When you think of where that creek water comes from, I wouldn't use
those herring for anything but bait. One thing that was universal when
I grew up around there was all creeks were polluted. (septic tanks,
road runoff, pet ****, chemicals or whatever).
That's why I don't mess with 'em. But, having been here (Ft. Belvoir) in the
mid-60's, I can testify that the Potomac and surrounding waterways are a hell of
a lot cleaner than they used to be. Back then if a soldier fell in the Potomac,
he was taken to the hospital for a tetanus shot. The shores were lined with dead
fish. Today folks swim, ski, fish (and eat 'em) in the Potomac. It's also home
to large bass fishing turnaments, and dead fish are rarely seen.
The river got better when they built Blue Plains and stopped dumping
raw sewage in the river but the creeks still have most of the same
problems they always did.
Now if they can just clean up the Susquehanna and the chicken farms on
the Eastern Shore the bay might get better.