CHAP. 34.—An ACT to prohibit the taking of fish from the streams of
Smyth county, except with hook and line, and to prohibit the taking
of bass and trout from said streams during certain seasons. [H B 43]

Approved March 20, 1928.

. 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That

it shall be unlawful for any person, at any time, to take fish
from the streams of Smyth county in any manner, except with
hook and line in the usual and accepted sense of angling; pro-
vided, that this act shall not apply to the taking of minnows
for bait. by use of a net not exceeding six feet in length.

2. It shall be unlawful for any person to take from the
streams of said county any large mouth black bass or any
smal! mouth bass between the first day of January and the
fifteenth day of June following, or any brook or mountain
trout or rainbow or California trout between the first day of
August and the first day of April following; providing, that
the possession of any such fish in said county by any person,
within said closed season, shall be deemed prima facie evi-
dence of violation of this act.

3. Any person violating this act shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less
than five dollars nor more than fifty dollars; provided, that
any person taking fish from said streams by the use of dyna-
mite or other explosive substance shall be punished by a fine
of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred
dollars, or by confinement in jail for not less than ten days
nor more than thirty days, or both.
But nothing in this act shall be construed as prohibiting the
department of game and inland fisheries in operating in any
manner in a scientific way or for replenishing the streams or
diminishing the carp or other undesirable fish.

4. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed.

5. An emergency existing, this act shall take effect from
its passage.