on June Is and
closes March Is following. In Pennsyl-
vania the bass season opens on July !
and closes November 80.
Nonresident fishing licenses for
Maryland and Virginia can be secured
from the Atlas Sports Goods Co. on D
street, between Ninth and Tenth, and
the A. A. A. also have these licenses
and will secure fishing license for any
State on application.
Boat Charge Agreed Upon.
AnlS opAns tAc WtiIcI PdAu pG-
sonal visit to all fishing grounds along
the bay, the Patuxent River and the
lower Potomac. At each place visited
the question Of prices was talked over,
and they all agreed to charge SIS for
four hours fishing, for five In q boat.
Over five, the charge will be 81 head
for the four hours, and IS cents head
for each additional hour. An all-day
fishing trip will cost $40, and for troll
ing the majority of the boatmer want
SIS.
More fish are in the bay ard its trib-
ltaries this season than for many years.
The recent heavy blows have destroyed
4 large number of the nets Of the COM
mercial fishermen, allowing the fish to
get farther upstreams to their spawn
ing grounds. And the anglers will re-
call with pleasure that the troublesome