The Washington times., 1938-07-29

b r e t h r e n
NJ, u,,.ou holding nine
Do" "iiSOn tenths of the
count. That's about as far as
they've come in their migratory
wanderings in any sort of school,
ing fashion. Occasionally, few
over-anxiouS blues will head
away from their family gather
ings, to be heralded as fore
runners. or advance guards, but
their flirting around in distant
waters is no indication that the
hordes of scrappers are in the
wake. Only time, and time alone,
will bring them en- masSe to our
nearby waters. Our guess is as
good as the other fellows, so
we'll say that punched, or
schooling, blues will gather near
the end of the dog-dayS period,
which occurs the latter part of
August.
During the fag-end of last
month we were in the lower bay
sector, and found the blues run
ming in master style, but, to our
great disappointment. they were
of the small variety, termed
Snappers, that rarely made the
one-pound grade.
Three weeks past, Rolph Cham
berlain chummed the off-shore
grounds from Messick, and lured
to boat a fine showing of
buster" blues, in many in
stances doing better than ten
pounds. Mixed with the power
full blues was a once-in-a-While
cobia, and Rolph proved his
anglership by taking three of
these splendid fighting fish that
rated a 15-pound weight. Rolph
returned to the productive fish
ing grounds two weeks later to
repeat his doings of the pre-
vious trip, but snapper blues
had moved in and the big fish
had moved out to parts un-
known to common man.
Chamberlain's latest escapade
with the blues occurred when
angling for big Norfolk spot in
the river waters off Cambridge,
Md. Rolph has his own ideas
regarding the taking of spot and
to get the biggest thrill possible
he uses a very light casting rod.
Instead of fastening the gut
leader to the line he ties on two
rubber bands and then connects
the leader with the elastics, so
you can imagine what a hooked
fish, pulling and tugging at the
Springy bands, will do to the
nerves. Rolph had taken a few
spot over the elastic method
when, bang, with a swish, went
the line off the reel. Chamber
lain played the fish for 80 min
utes and then brought to boat a
two-pound blue. Gentlemen,
that's SO per cent thrill!
Milton Gordon turns bluefish
prospector about this time of
year and shouts, "Thar's blues
in them thar waters" meaning,
of course, the green waters on
the Eastern Shore, at Sharp's
Island. Last year Milt inaugu-
rated the bluefish season by
night cumming and took some
monster fish, one of which won
for the popular angler fifth
rating in the Field and Stream
classic. Milt says the season is
near at hand for bunker chum-
ming on the Eastern Shore.
Well, we'll see.
Captain Windsor. of the Her
ring Bay Windsors, is another
firm believer in conquering the
blues and not letting the blues
come to you. Last week he
motored over to Sharp's Island
and took five fish, for an aver
age of five pounds each. So good
was his luck that he repeated
the trip and after a long spell
of trolling he picked up two
The vanguard has arrived, but
the main force is many water
miles behind.
Here's a bluefiSh and turtle
story we draw from B. F. Sher.
man, president of the Chesa'
peake Bay Fishing Fair Associa'
ton, with headquarters at Pres
ton. Md:
Capt. Buck Stevenson, Of OK
ford, chief protector, custodian
and best friend Of Old Joe, the
mammoth sea turtle that makes
its way up the Chesapeake just
two weeks ahead of the blue
fish run, reports that Old JOE
was caught in a net off Cove
Point last Friday. Old Joe is il
great favor with bay country
guides and commercial fisher
men. There is not a man ir
the bay country who would ALLOW
the old fellow to suffer injury
even though his shell is almost
six feet long. Last week, hi
friends Scraped more than 10(
pounds of barnacles and ses
moss from his back and tool
half a dozen hooks with trail
ing lines out of his flabb!
mouth, and then put him over
board. He ought to be visiting
around 1.-THE Gooses," an olC
favorite fishing spot, about tn
26th of July. Two weeks late
the big blues will be on-thank