Chap. 75.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act approved March 14, 1912,
entitled an act to regulate the taking of fish from streams west of the
Blue Ridge mountains. (H. B. 33.)

Approved March 13, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, ‘Chat
an act of the general assembly of Virginia, approved March four-
teenth, nineteen hundred’ and twelve, entitled an act to regulate
the taking of fish from streams west of the Blue Ridge moun-
tains, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

That it shall be unlawful for any person to catch or destroy,
in the waters in any counties west of the Blue Ridge mountains,
or to have in his possession, any black bass, large or small mouth,
between the first day of January and the first day of July follow-
ing, or any brook or mountain trout or rainbow trout between the
first day of September and the first day of April following, or
to catch or destroy any of them at any time in any way except by
angling with hook and line, and any black bass, large or small mouth,
or brook or mountain trout or rainbow trout caught at any time
in any way except by angling with hook and line, shall be re-
turned to the water immediately with as little injury as possible;
provided, that it shall be lawful for any person to use a net com-
monly known as a “landing net” to land any black bass or brook
or mountain trout or rainbow trout hooked by lawful angling with
hook and line.

It shall be unlawful for any person to retain any black bass,
large or small, of less than nine inches in length, or any brook or
mountain trout or rainbow trout of less than five inches in
length, and all black bass, large or small mouth, or brook or moun-
tain trout or rainbow trout of less than the lengths specified herein,
shall be returned to the water immediately with as little injury
as possible, and the measurements of fish shall be from the end of
nose to center form of tail.

It shall be unlawful for any person to take in any one day
more than twenty-five black bass, or forty brook or mountain
trout and rainbow trout, or to have in his possession at one time
more than fifty black bass or eighty brook or mountain trout and
rainbow trout.

It shall be unlawful for any non-resident of the State to fish
in any of the waters of the counties west of the Blue Ridge moun-
tains without first procuring a license in the same manner as pro-
vided for non-resident hunting license, except that fee for fish-
ing license shall be five dollars.
The supervisors of any counties west of the Blue Ridge moun-
tains may shorten the open seasons as herein prescribed and make
other regulations regarding the taking of black bass or brook or
mountain trout or rainbow trout or other fish from the waters of
their respective counties not inconsistent with this act.

Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by
a fine of not less than ten dollars nor more than fifty dollars, or
imprisoned in jail for not more than thirty days, or both fined and
imprisoned, at the discretion of the justice or jury trying the case:
provided, the provisions of this act shall not apply to the counties
of Floyd, Washington, Botetourt, Bland, Giles, Highland, Augusta,
Smyth, Craig and Rockbridge.

2. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed.