Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16
tlSH AREAS RESPOND TO FEDERAL CARE AFTER FLOODS
SHAD EXPERIENCES
Driven to New Fairgrounds, Wanderers
Sometimes Surprise Followers Of Rod
and Reel as Popular Sport.
By Lucy Salamanca.

By Lucy Salamanca.
IF YOU are a fisherman. you may
not yet have heard the end OF the
Spring floods. You may be one of
those kindly souls who helped toss
back the floundering fish that were
stranded on Hams Point when the
flood waters receded few weeks ago,
and by that sportsmanlike gesture
may have felt relief that the waters
had gone down, the fish were safely
back in their native haunts and all
was we'll with your chosen sport for
the rest of the Summer
But flood time and high waters have
more far-reacting effects than that
upon the game species that swim our
streams hereabouts There Is nothing
like a good old-fashioned flood to dis
turb breeding grounds, prevent certain
species from spawning. wash out baby
"frys' or completely derange the
habits OF the fish family to an extent
that may alter the whole map with re-
spect to the luck you do or do not en-
counter in your favorite fishing hole
this season. or the unexpected bag you
may bring in from an area hitherto
totally devoid of returns.
In the first place. flood waters alter
the temperatures Of streams. Where
heretofore an average ideal tempera-
ture has been maintained for the
spawning habits of certain species. a
sudden drop in temperature may delay
the whole cycle of propagation to an
extent that sets you back good fort
night or six weeks in your fishing luck.
The recent floods, for example, in the
Potomac and creeks and streams that
run into 1t. caused drop in the tenn
perature Of the water that has delayed
kby several weeks this years shad mi
grafton.
CHAD. more than many species Of
flsh, are Influenced by the tenn
perature Of waters, beginning their
seasonal migration to the spawning
grounds when the streams are not too
cold nor too warm to suit that mex
plicable fish instinct that sends them
heading north from salty Gulf streams
and the waters of the Atlantic as early
as February, bound for the rivers Of
the Northeast.
The migrating shad strike the wat
ers OF the lower bay some time in Feb
ruary. They work their way up the
bay, some to find the streams of the
susquehanna and Northeast River,
others to strike course along Mary
lands Eastern Shore rivers, others to
migrate up the James and Chicka-
hominy Rivers, and still others to set
their noses toward the Potomac.
The migrating shad, finding in any
one Of these rivers q suitable spawning
ground, lay their eggs, and start their
journey back to salt water. The little
shad hatch out in due time, spend the
Summer In our streams, and follow
their parents trail back to the sea-
In about three years they return to
the inland spawning grounds and
repeat the process in shad's life
cycle.
Flood waters this year interrupted
the migration of the shad, just as they
interrupted the early herring run
/ Waters were too cold for entrance of
the fish and as result the return to
the sea will take place later this
Summer than usual and the young
will hatch later. Herring, we learn
from M. c. James, assistant chief Of
the division Of fish culture Of the
Bureau Of Fisheries, have been con-
siderably delayed this season by the
heavy, turbulent, and turbid waters
Of the Potomac and other nearby
rivers.
There is good news for the trout
fishermen and the small and large
mouth bass fishermen, however, for
the floods have affected the propa-
cation Of bass but little. The trout,
indeed, have been reported in fine
fettle and in great numbers by those
who have already tried their luck One
they are planted earlier than any
other species In the Eastern States
distribution is arranged early in March,
and requests for trout which are sub
mitted after March l are carried over
for another year. Thus, though the
trout fisherman goes forth at the OPEN
ing OF the season, when conditions are
usually at their worst with melting
SHOWS and heavy rains, this year the
late to affect the species. In this
area, particularly, James asserts, trout
were but little affected by high water
and melting SHOWS.
T LIKEWISE, the supplies Of large or
small mouth bass-that fish 50
popular with the sportsman-were
unframed by the floods along the
Potomac. One reason for this lies in
the habits OF the bass itself Unlike
the shad or herring, the bass does not
migrate. It is fish that stays put
in its own home grounds, once it has
grown to the adult stage. Bass is a
-. fresh-uater fish, little given to moving
about, although it will travel, If nee
essary, few hundred yards to seek
. better water conditions. It has been
known, too, to find Its way on occasion
to salt water, but this is-as James
4 puts 1t, "a bass with wanderlust-
not typical, dependable kind Of q
bass"
Another reason why those bass
planted in the Potomac will probably
not have been washed out by the
floods is that the Bureau Of Fisheries
plants this flsh in areas where the
river is widest, and where there are
plenty Of protective coves and estu-
aries In this way the small frys come
- 1iff1n borvr7 o1fhn,1oh eoy,,o NAV
have been flooded into other areas
There Is no question. James states,
that floods seriously derange the hab-
its Of fishes. For this reason, he states,
after season of heavy floods, invet-
crate fishermen are sometimes con-
fused in their efforts to locate good
fishing grounds. The old, trusted
stand-bys that have in past seasons
yielded harvest Of fish can no longer
L. - .:.y..~