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Quickly now, what season is it?
You’ve heard me say it before, but there are more than four seasons. I would say we are now well into late summer.
Among the bits of evidence: I just walked down to the James by Brown’s Island, where I found geese and a small catfish working its way upriver. But no swimmers. No kids on the rope swing beside Tredegar Street.
Coming up next: Early fall.
For the September installment of the James River Journal series, I plan to take a look at how the river has changed since Captain John Smith explored it in the early 1600s.
How do you think the river has changed? How have the fish changed, the trees, the water quality?
If you have a specific observation, drop me a line at .
People continue to express outrage over the poaching of big catfish in the James.
Andy Thompson, our outdoors columnist in sports, had a good piece the other day about the topic. You can find it at:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/columnists/article/ANDY23_20090822-215007/287786/
Andy noted that he had written about the problem last year, and now it has cropped up again.
Andy kicked around some possible solutions, such as designating part of the James for catch-and-release fishing.
Ultimately, he said you should memorize, or keep on you, the report-a-violator hotline: (800) 237-5712.
My previous blog had to do with people poaching big catfish in the James.
A few days later (Aug. 18), I did a story on the subject for the paper. There has been a huge reaction.
Most people are outraged that people are illegally killing the big fish with spears, sprear guns, three-pronged hooks and nets.
Many of the fish are trapped in pools while the river is low, so they are easy prey.
Have you seen anyone fishing in that way?
If so, drop me a line at .
The August installment of the James River Journal, to run Monday (Aug. 17), is about snorkeling in the river. Among other fun things, photographer Kevin Morley and I snorkeled with river lover Chris Hull and his two young sons in a place Hull calls Catfish Alley.
There, in a pool that’s basically isolated because of the James’ current low flow, you can find flathead catfish the size of fire hydrants. They are almost tame. Some of them will let you touch them before they scoot away.
Now, James River Park manager Ralph White tells me about a new problem in the park. Some people are illegally killing catfish in isolated pools by using spear guns.
Talk about shooting fish in a barrel.
White has seen one young man carrying a homemade spear gun, and he has heard about a half-dozen reports from people complaining about the spear gunners.
People who see anyone using a spear gun in the fresh waters of the James should report it to police.
