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41 OMGQOA

OFFICIAL STATE PUBLICATION

VOL. XIX—No. 5 MAY, 1950

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION

Division of HON. JAMES H. DUFF, Governor ..a PUBLICITY and PUBLIC RELATIONS * J. Allen Barrett Director PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION MILTON L PEEK, President RADNOR PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER BERNARD S. HORNE, Vice-President PITTSBURGH South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. WILLIAM D. BURK MELROSE PARK 10 Cents a Copy—50 Cents .» Year GEN. A. H. STACKPOLE DAUPHIN Subscriptions should be addressed to the Editor, PENNSYL­ VANIA ANGLER, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. Submit fee either by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth PAUL F. BITTENBENDER of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. Individuals sending cash WILKES-BARRE do so at their own risk. CLIFFORD J. WELSH ERIE PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contributions and photos of catches from its readers. Proper credit will be given to con­ LOUIS S. WINNER tributors. Send manuscripts and photos direct to the Editor LOCK HAVEN PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. * Entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office of Harris­ EXECUTIVE OFFICE burg, Pa., under act of March 3, 1873. C. A. FRENCH, Executive Director ELLWOOD CITY IMPORTANT! H. R. STACKHOUSE The ANGLER should be notified immediately of change in sub­ Adm. Secretary scriber's address. Send both old and new addresses to Pennsyl­ vania Fish Commission, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. * Permission to reprint will be granted if proper credit is given. C. R. BULLER Chief Fish Culturist THOMAS F. O'HARA Construction Engineer Publication Office: Tele graph Press, Cameron and WILLIAM W. BRITTON Chief Fish Warden Kelker Street, Harrisburg, Pa. Executive and Editorial Offices: Commonwealth of ROBERT P. DEITER Comptroller Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Fish Comm ission, Harr is- burg, Pa. •

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION HARRISBURG. PA. The Making of an Angler By Jim Hayes

3^"^ HERE is a romance to trout fishing. The prospect of spending a day astream never fails to thrill the true angler. It is a thrill many of Tour present-day fishermen rarely know. For true sons of Walton seem The Angler an uncommon race in these times. Besides, one does not become a real angler overnight. There are stages through which one must pass. After mastering trout-ways and casting, one may be called a fisherman. Some men become fishermen and anglers at the same time. Some never become true anglers. It seemed the latter might be true in Bill's case. Bill, though new to fishing, was skilled in the sport. He had coordina­ The Making of an Angler By Jim Hayes tion, patience, everything it takes. Yet for all his expertness, Bill was no angler. An angler, by the Warden's definition, is a man who doesn't care Ecological Sense or Nonsense 2 By Alvin (Bus) Grove how many fish he creels, or the size. It's the prospect of better fishing tomorrow that counts. He has a respect for nature, and courtesy for his fellowmen. Call it a sense of fair play and sportsmanship. However you Whi ppoorwill 1 define it, Bill didn't measure up. By E. E. Apel Because he measured success by the number and size of trout he caught, Bill took pride in making limit catches. Fishing was a game, and Frisky Fall Fish 6 nothing counted but racking up a score. If the law said 10 trout, that By Don Shiner meant you kept fishing until you had 10 trout. « •• Essentially, of course, Bill wasn't a bad egg. Honest, law-abiding. A Mud 8 Pirate fan. The kind of fellow you'd meet at the country club, in church, By Don Blair or on a trout stream. Sure, and he had his rugged days, too. » Like the time he raised a dandy trout, muffed the strike, and waded 'he Rainbow Trout 9 to shore to rest the fish before casting him again. Another man saw the * action. Brushing past Bill, he whipped the pool so hurriedly the trout went down for good. When Bill cooled off, we reminded him that he'd America—Land of Opportunity 10 pulled the same trick himself. By William Boyd Then too, Bill had a cute way of assembling his gear as we drove to the stream. He was always first man on the water. It might have gone Was Not Immune 12 on forever, except once we hid his rodtip. Had a peaceful hour's fishing By Lois T. Henderson before he found it. A mean trick, sure. But he had to learn. Linn Run was Bill's idea of a perfect trout stream. Always opened the Stand-by Streamers 14 season there, and always took his limit. About mid-season he returned By Albert G. Shimmel to the Linn to fly-cast. After two days without a rise, he came home. Said he couldn't figure what was wrong. But he knew. Too many fishermen, and not enough trout. Too many limits. The stream was "a. Reptiles & Amphibians ... 17 fished-out. By Hal H. Harrison Bill's favorite pool was below King's Bridge on Laurel Hill Creek. He liked it because it was secluded, and always good for a trout or two. One Streamside Life 22 morning he found another man on the pool. The guy was catching trout, By Robert Leo Smith but nothing big enough to keep. So he tore them roughly off the hook and threw them back. Already the pool was swirling with dying trout. The Diatoms 24 But Bill couldn't say anything. His own touch was far from light when By Carsten Ahrens it came to releasing small fish. It was things like that, little things, that started the change in Bill. He wasn't so feverish about being first on a pool anymore. Was satisfied with three or four good trout, instead of trying for a limit. He began to 74e& notice the beauty of the streams he fished. Even lined his creel with fern a&et... and wildflowers. The Warden showed him how to unhook baby trout The rush of cold clear trout water. (Turn to Page 16) Photo by James Bolog.

Back Cover. Stocking trout in Meadow stream—Lebanon County. Photo by Lebanon Daily News. Ecological Sense or Nonsense (m) By ALVIN (BUS) GROVE

LTHOUGH ecology may be ab­ oxygen content a per cent or two, and graphic factors are essentially those A stract in part, nevertheless there in so doing prohibit fish from living studied and recognized as natural phe­ exists a close relationship between it there. There are many well-meaning nomena, which influence the distribu­ and conservation. In its broadest conservationists, who dump such refuse tion of plants and in turn animals. sense, ecology has to do with the dis­ into our streams, honestly feeling that Such things as, temperature, rainfall, tribution of things in relation to their the waste is not detrimental to the life altitude, slopes, incident radiation, and environment, and when the study is in the stream; and they are right so prevailing winds make up the field of made and the facts are in, the results far as its immediate effects may reach, physiographic ecology. Edaphic studies may be good or bad in the light of con­ but they do not stop to think that they pertain more particularly to the soil- servation. It is just as possible to might be upsetting some fundamental The origin of soil and the type of par­ study the ecology of an acre of land ecological condition, which in the end ent rock from which it was derived, stripped in mining as it is to study a will operate to the detriment of some its richness, humus content, drainage, stream that has undergone the maxi­ form of life. We remove cover from texture, and structure are all consid­ mum of improvement. In the one case the banks of streams and feel that we ered in the soil's influence on the dis­ conservation is at its lowest ebb and have not hurt the water since we have tribution of plants and in turn othel in the other perhaps at its peak. It is not touched it in any way, and yet life. There are the fields of plant and probably correct to assume that the with the removal of such cover the animal geography, which although they ecologist with the results of his eco­ temperature may rise a single degree, are similar in many respects to ecology logical studies provides an intelligent but just enough in this case to become and in last analysis dependent upon background of facts on which sensible an ecological factor limiting the dis­ the smaller units of ecology, cover the conservation can be practiced. In one tribution of brook trout. I have read problem of animal and plant distribu- j way conservation means to preserve much about the bounties and the tion on a world wide basis; or if on 2 and to protect, and in a rather narrow beauty of nature, but quite to the smaller basis, they are probably sepa- ec sense it might even mean to resist contrary nature is ruthless and tough rated largely as the result of physical an change and to maintain the status quo. and exacting of its inhabitants. geography. Bioecology studies the ef' ca In a broader sense conservation has The fields of ecology are many and fects of one form of life on another ar. come to mean that we intend to har­ varied. The distribution of plants in It is bioecology that we undertake V ge vest the natural resources, which have relation to their environment is called control when bounties are paid on sucl; tti; been put at our disposal, but to har­ plant ecology, and on the other hand declared predators as the fox an" E\ vest them intelligently, with one eye there is animal ecology. Of the two, I weasel, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Grea' an on the present and the other on the think plant ecology is somewhat more Horned Owl, the gar and barricuda. i fie future. Worthwhile conservation fundamental because all ecological think it is the bioecological relation' ad practices would not destroy one re­ studies have shown that the distribu­ ships of man, as an animal, to our for W source while preserving another. It tion of animals is directly related to ests and to our deer and trout tha! be is unfortunate in a way that conser­ and dependent upon the plants. Food many sportsmen's clubs talk about t\\ vation can mean several things, be­ and cover become two fundamental Laws and regulations are passed bj fis cause the too common result is that prerequisites of animal distribution, the legislature, and amendments ant be everyone can be for conservation just and in nature these are essentially sup­ resolutions are sponsored by the Fed; Wi as they might be for larger salaries, plied by plants. Plant ecology is at­ erated Sportsmen and the Nations so but no one does anything about it. tacked from both the physiographic Wildlife Group in an attempt to con- lei Perhaps our present dilemma is that and edaphic factors. The physio­ trol and keep in check this same bicj tic what turns out to be everyone's busi­ at ness is really no one's business. Cer­ bi, tainly in the field of sports, that is, Wi hunting and fishing, conservation has th come to mean a method of harvesting oij as much of our game as possible while Ai preserving a sufficient quantity at all re times to guarantee the future of the sh sport. In only a few cases do conser­ vationists become strict preservation­ ists in that they would save every­ thing now and harvest nothing, and yet the step from one to the other is not so distant as it might seem at first ;glance. The practices of conservation at­ tempt to control and establish certain ecological conditions, which in turn determine the distribution of life with­ in their sphere of influence. A prac­ ec tice of conservation may prevent the «b pollution of a stream with waste ma­ 6C terials, which in themselves do not Fc

directly kill fish, but will because they l l l l 11 It stimulate the overdevelopment of bac­ f .WfclilWI l^'>' I'^'WIilll'/t'lii WiHH^ii i Tl tFI'iMltW'IIW^ H l 'llllllllW'lil|P f Wlilil l'iHIIIII " li i 'i V^Ekisfci?l1 The desert of Arizona. Giant cacti, Choya, and similar plants indicate the water limita­ CO terial growth in the water, lower the tions of such areas. This same dry, sandy land would likely produce crops under irrigation.

3 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE' plowing done? Are we using enough commercial fertilizer and manure? Do we inoculate our legumes when they are planted to increase the nitrogen content of the soil? The list could ise grow indefinitely. These, although te-j seemingly far removed from the prob­ il­ lem of conservation, are not very far ls. removed after all, and a little inspec­ ill, tion would reveal their importance to n< you as a hunter or fisherman. Proper o: lime application coagulates soil par­ ieS ticles and eliminates many wet spots )il. so that better crops can be grown. In ir- eliminating the wet spots, soil drain­ KI age is improved, and more of the rain­ ge, fall, which strikes the soil, penetrates id- and does not run off in streams of mud. is- Winter cover crops prevent soil eros­ iei ion, provide some organic material to no the soil, and while present, make good ej cover for our game. More nitrogen gJ makes better crops, not only corn and or oats but better grass and pasture as ht Typical Eastern United States deciduous forest type and farmland. Annual rainfall probably well, which in turn prevent run-off about 35 inches in sharp contrast to the 7-10" inches of the desert country. Elevation about )U' 2,000 feet. of much needed water and provide i ; food and cover for a good animal har­ Da- ecological pattern. Of course man, as sylvania, New York, and many other vest as well as plant. The point which ca an animal, in this picture has probably places. It is the reforestation of large needs to be made is that everything ef- caused more trouble than all other areas cut over by the big lumbermen that the farmer does or does not do, er animals and certainly plants put to­ and the replanting of areas dug out by the lumberman does or does not do, t< gether, and yet who would deny that the power shovels in strip mining. We the miner does or does not do, the id *nan has also made the most progress. are making progress in this direction, engineer does or does not do, influences nc •Even the relationship between one man and many are acquainted with the in turn our water, our erosion, our fish, ga and another hardly deviates from the facts and benefits of such practices. our animals, and in the end, of course, : field of ecology although it masquer­ Perhaps to some lesser extent we even ourselves. Is it any wonder that 3D' ades under the name of sociology, know something of those practices the problems of ecology become enor­ or ^hat a snap real conservation would followed on our farms or arable lands. mous, involving many of the branches ! ia be if the bioecological relationships be­ To be sure we have all heard of the of science, which we so politely and ut tween man and other animals, man and dust bowl, strip farming, contouring, sometimes so casually divide into their b! fish, and indeed man and man could and wind breaks. Some of the things own little place and sphere of interest m< be solved. As a matter of fact not only we, as conservationists, do not usually and influence? As sportsmen, we 3d ^ould the problems of conservation be associate with our farm lands are: must concern ourselves with plant n;i solved but so would all other prob­ How many tons of lime are added per ecology, animal ecology, forest ecology, .in lems as well. Today in our conserva­ acre per year? Are winter cover crops bioecology, and the rest of them as liO- tion practices we are trying desper­ grown? At what season is most of the (Turn to Page 16) ately to undo the damage of certain bioecological relations that existed and ^ere practiced in the past, with man the main offender in the destruction of °Ur timber, our game, and our fish, •^•t the same time we are trying to reestablish better ecological relation- ships by passing laws and riders, amendments and acts, and various codes establishing bag limits, size lim- 1ts, seasons, and so on. These two Practices of correction deal largely ^ith changing the past and the pres­ ent, with some effects left over for the tuture; but if we really want to cope ^ith the future, we must deliberately Plan for it and not let it happen only as a by-product of the present.

Two rather special phases of ecology, which we hear a great deal about at the present time, are forest ecology and the ecology of arable land, forest ecology is good forest practice. " is the forest nursery programs en­ couraged by the states and the farm Rocky mountains in Colorado. Elevation from 7,000 to about 14,000 feet. Pine and spruce at the lower elevations and to timber line. Tundra or bare rock cover the higher altitudes, ^oodlot programs practiced in Penn­ long's Peak in the background. fil H\Y~195 0 small streamers. What are you fel­ I lows going to use?" w< WHIPPOORWILL By E. E. Apel "I'm going to experiment with some Q, big nymphs up about the middle of be ROM far up the rain soaked valley Following our quick breakfast we this pool," came from Ned. fu Pr came the plaintive, wavering call 'tidied-up' the station wagon. While I wasn't in any hurry to rig up and F pr of a whippoorwill. "Dave" paused in so doing, we discussed how very nicely told my partners I would walk up eu his rendition of the then current tale it accommodated us. A camp on stream—that I'd keep back from the ba of two traveling men and a farmer's wheels. Plenty of sleeping and carry­ good spots and not begin to fish until ali widow. He held up a silencing finger. ing space for three fishermen, their I was beyond the Butterfly Rocks. I dr We all listened. The nocturnal inter­ grub and other equipment. Also, no knew they'd catch up with me by noon W; ruption to the joke telling was re­ restrictions as to where we could fish. and as on all previous trips up this rrv iterated. This vehicle eliminated the limitations waterway, we'd lunch at Cold Run. Dave asked, "Do you know what usually encountered by operating from This small springfed tributary is an th that means?" a base camp. For once, we three fish­ ideal spot. The water tumbling into wj We, Ned and I, admitted we knew ermen were in agreement—a station the main stream is surprisingly cold, le« naught as to the significance of the wagon was the answer to a long felt noticeably sweet and very refreshing. It ge call. need. As Ned put it, "Here we are, if My way upstream was made in a de Our interrogator elucidated, "It's this stream isn't in good shape we just leisurely, observant manner. Round­ to like this—you've seen barnyard fowl drive on until we find one that is. ing a wide bend, I came upon a doe Ex start out in what appeared to be a Even if it is a little brook trout run. with twin fawns. It was amazing how th, steady rain. In a few minutes the We have reversed the old set-up. The easy they made their way along the tr< rain stopped. Somehow they knew it water near camp doesn't have to be rocky creekside. Unalarmed, the doe would stop. Well, my guess is this, right. We take the camp to the water proceeded to a narrow portion of the b our whippoorwill knows this rain is that is right. Let's go and see if this water and nimbly leaped across. With­ e as: going to stop—so he 'tuned up.' If it creek is OK for today." out hesitation, the fawns followed. clears now the creek ought to be just The stream was not far distant. We Soundlessly they vanished into the right in the morning. That means stream-bordering rhododendron. Just took our time reaching it for the path Tl good fishing. We'd better get some beyond where the deer disappeared was overhung with still dripping sleep. Goodnight." there is a long, straight piece of stream. The dispenser of logic rolled over branches and hip-high fern. We didn't This day, it was beautifully decorated Co to his side of the station wagon and want to get soaked before starting to with blooming shrub honeysuckle and th, was quiet. Ned and I finished a smoke fish. Carefully maneuvering our way a wild species of snowball bush. The before following his example. Sleep through the wet cover, we reached the white and pink color combination W; was slow coming to me. I thought stream—it appeared to be "just right." greatly enhanced the natural beauty an back over the events of the day—a Hopefully I said, "Dave, I believe of this wild valley. After passing this al< ; late start, the long drive through a your whippoorwill knew something— colorful spot, I located that for which *g steady rain, the unfavorable reports this stream certainly looks OK." I had been constantly watching—flies w£ of fishing conditions we had overheard it Dave- replied, "It sure does. No on the wing. They were of a genus at the last restaurant. But Dave had hatch just now and the stream has common to this area and nicely imi­ gle now prophesied we would get a break. been coming up. I'm going to try some tated with a Furnace Quill. Now 1 an Maybe so; the constant rain drip on hurried. With flies in the air, I wanted du the station wagon roof did seem, to to get beyond my designated starting WE have slackened. point and get some imitations floating bo When I awoke, day was beginning. on the water. : Far to the east the sun was shafting As I approached the mineral-bearing light over the Snowshoe Mountains. rock outcrop known to us as Butterfly the On the right a squirrel barked. From Rocks, I again noted with interest the Po( streamward a cardinal whistled. Soon swarm of butterflies that constantly Slo we would learn if Dave's forecast was flitted and crawled about the seeping the accurate. fissures. It is my theory they are^ Wa I nudged Ned. His left arm came drawn to this spot by an available

4 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLES I had a fair idea of the fly the trout thrust up the rapids, turned on its side weight of my creel, the fine sense of Would be taking. Soon my Furnace and came to net easily. This valiant satisfaction still prevailed. Quill was jauntily drifting over the warrior, a good fish in any Pennsyl­ Soon Dave arrived. We compared best looking runs and glides. A care­ vania water, had practically killed him­ creels. He had five dandy natives and ful covering of this beginning stretch self on the hook. Wading ashore with had released as many smaller ones; produced only exercise and casting my prize, I experienced that feeling of my rainbow drew an astonished whistle practice. Then, coming to a slight supreme exhilaration which accom­ from Dave. He looked at me and in­ curve in the stream where the outside panies the taking of a heavy fish on quired, "Did you take that fish on a Dank was undercut and overhung with light, dry-fly tackle. dry? If so, I'd like to have seen the alders, action developed. The fly Ashore, I laid my trophy, still in the battle, for that fish is a honey." dropped above the bushes, floated part dripping net, among a cluster of young After repeating the facts as to the Way under and, socko! I was fast to fern. Here was a picture, and I could taking of the rainbow, I inquired about *tty first fish of the day. By slanting not record it, except in memory. How­ Ned. the rod side-wise until it was level ever, in an effort to preserve the fresh­ Dave answered, "I left him at the With the water, I managed to keep the ness of the trout's brilliant coloring, I Blue Hole. He had located a big trout leader below the entangling branches, hurriedly retraced my way downstream feeding, and if I know Ned, he'll stick tt took considerable rod pressure to to where a spring run entered the around there 'til he catches or upsets get the fish out into open water. With main stream. This rivulet was full of that fish. Let's eat and figure out some determined jolts the trout endeavored cold water moss. I lined my creel with to get free of that stinging hook. plans." this preserving plant and laid my rain­ Everything held and I finally slipped While we lunched Dave told me the net under an eleven inch brook bow in, covered it with the spruce tips about how the brook trout had hit for trout. I decided to do some investigating before resuming activities, so waded ashore, cleaned the fish and examined the stomach contents. It was crammed With flies, nymphs and a big beetle. These clues as to the trout's feeding settled any previous doubts. I would continue using the Furnace Quill for the time being. Action suited the thought. The fly ^as dressed, the leader doped and Mother cast was made above the a'ders. The floating imitation was again socked and the preceding scrap ^as repeated—almost exactly. When lt was over, the twin of the first trout learned in the creel. Other floats over ^d past this ideal spot were non-pro- duetive. I moved on to a stretch of Water which is a series of fairly deep boles, connected by short rapids. . In the first pool, I located three feed- ln-g fish. Two were out into the tail, "fle other was working well up in the Pool alongside a jutting side boulder. A Mosquito Creek, Clearfield County, this is cold run pool looking downstream. 7°PPy cast moved the two trout from 'be pool tail. With greater care, line I had used to keep the brookies apart, about two hours and then quit. Ned ^fas worked out and a slack-line cast placed the brookies on the spruce and had experienced the same thing. When popped just behind where the third covered them with more moss. Then I added that I had taken my two jjsh had shown. The Furnace Quill I dipped the packed creel into the cold brookies shortly after starting to fish floated several inches, then was gone spring water to saturate the contents. Dave said, "That settles it—seems as 111 a whirling surge. The line stretched I hoped this procedure would keep the if at a given signal along the stream ""-this trout had hooked itself. A good trout bright until my buddies came the natives just stopped feeding; none arc developed in the rod as the fish, in along. of us have hit a brown and only one ? deliberate manner, swam straight A smoke was in order and I used up rainbow, why? I don't know, but it's J?to the rapids and there sulked. I a pipeful in placid content. While so my guess the brownies are going to put Jgured it was taking refuge in a deep doing, a line of "The Lark" came to on a go signal towards evening. I sug­ docket of the swifter water. Steady mind—"All's right with the world." gest we walk down stream, pick up ^oss current pressure moved the fish, And so it seemed, for in the least meas­ Ned if he agrees, go to the station t darted into the pool above. My ure, here was a communion with na­ wagon, get rested and be all set to go ^tumbling follow must have jabbed ture. into action around six." .'be hook deeper, for the fish began to Such was my feeling of fellowship The plan was put into action and eap and thrash in a spectacular man- 16 - when I resumed fishing and although a going downstream we did not spot a j * . These wild tactics revealed the lull in activities developed, it con­ single rise. Ned was still at the Blue •fout as a rainbow of hefty propor­ tinued. I worked over some beautiful Hole and informed us it had been dead tions. The acrobatics subsided. With water with nary a rise, or even a sign for two solid hours. Dave outlined our gashing speed the trout rushed about of a trout. When I arrived at Cold plan. Ned rejected it, saying, "If what be pool, and then, after a last swift Run, without having increased the (Turn to Page 20)

^Y—1950 FRISKY FALL By Don Shiner

IRED of being cramped and shoved The fall-fish will rise readily to a sur­ T by the stampede of anglers along face lure, and strike with equal zest at your favorite trout and bass stream? a darting spoon, spinner, streamer, or Devoting some of the angling time to wet fly. They are far from being selec­ the more 'common' fish would disperse tive such as the trout or bass and will many of the anglers and the sport de­ accept a wide range of baits and lures, rived should not be under estimated. presented at most any time of day. The graceful silvery sheened Fallfish are one o The fall-fish is one of the more com­ On light tackle they exert consider­ the largest of the minnow fish. Some have beei able resistance and surprise even the captured which measured over two feet V mon fish found inhabiting nearly all length. Truely a fish that should not be frownei the larger trout streams of Pennsyl­ most addicted trout and bass angler upon by anglers. vania. In the days of yesteryear, these as it often breaks water with a sound­ fish were quite rare due to the indis­ ing smack and tugs furiously to dis­ that I had taken the only ones in th< criminate taking of the fall-fish, lodge the stinging hook. pool or had, scared the remaining one through the use of nets, the small fry While most fishermen becoming ac­ into hiding. A few moments late used as bait fish, and the pollution of quainted with this game of angling Steve appeared and I encouraged hin our streams. However, they have through the pugnacious pan fish, my to make a few casts in this particular made a steady comeback and are again early angling encounterments were pool. He quickly made a cast tha; perpetuated to the point where they through the fall-fish. My home being went every bit the length of the poo can stand considerable angling pres­ near some trout streams, I recall the and began retrieving the small red an' sure. many spare moments spent 'dunking' white wobbling spoon. Nearing th< They are one of the largest of the worms in the pools and eddies. Oc­ end of the retrieve something strud : minnow family, and grow to the length casionally a small trout was captured and nearly pulled the rod from Steve' of 18 inches quite rapidly. Some speci­ but more frequently were some small unsuspecting hands. It was a full; men have been captured which meas­ fall-fish, with now and then a sizeable grown fall-fish, larger than any of th specimen overlooking my crude ure over two feet in length. A fish of three I had taken. It had refused ml methods and accepting the bait. I re­ this size is capable of giving consider­ offering due probably to the third fis) call the sheer pleasure it gave of pull­ being taken, he had learned that it wa: able resistance and one that any angler ing a silvery chub from the water and can be proud of capturing. a fraud and something to be passed up I usually ran to the nearest person to Again it may just have emerged frofl These graceful silvery fish congre­ exhibit my prize. Even today I fre­ its hiding place as Steve's lure darte1 gate together in the deep pools and quently sneak away from the angling by. Whichever it might have beef eddies and frequent the swift riffles crowds and spend some time in pur­ it can be said, fall-fish require an o4 occasionally. They are constantly on suit of these graceful fall-fish. Often casional change of lure too. too they have been the cause of a the alert for food and seldom will re­ Using wet flies and nymphs and th1 fuse the offering of an angler. Their heavy creel when the more 'aristo­ cratic' game fish were uncooperative. same tactics used for trout often pro diet consists of a wide range of aquatic duce nice fall-fish catches. The wi foods, such as, hellgrammites, crawfish, The light tackle commonly used for flies should be large and quite bush: salamanders, worms, as well as grass­ trout, such as a light action rod, 3X or and rather light in color. White millef hoppers, crickets, beetles and occa­ 4X tapered leaders and various small light cahill, and McGinty are excellen sionally a mouse. They are particular­ artificial lures, is ideal tackle for fall- patterns. These should be cast ul ly fond of white millers and white grub fish angling. However, depending up­ and across stream then allowed to floa worms. This preference for white on the type water, a varied selection of naturally with the current, or the! baits should be remembered when se­ artificial lures are required. may be cast into a pool or eddy, aj lecting artificial lures, and the white Only in the shallow water can they lowed to sink and then retrieved | colored or white predominating colored be enticed to accept a surface lure un­ short jerks. lures are excellent. less they are cruising in the deeper The typical artificial lures carrie1 water close to the surface. This holds by the average angler are ideal lure true for the various other game species for these fall-fish. since the depth of water obscures their vision. Obviously in the deep pools a If live bait is chosen over artifici^ spinner, wobbling spoon, wet fly or lures, any of the previous mentione' streamer can be used successfully if baits will be acceptable. Howevel it is allowed to sink nearly to the bot­ there are a few pointers which the bai tom and then retrieved causing various fisherman should keep in mind. actions. Often when using grasshopper' I recall one day when Steve and I crickets, grub worms, and the like encountered some water which con­ merely placing the hook through th' insects body often results in the bai tained some sizable fall-fish. I had 1 made numerous casts using a spinner being torn from the hook during th and fly in one particular pool and had cast with exasperating ease. This ca> quickly taken three nice specimen. All be eliminated by making up a few bai were released except one which had the lure hooked deep in its throat and Kill Less—Catch More A variety of spinners and flies are "top" lures probably would have died. Repeated for Fallfish. casts netted a blank, and I assumed

6 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE*

k. hooks and keeping them on hand. Sportsmen's Club Pays Honor to Governor Duff These are made merely by soldering two small pieces of wire to the shank of a fairly long shank hook, (see illus­ tration) The bait is then placed along the shank of hook and wires wrapped around the insects body. The bait can then be cast in the man­ ner of fly fishing and little harm can be done to the bait. This method too allows the bait to remain alive and some baits will float unless a few split shot are added for weight. Fall-fish will rise readily to the surface for a grasshopper or cricket. The rise is in full view of the angler and cause a de­ light close to that of a trout rising to a dry fly. One handicap to this fish is in warm weather, the flesh of the fall-fish will become soft. This, however, can quick­ ly be overcome by cleaning the fish along the stream. They can be scaled and entrails taken out soon after cap­ ture. Placed thusly in a willow creel filled with damp grass, the flesh will remain fresh and firm. This fish is rather bony, but aside from the large backbone and bone structure protect­ ing the vital cavity, the small bones are extremely soft. They are a tasty Shown above are those who participated in the presentation of the Farmer-Sportsman Club, fish and should not be passed up as Berwick, annual conservation award to Governor James H. Duff in recognition of his "Clean Streams" program in the state. food. From left to right are: R. Clayton Culp, burgess of Berwick; Anthony Green, vice-president of the Farmer-Sportsman Club; Robert Downs, president; the Honorable James H. Duff; Nelson In the pursuit of angling, the entire Walker, district manager of American Car and Foundry Company, Berwick; Lewis C. Smith, angling time should not be spent for Chairman of the Conservation Committee; William Reiter, vice-president of the Pennsylvania merely game fish. Using light tackle Railroad; Dr. P. M. Szutowicz, secretary-treasurer of the club. and suitable baits and lures for the more common 'low brow' fish, they can At a splendid banquet held in honor of has done the most in 1949 in the state make an outing enjoyable, not omitting Governor James H. Duff, the state's first toward conservation." the fact that often the day can be citizen was awarded the Farmer-Sportsman Robert Downs, club president, gave the turned into success which otherwise Club's annual conservation award in Ber­ address of welcome in which he gave credit wick on March 22. to Smith and Dr. P. M. Szutowicz for their would have been a failure from the The award was in the form of a gold efforts in making his administration a suc­ trout and bass being uncooperative. plaque reading; "Annual Conservation cess. Try both live baits and artificial lures Award, presented to The Honorable James Governor Duff gave an excellent talk on for the frisky fall-fish and enjoy a well H. Duff, Governor of the Commonwealth of conservation in which he emphasized that rounded out angling season. Pennsylvania who has faithfully defended "we must work to present this state in as from waste the natural resources of our good condition as that in which we found state, its forests, waters and its wildlife." it to the next generation." Lewis C. Smith, Conservation Chairman, Nelson Walker, district manager of the made the award in behalf of the club to American Car and Foundry Company, pre­ the man "who in the opinion of this club sided as toastmaster.

Large Attendance at Susquehanna Unique Plan Warns Sportsmen County Sportsmen's Banquet Thousands of red tags, the same size and The recently held annual banquet of the shape as those handed out for a traffic vio­ Susquehanna County Federated Sportsmen's lation, are dangling from twigs and branches Clubs was attended by 337 persons. of trees along the streams, creeks, brooks Howard Maynard, county prothonotary, and smaller water courses of York county. was toastmaster at the affair. The unique project, sponsored by the York Proceeds of the banquet will go to the County Federation of Sportsmen's clubs, is Marford volunteer fire company. to remind fishermen that those streams are About 150 prizes donated by county mer­ closed to all fishing from March 14th until chants and by sporting goods companies were April 15th, at 5 a.m. The eye-attracting distributed. tags are being distributed by clubs affiliated Hamlin Stephens, Harford, was chairman with the county units. of the affair. Linus Moore, New Milford, is "Attention Fishermen," reads the tags, president of the county group, with L. F. "No fishing in this stream from midnight Smith, Lawsville, vice-president. of March 14th until 5:00 a.m., April 15th. Notables present were: Keith Harter, Max By special amendment to the fish laws, Knoll, and Harland Reynolds, all Fish War­ passed by the 1949 legislature. This law also The flesh of the Falliish becomes soft and prohibits the taking of live bait during the flabby during warm weather. This can be over­ dens, Howard Hoffman, Philip Sloan, and come by cleaning the fish along the stream. Arthur Foote, of the State Game Commission. same period."—Federation News

MAY—1950 7 that is, country I had hunted and fished before the beavers moved in, I became / convinced that not only was the new pond a center of activity, but that there was a definite increase in both num­ bers and vigor among the creatures of the forest living nearby. MUD Too many times to be coincidence, I noticed increases in the woodcock pop­ • P 8v Don DLfliR. ulation, and in ruffed grouse and cot­ tontail rabbits. I've seen colonies of cottontails develop where none had been before. Lately I have discussed HERE are, I suppose, many many doesn't look like much, does it? Yet it these observations with several experi­ kinds of mud. Let me be the first is teeming with life. In an ounce of it enced field men employed by our Tto confess, as a nature student, that there may be upwards of 50 million Pennsylvania Game Commission. They I traveled a long road down the first microbes living, eating, dying; each are unanimous in agreeing that pond half of this twentieth century before I busy at his trade. Some cause decay, water is a boon to small game develop­ became aware that mud was, or could and transform dead vegetation into ment. Most of them had arrived at be, interesting instead of exasperating. new plant food. But, and be sure of it, this conclusion just as I had, from ob­ there are millions of living things in a servation in the field. But we didn't Most of us, fishing, are prone to ac­ know why. cept mud as one of the minor nui­ handful of mud, and they are all busy. sances of the sport, as we accept mos- Scientists have discovered that some We were not, however, the only quitos or snags or slippery rocks. But of the byproducts of the labors of these people who questioned these things. when we stop to think about it, we microbes or moulds or fungi are used Agricultural scientists have been work­ may realize that mud or muck is noth­ as drugs. Penicillin was one of the first ing hand in hand with medical men on ing more than a combination of soil of several such drugs. Other useful this anti-biotic business. They have and water. And soil is the base from medicines have been discovered—they lately come up with a discovery that which all life springs. Scientists tell call these things anti-biotics—in the ties the whole thing together. They us that our lives depend upon grass. world of teeming life of these soil or­ talk about "animal protein factor," the Most of us can understand the cycle of ganisms. Streptomycin, aureomycin, thing that turkeys, chickens and pigs mice eating grass roots, and foxes eat­ Chloromycetin; these new drugs come must have to grow strong and healthy. ing mice, so that if there were no grass from some of the millions of unseen And in this they know of a vitamin there could be no foxes. living things you may hold in your (B12) that may revolutionize the whole handful of muck from the water's edge. In fishing the cycle is the same. field of hog and poultry feeding on the Grass grows in water or in muck or As some of you know, I have had a farm. This B12 is the thing that con­ mud just as it grows on well drained long (and time consuming) interest in trols pernicious anemia in humans. It soil, excepting that the plants have beavers and beaver ponds. Originally is present in liver extracts that are developed different forms and charac­ it was the fish and the fishing that led used to treat anemia. teristics due to differences in environ­ me to seek out hidden ponds. I soon noticed that wherever the beavers es­ These agricultural men knew for a ment. Algae are the common grasses long time that baby chicks grew better of pond water. tablished a colony it became a sort of focal point for practically all the other on built-up litter—that they got some And algae is the foundation of grass unknown nutritional factor from the upon which fish life rests. As with the wild creatures in the area. And in foxes and the mice, so the bass eats the country where I knew my way around, (Turn to Page 22) minnow that ate the insects that fed upon the algae. Now we know that algae and bac­ teria cannot grow in pure, that is to say, distilled water. All plants and animals must have food. H,0 in itself cannot provide food. It is the medium by which food is carried to and through plants. Thus the mud along a stream or the muck at the bottom of a pond is the storehouse for the food supply that controls the whole cycle of life in the water. If the storehouse is empty the algae cannot flourish, and the insects will starve, and the minnows and the bass cannot exist. When you get right down to the bottom of it, mud is the stuff that determines the size and quantities of fish we catch. Now some of the necessary chemi­ cals used by the algae are directly dis­ solvable into the water, as, for instance, lime. Others, like nitrogen, must be fixed by bacteria before they can be utilized as plant food. Pick up a handful of mud along the water. It •he Tifor of the Brasses Is apparent.

b PENNSYLVANIA ANGLES taceans and salmon eggs constitute the rainbows diet. Fly fishermen find rainbows will THE RAINBOW TROUT yield to the temptation of wet and dry flies in tiny 18 and 20 sizes as well as HE robust rainbow trout is not Edited by the larger 6, 8 and 10 sizes; also, T only one of the most beautiful Lou S. Caine streamers, salmon flies, bucktails, sal­ members of this romantic family but mon eggs, spoons and spinner and fly also one of the most spectacular and combinations. Small lures like the satisfying performers. Its fast and Due to the fact that its eggs stand popper spook and wilder dilg minnow powerful runs interspersed with shipping unusually well, it has been are ideal. successfully transplanted in Europe, breath-taking jumps make it a favored Plug casters take them on small lures individual with veteran trout anglers. Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America. The sizes and in the % oz. and under class, like the For many years the rainbow trout midget river runt or midgit digit; in has been confused with the steelhead numbers of rainbows taken in New Zealand and Chile are astounding. large bodies of water where the rain­ trout and until recently the rainbow bow reaches giant proportions, large and steelhead were regarded as two Although the rainbow prefers the larger swift-flowing streams of the wobbling plugs like Lucky 13 and separate species. Scientists now agree basser and spoons produce. that these are one and the same fish— West, it does nicely in the smaller the steelhead merely being a rainbow streams of the East, provided they For ordinary rainbows, fly rod fish­ that has migrated to sea. have fast water and are not too small. ing with either live or artificial bait produces the majority of catches. In the past, it has been a general The rainbow loves swift water and will custom to call any trout that has mi­ be found in the fast stretches rather Still-fishermen with casting rods grated to sea a "steelhead." This in­ than the slow-moving currents. take a fair share and spinning rod en­ cluded cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden Fish for them at the edge of strong thusiasts find this fish ideal. How­ trout and even Eastern brook trout. currents and at the head of rapids or ever, for steelhead in large lakes the To remove confusion it is recom­ under overhanging banks where the popular method is unquestionably mended that the term steelhead be re­ current is swiftest. trolling. served for rainbows, and rainbows The world's record rainbow, caught Fly fishing the ordinary streams for alone, which have migrated to sea or on rod and reel, was taken by Wes rainbows calls for standard fly fishing larger bodies of water. Hamlet in Pend d'Orielle Lake, Idaho, tackle such as fly rods made of tem­ pered, split bamboo in light-trout or Rainbows that migrate from streams Nov. 25, 1947. It weighed 37 pounds. The size of the rainbow depends al­ standard-trout actions. Leaders should and rivers to large landlocked fresh- be as light as possible and the reel Water lakes are called steelheads in most entirely upon the waters from which it is caught. On small streams either single action like the Imperial, some sections of the country. The or automatic. Rainbow, including the steelhead clan, the average will approximate 1 pound. is the most widely distributed mem­ In larger streams and rivers, or fair- Any standard wet or dry flies rang­ ber of the trout family. size lakes, the average weight will be ing from the tiniest sizes up to large The rainbow possesses the migrating 2 to 4 pounds, and 5 to 6 pounders streamers will be found alternately instinct more than any other trout, are not rare. good. Small fly rod spoons, bucktails and does not like to "stay put." This, Sea-run rainbow, or steelhead, that and wobbling lures like the midget coupled with the fact that it can sur­ have migrated to sea or to large inland river runt are excellent in deeper, vive in warmer water than many other lakes are much larger than those that larger streams. trout, accounts to a large extent for have not migrated. They will aver­ Casting rods like the "Pal" in the its wide distribution. age 6 to 10 pounds, and while 15 to 20 5 and 5%-foot lengths, lighter actions, The color of the rainbow trout found pounders are scarce, they are not un­ when used with the smaller casting ln freshwater streams and rivers varies usual. lures like river runts in both floating greatly but is generally a bluish or Insects in the larvae and mature and diving models, are becoming more olive green above the lateral line, stages, worms, flies, minnows, crus­ (Turn to Page 24) shading into a silvery green on sides. Sides, tail and dorsal fins are profusely spotted with small dark spots. A wide lateral band of lavender red runs along the sides from head to tail. Lower fins are dusky or whitish. When the rainbow migrates to sea and becomes a "steelhead," the vivid freshwater coloring fades, the entire fish assumes a light, steel-blue or sil­ very sheen and the dark spots become quite indistinct. The sides take on a Pinkish cast and the bright coloration °f the lateral band is not so conspicu­ ous. Upon returning to fresh waters the "rainbow" markings again appear. While the rainbow trout originally Was a westerner, found only on the Pacific slope of the Sierras, from Cali­ fornia to Alaska, it now has been suc­ cessfully introduced into nearly all states except the southern part of those Typical opening day scene on Big Springs, near Newville, Cumberland County, Several of bordering the Gulf of Mexico. the largest brown trout recorded from Pennsylvania were taken from these waters.

*IAY—1950 AMERICA-LAND OF OPPORTUNITY By William Boyd

VEN in the manufacture of sports An Erstwhile German Helps Rehabilitate Men E equipment, America is the land of His Former Countrymen Wounded in Combat opportunity for the foreign-born. Take the case of Ernie Hille, of Williams- handle 3,850 different items of mer­ r port, Pa. chandise, and they prepare and dis­ Ernie, fortunately for himself and tribute more than 10,000 catalogs an­ for Americans who seek lures that will nually. catch fish, came from Germany to But statistics make dull reading in America prior to Hitler's rise to power. a story about Mr. and Mrs. Hille, He was well established here and every Whose customers are fishermen. inch an American when World War They deal in the material out of II burst upon a belligerent world. which fishing lures are made—steel And during and after that war Ernie hooks from England, Norway and Hille played an important part in re­ Switzerland, for example; or feathers habilitation of men whom his former from India, China, and Japan, or bear countrymen wounded in combat. fur from Alaska. When the United States Government They have customers in all parts of hit upon fly-tying as a vocation to be the United States, naturally, and also taught wounded veterans in govern­ in Alaska, Canada, Newfoundland, at i ment hospitals, Ernie Hille and his New Zealand, South America, Iceland, wife, Hilda, bid on the business of sup­ Denmark, India, Germany, Switzer­ Hia plying kits of fly-tying materials. They land, Italy, and Australia. Sto; won the contract in competition with They deal with farm boys and states- lots older and more firmly established son firms. arr In all, they turned out more than *isl Ernie and Hilda Hille study one of the orders 400 kits, each one weighing 83 pounds which come from all parts of the world. aric and containing enough equipment and C materials to keep ten men busy tying began repeating the words out loud. do\ flies for a period of 2,400 hours. With An employe came up with the answer. I that order they had to get larger The customer was writing about a Pal quarters. Royal Coachman trout fly. W Now it is just in the course of a The Hilles got into the business a of j regular day's business to buy some dozen years ago when they were living (i merchandise in Norway and send it to a in Cleveland. They carried a box of kit customer in New Zealand. In the same materials in their car, so they could 1 day they do business with a farm boy whip together a lure on a lake or I in Ohio, a soldier in the American stream. fea Army in Germany, and a statesman in Their friends became interested and I Washington. began buying and borrowing materials, las They have a list of about 6,000 indi­ and Ernie quit his job in a Cleveland 1 vidual customers and 150 stores. They factory. He is an expert tool-maker. In 1940 they began corresponding with customers in Williamsport. They went there for a visit. And that brought the city its most Girl employes make up orders from the well- unusual industry. filled drawers in the Hille establishment stock­ room. The Hilles liked the country so well —and the fishing in particular—that in men—and also with doctors, lawyers, 1941 they moved to Williamsport and hospitals, prisons, schools, and colleges. set up business in their home. Most of them are amateur fly-tyers, Ever since, business has been brisk. but there also are some professionals. Winter is an especially busy period, The Hilles get a lot of fun out of the for then the anglers can't get to the human element of their business, for streams, and they spend a lot of time fishermen who make their own lures making trout and bass lures for the are a critical lot. They must have next season. But even in summer the feathers of some very particular hue, orders flow in steadily, for even a good hooks of just the right weight, and fur angler over a period of time loses or that is just so fuzzy and not one bit breaks lures and has to replace them. more. So there is a constant stocking and Sometimes the customer is hard to selling of feathers, fur, yarn, hooks, understand. tinsel, thread, lacquer, quills, scissors, Like the fellow who wrote in for vises, and an assortment of such materials to make a "Roil Coichen" strangely named items as wing cutters, trout fly. Ernie and Hilda puzzled whip finishers, and dubbing needles. K The machine operated by this pretty girl wraps body materials on cards. over this a lot, until finally one of them Not all of the business is done by *ees

10 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER *U for example, It is famous all over the and bass—at every opportunity. country for use on a good trout dry They own a beautiful and completely %. equipped cabin along one of Pennsyl­ Others in the profession have tried vania's best trout streams, where they to imitate the precise shade. But they delight in entertaining friends and have failed. And a spy couldn't beg, spend their week-ends. They have no borrow, bribe, or steal that formula telephone and they don't want one. from Mrs. Hille. "We can rest and relax out there," The Hilles know what fishermen they say. "And go fishing if the spirit want. They themselves fish—for trout moves us."

Wet fly, level leaders range, generally six Lightly Dressed Flies pound test to one X, in the same diameter the full length of the leader. By Fred J. Kern Your smaller test leaders are used where the streams or lakes are fished hard and Wet flies, having no wings and but a the fish are leader shy. minimum of hackle, are becoming increas­ I would like to mention again and please ingly popular for trout. The so-called hackle bear in mind when making or buying flies, and palmer flies are, therefore much in insist on light dressed flies. After all the demand for the experienced fly fishermen. hackle on a fly represents its legs and most The hackle flies have hackle at the head all flies have but only six legs. Be sure not only, while the palmer have hackle the full to make or buy a fly looking like an octopus. A young customer buys direct from Mrs. Hille length of the body, thus giving them the the supply center in Williamsport, Pa. appearance of caterpillars. Value of a wingless fly, is that you can Federation Division Notes Pail order. The Hilles have a retail operate it with twitches of the rod tip. This Stream Improvement Timely store at their place of business—and gives the hackle life like open and close iots of sportsmen prefer to call in per- movements. This cannot be done with a This is the time of year to begin thinking s°n to make their purchases. They fly having up standing feather-wings. Nymph about doing a little stream improvement Arrive from points as distant as Har- flies are also becoming more popular. work. There are many things that can be risburg, Pittsburgh, New York City, Nymph flies have a plain central body with done to improve living conditions for the tuffs at the head and tail. These along with fish. One of the most important of these and Washington. the hackle flies are recommended. conditions is an ample food supply. Ample Of course, such a customer slows Now take the wooly-worm, it also be­ food means more and bigger fish in less time. * flown the pace of business. longs in the same category. This is simply C. A. French, Executive Secretary of the It takes an amazing amount of Pennsylvania Fish Commission has been 1 a palmer type fly with short hackle the full Palaver to close out a deal for a dol­ length of its body. Made with fairly stiff heard to say that it is possible to grow trout lar's worth of merchandise in this kind hackle so they will not mat to the body. a foot long in one year, given proper condi­ 1 of business. Wooly-worms like many other wet flies can tions and sufficient food. In your fishing ( trips you can do a number of things which \ 'That's why we like it," says Ernie be used with a spinner. A number one spin­ ner is recommended. will make it easier for the many things on j *ith a grin. which fish feed more abundant. Plant a few There are secrets in this trade, too. Dry flies with wings may rank high in the willow shoots along a bank which is open or r L Hilda Hille does the dyeing of dry fly fishing, but in wet fly fishing they unshaded. These shoots can usually be fathers, yarns, and fur. are passing out of the picture. trimmed from willow bushes found elsewhere Hackle and palmer flies in brown, grey, along the stream. Roll an old log or stump * L Even Ernie doesn't know the formu- slate, black and even whites prove among '<> as she uses in some cases. into the stream. Various forms of insects your best flies. The standard brown and and marine life love to harbor around such * There is one called a rusty blue dun, grey hackle patterns rank with the best of obstructions. Lift and prop up the lower the killers. edge of a flat stone an inch or so. Build a One of my favorite patterns in which I low, loose stone dam or wing wall. These have very good luck, is what I call the grey may be just little things but if a goodly num­ hackle quill. Here is how I tie the above ber of fishermen would do just one of them mentioned. On a number ten or twelve on each trip it would add up to a tremendous hook, two or three grey hackle fibers for total in a season.—Central Division News the tail, peacock quill body and a small Bulletin. amount of grey grizzly hackle at the head. I use same wet, and can be used any time of the day or in the evening. In fly fishing you have a number of things Dealers to Publicize Fishing to remember. One is having well balanced National attention will be focused on fish­ equipment, with the rod having fairly good ing, May 20 to 27, through sponsorship of backbone. It is not necessary to have an "Let's Go Fishing" by The Sporting Goods automatic reel or a tapered line, altho if Dealer, trade journal for the sporting goods you have, it makes it a bit easier for the industry published in St. Louis, Mo. The fishermen. Associated Fishing Tackle Manufacturers and In buying a double tapered line, I would the Outboard Club of America are cooper­ recommend a HFH for rods ranging seven ating in the event. and one half feet to nine, and weighing four Local fishing tackle dealers will participate to five and one half ounces. For the same with window displays and newspaper adver­ rods in a level line a D line would do the tisements. The promotion is designed to call trick. widespread attention to fishing as a thrilling Dry fly leaders range, generally nine to sport and wholesome recreation. twelve feet long and tapered from .016 to four X. These are various graduations in A man with a wonderful vocabulary is one dry fly leaders, according to the size of the who can describe a shapely girl without ' 1J>P tinS hackles prior to putting them in pack- y ses according to size and quality. fly. using his hands.

1950 11 I WAS NOT IMMUNE By Lois T. Henderson H, I was smug, I was. With my ent where fish were concerned. He side where it promptly sank to th* O tongue tucked in my cheek, I sat loved the feel, the smell and most of all tune of loud lamentations from botl down and wrote about my fishing the taste of them. Al ruffled his son's children. Mary Sue kept saying, "1 father and my fishing husband. I hair and looked smug and proud of was your pail that sinked, Davey" didn't out and out call them liars and himself and this display of what he and his anguish was real and loud. madmen, but I certainly hinted at a considered intelligence in his offspring. Al began to have a harrassed look tendency towards exaggeration and a "I wanna go fishing," said Mary Sue but I knew he was comforting himsel mild insanity. But that was before with a coaxing look toward her father. with the thought that as soon as w< last summer. That was before I I could see that it was all over but the got anchored, they would becom' hooked a muskie, and HE GOT shouting; she has only to ask, and Al mouse-like and sphinx-like. Men ar' AWAY! Even I, the skeptic and the complies with the most extravagant very innocent. scoffer, was not immune. request. Finally, he came to a spot where h< It all began one hot day in July. I "Sure," he agreed, "What do you thought the children could catch sun was sitting on the sand watching my say, honey? Let's take 'em fishing. fish, and where he might, just by acci small son and daughter and peering They aren't too young to learn." dent, catch a bass that had come seek occasionally across the shining surface "They'll be noisy," I warned him. ing sunfish. His reasoning seemed of the lake to try to decide which spot "Not me," screamed Davey, "I won't little hard to follow, but I was read; on the horizon was my husband in his be noisy, Daddy." to go along with any plan. He baite' boat. It was more or less the way I "Me neither," shouted Mary Sue, the children's hooks and dropped th spent all my time at camp—watching the children and wondering which boat was Al, and if he would come home delirious or dejected. Of course, as I've said before, his dejection never lasted more than a few minutes; then, he'd begin to get a hopeful look again and contemplate long and loudly on Whether, if he had trolled just five more minutes by that certain bed of reeds, a fish might have struck. As I watched on this shining day, one spot began to get steadily larger, and before long, Mary Sue was racing down to the edge of the sand to shout, "Daddy, Daddy, did you catch a fish?" The boat was pulled up onto the sand, and Al came striding up, gathering up children, sand pails, shovels and simi­ lar paraphernalia as he came. He was sunburned and grinning, so I figured this must have been a morning well spent. Then, behind David, I glimpsed a rather dead looking pickerel dangling from Al's hand, so I knew life would We propelled the children toward the boat. be really beautiful for a few hours. and the earth trembled with their lines over the side. For perhaps thre "Nice catch," I greeted him, trying deafening promises of silence. blessed minutes, there was absolu*1 to sound wifely and informed-about- Al beamed on this demonstration of silence, and I began to relax and thin' the-teehniealities-of-fishing at the same family spirit and ran up to the cottage that maybe there was something i: time. to deposit his precious fish on ice. With this fishing business after all. The bo2 "Boy," puffed Al, dropping onto the resignation, I applied suntan oil, tied rocked gently, the sun was hot in sand beside me, surrounded by a cloud on broad brimmed hats, fixed up toy blue sky streaked with wisps of silv« of sand, children and fish smell, "did fishing poles with tiny hooks and pro­ clouds, and there was no sound at a' he put up a fight!" pelled the children toward the boat. but the soft humming of insects. Su<> "Did he?" I asked, and it was quite Up till now, the toy fishpoles had been denly, David's line jerked. He was $ a task to look blissfully interested in used only for poking holes in the sand, startled that he nearly dropped h1 Al's fish and still pull sand burrs out of and I had considered it a sufficient use pole, but no shock is great enough 1 four-year-old Mary Sue's hair and for them. I settled Davey in the broad render him speechless. He opened h1 keep six-year-old Davey's inquisitive back seat with me, and we concen­ mouth and roared, "Something is wil hands off the slimey fish. trated on keeping Mary Sue seated, gling my line. Is it a fish?" The words poured out of Al in a whether on a seat or on the floor, just The blast of sound, so unexpecte1 torrent, and I tried to listen, but, frank­ so she sat. in that small, peaceful spot, lifted 4 ly, I was getting awfully tired of fish, Al began rowing away from the about three inches off his seat, and h> and the thought of cooking another one dock, and before we had gone fifty rod jerked convulsively. He turned : left me quite devoid of enthusiasm. feet, Davey had put his feet in the lake, strained face toward me. "Keep hi11 "Goody!" Davey was shouting, "Fish shoes and all, and Mary Sue had quiet," he whispered, "I think I had for dinner! Fish for dinner!" thrown her sand pail (which she had nibble." Davey was his father's chief propon- insisted on bringing along) over the Davey was whipping the air with h>

12 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE' pole in a dangerous manner, so I Then, about half way across the lake, caught his hand and lifted the line out. it happened. My line snapped taut, The fish was gone, and so was the and my throat closed almost complete­ worm. Al sighed when I asked him to ly. "Stop rowing," I croaked, "I think :hf bait the hook again, but with admir­ I'm caught on the reeds again." Al al able patience, he laid his rod down and stopped and even rowed back a little, "II fixed Davey's hook. About that time, but the line did not loosen, and then I y" Mary Sue lost her bait, and she wept saw the line start to move in a circle. aloud that any fish would eat her nice, My mouth was dry, and I honestly ale wiggly worm. Al began to look a bit think both the children could have :el grim, but he said nothing. fallen in the lake then, and I wouldn't w< When Mary Sue dropped her hook have noticed or cared. Suddenly, the m< in the water, she accidently bumped fish jumped, and in that split second In that split second of water spraying, I saw ir< Davey. So, of course, he slapped her, of water spraying and flashing in the the long-jawed, dark head of a Muskellunge. and she kicked him. I separated them sun, I saw the long-jawed, dark head h< before it became a free-for-all and of a muscallonge. Al say to Dad, "It wasn't even legal in told them, my voice rich with per- "Oh, dear heaven," I prayed, "It's a size, I'm sure." :ci suasion, how exciting it would be to muskie!" But he was wrong. I know he was ;1? catch a nice, fat fish on their hooks. Al yelled, but I don't know what he wrong. I saw it myself, and it was at ! i For a few more minutes, they concen- said. I was praying and panting and least 45 inches long—or longer. [d! trated fiercely, biting their tongues and struggling, and then with a sickening te< breathing hard. Then David's pole jerk, the line went lax, and he was ih moved again. He screamed in delight, gone. I could feel the furious tears Commerce Dept. Booklet Available and this time, with a bit of help from running down my face, as I reeled in The 1950 booklet, "Fishing Accommoda­ me, he managed to pull in a tiny sun- the limp line. Al was trying to com­ tions in Pennsylvania," compiled by the State fish. His happiness carried, I'm sure, fort me across two boat seats and two Department of Commerce is presently avail­ to the most distant shore which was at thoroughly cowed children, and I will able through the Vacation and Recreation least a mile away. Then Mary Sue always love him because he did not Bureau, Capitol Building, Harrisburg. caught a fish, and the boat rocked start telling me what I had done wrong. The 72 page pamphlet summarizes the anew with their joy. Then, like magic, the sorrow was open seasons, size and numbers of fish per­ But their interest faded quickly, and gone, and I was filled with a light mitted under five groupings for resident li­ censed anglers. Full information on all rules and regula­ tions of the fish code are also included, all lodges and hotels are arranged by counties, names and mailing address of all owners and proprietors precedes the listing of fish­ ing close-by; highway route, railroad or bus conveniences; and symbols showing type of lodging, eating, sleeping and guide services.

Golden Conservation Cake Harvest hard wheat from the field of wildlife research, Grind in the mill of hard knocks, Test in the laboratory of controlled Davey put his feet in the water, shoes and all, and Mary Sue threw her sand pail over the experiments, side where it promptly sank. Mix the shortening of pessimism and the sugar of they began to hint about going home, headed delirium that I had never Optimisim until creamed to harmon­ and there was mention made of drinks known before. I, I had hooked a mus­ ious reality. and bathrooms. With a sigh that al­ kie. I could still see the sloping head, Stir in the fertile egg yolks of inde­ most resembled a sob, Al pulled up the the curving powerful body of the fish pendence anchor to get ready to leave. Then he as he plunged from the water, and my And cast out the whites of fear and turned to me and said, "Do you want hands knew at last the wonderful feel prejudice. to troll while I'm rowing back? You of a big fish on the line. Leaven with the rising pride in prog­ Just might catch something." "I'll bet he was 35 inches long," I ress, "O. K." I said, although I was think­ bragged to Al, wiping the tears off my Season with the salt of experience. Add the milk of human understanding ing that if I caught anything, it would face. And mix to a pliable batter of adapt­ Probably be a backache. However, if Al grinned and started rowing back ability. it would make him any happier to have to camp. He had hardly beached the Flavor with the extract of practic­ me troll, I was willing. It seemed a boat when I was running wildly to­ ability, shame that his little excursion had ward my parent's cottage. I think Al And bake in an oven regulated by more or less been a complete flop. He got the children out of the boat; I the hand of patience. fixed the June bug and the worm, and really didn't notice. Cool and apply a heavy coating of the i began to reel out line as we headed "Dad, Dad," I screamed, "I hooked frosting mr camp. I got snagged on reeds sev- a muskie. And, Dad, he must have Of honest public relations. eral times, and each time, there was been easily 40 inches long." Serve fearlessly to a public ever hungry for a lurch in my heart that I simply It took, of course, much longer to A piece of good conservation. couldn't understand, and that I tell the story than it had taken to lose Wouldn't have admitted to Al, if my the fish, but it was a time of glory and —JIM KIMBALL. life had depended on it. excitement. Later that day, I heard

B MAY—1950 is noon produced trout after trout of 1 good size. Uj We experimented with other meth­ ito; ods and streamer patterns but only lid one other pattern would attract trout nti and no other method of handling would n produce a strike. The second pattern «e was a White Marabou. White Marabou. fei en OME anglers have a prejudice tion. Finally a nice trout came up Wings—white marabou feather with Sagainst the big flies and their use. twice to Chet's Iron Blue wet but six strands of peacock herl through the >ea The belief that they are effective only would not touch it. He offered three middle. hi in early season or discolored water other patterns of wets and a nymph Body silver tinsel ribbed with oval an could be easily proven erroneous if but no dice; Finally he admitted de­ silver cord. wh iefi time were taken to give the streamers feat and came over to my observation Throat—mixed scarlet hackle and Evi a chance to prove their worth. Scarcely spot under the willow. Removing the guina fowl. 14 a day astream passes that would not wet and the nymph that formed my Head—black with white eye and be made more productive by the use cast I put on a Black Ghost. Twice jungle cock shoulders. ( of these fancy feathers. the trout showed as the streamer This pattern is especially effective fai; Perhaps much of the dislike anglers passed his lie but that was the limit for me on waters that have an amber tro have for bucktail and streamer flies of his encouragement. A half hour color. thr later I came to a favorite pool formed is due to the fact that most of the July 4—Decided to celebrate Inde­ bo\ by an upturned strata of limestone commercial patterns are tied on hooks pendence Day with the trout. Jack Per crossing at right angles to the course somewhat larger than the most effec­ and I breakfasted on Moshannon at 1 of the stream. Making a few trial tive trout sizes. For myself size 10, the mouth of Rock Run before day­ Pre casts produced nothing then because 3x long is standard. Others from 8 light and were hard at work by the i>U1 to 14 are at times my choice for certain the streamer was not sinking properly time the first faint streaks of dawn to: I pinched a single split shot some eigh­ stream conditions. True they are touched the water. When I quit at col teen inches up the leader. The first somewhat unwieldy to handle until noon two beautiful trout graced my Wa cast was fished out with the regulation some practice brings about a perfected creel but the pleasure I had in them tioi line and rod manipulation but it too technique. Their use can be as satis­ was marred by the fact that I had the failed. Making a second cast I hooked fying as any other fly types. raised sixteen beauties of better than the rod under my arm and fumbled Large streamers are the easiest of a pound each and of the twelve mara­ cal for my pipe. The fly tumbled along all flies to construct so if you cannot bou's that had decorated my fly box I the stream bed unheeded. The line stretch the family budget to the time at dawn not one remained. Ultra light ] became taut and thinking it had of six to ten bucks per dozen necessary leaders and a strong arm had con­ *ib caught I moved the rod in order to why not make your own? If there is tributed to my undoing. ant dislodge it. A vicious tug brought me any type of fly on which you can let One picture of that day that remains fur your imagination run riot with the sky quickly from my day dreams and I ter had the pleasure of playing a plump undimmed by the years is that of a as the limit and with a good chance rainbow wearing a streamer in his lip Jui of success try streamer. fourteen inch brown. Another cast a handled the same way produced a and marking his erratic course around J As additional attraction all heads 1 second trout almost as large. Moving the pool as he tried to rid himself of should be finished with a painted eye. car up to Chet's pool I gave him a Black the offending decorations. This may seem to be difficult but the A small white or light gray streamer of black pupil may be made simply by Ghost and explained the method. He at is a master of the "dead drift" with tied on an extra fine wire dry fly hook dipping a match stick in lacquer and will sometimes work miracles when a i touching the head of the fly. a wet and using the streamer with the adi same technique he hooked a trout on the shad flies are hatching. A small Of the more than a hundred patterns the second cast. The rest of the after- amount of dry fly oil will keep it well tested during the past fifteen years a toward the surface and add translu- few have been outstanding enough to cense. Fish it dead drift with an occas­ warrant a permanent place in any ional twitch to give the illusion of life. anglers kit. I do not claim that these The next patterns needed for a well are the best, but are the patterns that balanced kit are the Edson Tigers in have the best trout appeal as shown light and dark. by my fishing log. Light Tiger. Heading the list is the Black Ghost. Body—Peacock Herl. Tail—Barred Body—black silk with a wide silver Mandarin. Hackle—Scarlet. Wing— rib, tail and throat—Golden Pheasant Honey Bucktail. Shoulder—Jungle crest instead of the yellow bucktail Cock. Head—Yellow with black and generally used on commercial patterns. yellow eye. Wings—four soft white hackle feathers, Dark Tiger. Shoulders Jungle Cock eye, Head— Body—Y e 11 o w Chenile. Tail- Black lacquer with black and yellow Barred Mandarin. Hackle—Scarlet painted eye. spade feather. Wing—Brown Buck- May-24. Normally one could get tail. Shoulder—Jungle Cock. Head— good dry fly action at this time of year. Black with white eye. Water perfect and all conditions point­ These patterns top the list of many ing to a perfect afternoon. Chet and anglers due probably to their effective­ I sat and watched the water for half ness on all manner of game fish. The an hour without seeing a fish rise. We Light Tiger has a way of moving rain­ put on wet flies and worked the stream bows when nothing else seems to prove for a hundred yards without any ac­ satisfactory.

14 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER '* Among the streams I fish with some Lady Ghost. clear water of late season the advan­ 'egree of regularity is a clear free- Body—Silver tinsel. Hackle—Pea­ tages were in favor of the streamer. '" itone mountain creek where streamers cock Herl and Polar Bear tied I do not know how complete was my y ^d not seem to arouse any particular streamer. Wing—Honey Badger with friend's conversion but I wager that 't nterest. Last season I spent a week a top of Golden Pheasant crest. next season will find him well sup­ d n the old camp and began to experi- Shoulders—B r o w n Pheasant over plied with long flies of which the Lady n nent with stubborn persistency. The Jungle Cock eye. Head—Black with Ghost pattern will be well repre­ :Wr sparkling water provides excel- white eye. The general effect of this sented. ent dry fly sport especially in late fly in color is that of the Black Nosed Try an extra large streamer of a " >eason and without trouble I could Dace a minnow prevalent in trout somber color some night in those deep e father a brace or two for the camp streams. This is my favorite for trout pools that are unproductive by day. although it does not seem to be a arder and satisfy My Lady in Plaid You may come up with a trophy sized d *vho has a yen for broiled trout. This popular pattern with anglers in gen­ eral. It has a way of goading trout trout that will cause your friends to left me free to pursue my research. measure him with envious eyes. Even d Eventually the Edson Light Tiger, size into striking viciously if cast repeat­ edly over them. one of modest size will furnish you 14 was found to produce at dawn or thrills and chills aplenty when hooked A city friend of mine had fallen d iusk and when the sky was overcast. in the blackness with only the whip- One afternoon during a mild warm under the influence of a native angler who was an addict of the spinning min­ poor-wills and stars for company. e fain I had a fieldday in which the Streamers the warm velvety blackness r Pout cooperated beautifully. I kept now school of trout fishermen. Two of night and your favorite deep pool three, a brook; a brown; and a rain- of our days astream last season were - "°w that were beauties in size and in the nature of contest between the are the ingredients that spice the ad­ k Perfect coloration. natural and artificial lure. In the low venture of angling. t The next streamer is one that has - Proven successful not only on trout e "ut bass as well. Brook trout seem n to show a marked preference for black HANDY WEATHER GUIDE FOR ANGLERS t c°loration in a lure and this streamer Fishing trips can now be made with more forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours appears y ^as the result of much experimenta- certainty of favorable weather with the help in a little window. i w°n. in finding a lure that appealed to of a simple and highly accurate instrument Fishermen will find the weather guide of i Jhe larger members of that family, that forecasts 12 to 24 hours in advance ac­ great assistance not only for their own com­ i °r want of a better name it was cording to the American Optical Company. fort but in choosing the time fish are most c Small enough to fit into a pocket, the new - alled simply Black and Gold. weather guide figures out local weather con­ likely to feed. < Black and Gold. ditions from prevailing clouds and wind. Dr. Krick has been active head of the t . Body—Black silk with wide gold Meteorology Dept. of the California Institute ri This method is regarded as much more ac­ - h. Tail and Throat—Golden pheas­ curate than predictions based on barometer of Technology for 15 years. During World ant crest feathers. Wings—Four dark readings, in which air pressure alone is con­ War II he served as Deputy Director of Weather Services and Chief of the Weather s jurnace hackle with wide black cen- sidered, according to Dr. Irving P. Krick, a -er and blood red edge. Shoulders— president of the American Institute of Aero- Information Section, U. S. Strategic Air logical Research, who developed the new de­ Forces in the European Theatre, responsible 3 Jungle Cock eye. Head—Black with a vice. to General Eisenhower for operational i yellow eye. weather advices. f The high spirits of a twelve year old To operate the guide, wind direction is c noted and clouds in the sky matched with Clouds and wind are the "signs in the annot be suppressed at the first sight one of seven colored pictures of cloud for­ sky" offering clues to coming weather, Dr. r °* the big river and his first chance a mations on the face of the instrument. Then Krick claims. The pocket-size weather c t bass. Especially if he is included a a simple, turn of a dial aligns a red arrow guide is new, he adds, but the fundamental i iull fledged member of a party of with wind direction and the correct weather principle is as old as weather itself. 1 adult anglers. 1 , The same geni that presided when . ^e cut his first tooth using a pair of . -hackle pliers as a teething ring was still assisting him as he stepped hip 1 aeep into the river and made his first c a ast while the elder members of the Party were loafing through the ritual of setting up tackle. 1 Hearing an excited shout we hurried - ° the bank and saw him, feet planted ; Jirrnly, gripping his whipping fly rod 1 as he fought back against the lusty SUrges of his first bass. A few min­ utes later he climbed the bank and - reld up the new net to allow us to t lrJspect his captive. The lure was one - °* the Black and Golds he had con- - jjScated from the stock drawer of the Hv tying cabinet at home. Half way r UP the nine foot leader hung another . °* the same pattern. After being con- > §ratulated he returned to the river aft - d demonstrated that the Black and Fishing trips can now be made with more certainty of favorable weather with the help of a simple and highly accurate instrument that forecasts 12 to 24 hours in advance. Small enough > f*°ld was as deadly on bass as it had to fit into a pocket, the new weather guide figures out local weather conditions from prevailing been on brook trout. clouds and wind.

'KAY— 1950 15 pendent upon whatever can be found Ecological Sense or in its own habitat. In spite of the fact that millions of earthworms are The Making of an Angler Nonsense cast into a trout or bass stream the first day of the season, there is no (From Page 1) (From Page 3) such deluge the first of December. As a part of our conservation education, we must be familiar with organizations well. To be a practicing conservation­ that are carrying the burden of this so they wouldn't be injured, and Bif~— ist requires all of this and more. problem now. We must wisely sup­ took the lesson to heart. I sometimes tire of hearing about port our local Sportmen's Club, the Toward the end of trout season, Bil education, but having something to do Federated Sportsmen, the National the Warden, and a few of us drove \ with it, I am not surprised because I Wildlife Research Council, our Fish Laurel Hill Creek to fly-fish and ched know that bankers sometimes tire of Commission, our Game Commission, stream conditions. Rumor had it th2 being bankers, lawyers of being law­ and many others, which I cannot men­ a big brook trout had been seen therf yers, Presidents of being Presidents. tion here. When I say support wisely, Naturally we were eager for a try a 4( I have some suspicion that there are I mean exactly that. There may be him. even times when fishermen become times when our support is to be op­ When we arrived, Bill stunnd tired of being fishermen, or at any rate posed to some solution under discus­ everyone by saying that he'd watcl I read stories of how they lie down sion and not always to be in favor of while we fished. We covered sever? along the bank of a stream and enjoy the motion. Support should not be pools without a rise. The last hoi watching the birds or a doe with its given blindly but should only be given we came to was wide and calm, no, fawn. As a fisherman, I have gone after we have the facts and have ex­ very deep, a fallen tree half-submerge; fishing only to spend most of my time amined them with honest thought and by the inlet. After we'd finished ij collecting insects. At any rate, even consideration. Remember that men Bill tried his hand. On his fifth ca. though we may sometimes tire of edu­ who were opposed to the idea that the he said, "I think I'm snagged on «au^ cation, nevertheless it is necessary that world was flat discovered in turn that log." Then the log came to life, an*^1 we undertake education in the field of it was round; those opposed to the the pool blew up. J^ttie conservation. I am convinced that al­ idea of no woman's suffrage finally Up and out jumped the fish in it " though we talk a great deal about con­ won it; and those opposed to tyranny burst of spray and color. Bveryofl ay' servation there are many of us who discovered democracy. It is no dis­ yelled advice, but Bill remained cooj do not know what to do about it. We grace to be opposed to something, but keeping a tight line. His rod near bell it is a sign of stupidity to be "opposed are thrilled when we hear that some­ double, but he played the fish fair ani thing has happened that results in a to" without being able to offer a plaus­ ible and perhaps better solution. square. After what seemed like hour* net gain for conservation, but we fail the lunker tired, and Bill led him intj to start such things happening in our Our education in the field of con­ the shallows. It was the big brookii own local clubs and communities. The servation must go on. We are just and what a trout! Dark-backed, spo| so-called efforts at conservation of beginning this stupendous task and almost luminous with redness, and M some groups of sportsmen consist of to falter now or to think that the job underbelly whiter than new snow, helping to stock trout or bass; if not is finished would be a fatal mistake. was the kind of trout you dream about this, then they concern themselves Let conservation be our goal and but rarely see, much less catch. with the releasing of pheasants or rab­ sound ecological practices be our tool; While we stood dumbfounded, Bij bits. Some clubs have gone a step with such a combination we cannot fail further and are planting new trees, eased the hook from the trout's jaC to solve the present problems and leave The fish lay in the shallows, fanning natural game feeds, and multiflora rose in addition something very worthwhile slowly. Then it glided back to tfl for cover, but all in all we are doing for posterity. too little of even this limited work on icy depths. The old warrior woul the road to conservation. We must in­ live to fight again. terest ourselves in the conservation of Someone cleared his throat and sai * EA our natural resources, by studying the "That was a darn sporting thing to d£»um p effects of existing laws or those about Bill." 6at | to be passed. We must know and %\fffi^ A whippoorwill called through W^, think about and then express an hon­ moment of silence that followed. Bi[j,v'iy est opinion about the rules and regu­ thought he'd mosey downstream to iff lations on our streams. Do we want the last pool again. We watched hi' to regulate bait fishing? Do we want out of sight. to eliminate spoons and spinners? Are "Boys," said the Warden, lookii we in favor of fishing with artificial very thoughtful, "I think the lad's lures? Should we eliminate or regu­ rived. Yessir, I believe he has late spinning? Is it real conservation makings of a fine angler." to keep trout only nine inches or Nobody seemed inclined to disagre longer rather than the six inch size that most of us are familiar with? Can —The Huddle, f our streams stand the ten-a-day limit or should we reduce this to five or six, God grant that I may fish for trout and what are we going to do about Until my dying day, preserving the natural baits in our And when I come to my last cast streams, which make the natural fish I'll then most humbly pray, When, in the Lord's safe landing net food? Remember that we feed the I'm peacefully asleep, fish with our tempting lures only for That in His mercy I'll be judged a few short months of the year, and As good enough to keep. the rest of the time the fish is de- "He has a very low I. Q.—Doesn't know when —Unknown to use a black Divisible and when not to."

16 PENNSYLVANIA ANGtEft Se ltf; lv.lI>S NSYLVANIA REPTILES ^AMPHIBIANS d T!ectiu*e St&iy 6y Wat 71. 7fG&u&&n (Edited and approved by M. Graham Netting, Curator of Herpetology, Carnegie Museum) No. 14 Mudpuppies and Hellbenders

:a- , (CENTRAL MUDPUPPY (Necturus maculosus maculosus) . . . Maxi- GILLS OF MUDPUPPY . . . Mudpuppy may be distinguished from all r""* length 17 inches; second largest salamander in Pennsylvania; in y a uatic other adult Pennsylvania salamanders by the presence of three bushy, ski 1 ; retains external gills throughout its life; smooth bright red gills on each side of the neck; called "Peter Pan" of sal­ liti?' Drown or sray, with scattered large, round, dark spots on back; amanders, for it never grows up; other local salamanders have external of? known except to fishermen who sometime catch it and who gills only during larval stage, but mudpuppy never loses gills and 1 it • fear it; sometimes called "water dog" and while it may nip hard, ,s never leaves water; in cold water, gills held close to head and moved Aa otherwise harmless; rests on bottoms of streams and lakes by infrequently; in warm water, which contains less oxygen, they are 3P •*•», feeds by night on crayfish, small fish, insects, worms. kept in frequent motion. )0. ei, in- it- nfl i\[ ,oi a j

3ii a v. iift

JjuJ^STERN HELLBENDER (Cryptobranchus alleganiens__. HEAD OF HELLBENDER . . . Although completely harmless, hell­ In piJfng.tn 27 incnes, males reach about 22 inches; largest salamander bender is greatly feared by fishermen who often cut their lines rather 8 ?nnsylvania; gray, red-brown or dark brown in color with a broad af and than remove it from the hook; often confused with other large sal­ hibrt flattened body; folds of loose skin along sides and along amander, the mudpuppy, but prominent external gills of latter serve f jL margins of legs; completely aquatic; crawls along the bottoms to identify it; hellbender has gill slits only; eyes are very small and tf"vi n eams> feeding principally upon crayfish; eats more dead than without eyelids; prefers streams with rocky bottoms where it can hide; 3i!'lbv ':rn. - n ana small hellbenders are eaten by fish; occurs principally while large and ugly, is dwarfed by closely related giant salamander J.J- unio drainage, but has reached Susquehanna. of Orient which attains length of over five feet.

OF MUDPUPPY About 60 pea-shaped eggs are laid in the CATCHING HELLBENDERS . . . Except to fishermen who unwillingly fjt netl catch them, mud puppies and hellbenders probably are known best ion re to bottom of rock in Sandy Creek, Venango County; incuba- to college students who receive them for laboratory study or dissection; A£ i e fertilized externally, a process possibly unique among American •"Banders. when salamanders are most active; nets were found impractical, »o Swanson brothers use bare hands. Fishing From the Outboard Motorboat Double Pleasure Today's modern outboard motorboat is in a has to do and can learn to depend on their The year is in God's April class by itself when it comes to maneuver­ fishing partner. Working as a team not only And around and overhead ability. Properly matched to the correct pays off with a full creel, but also strengthens The air is most like lamb's wool motor, an outboard can turn about its own the strong bond between two guys who like And the maple buds are red. length, can be accelerated or throttled down to go out fishing. quickly and smoothly, and can almost stop on The frost has just vacated a dime. And the advent of the gear shift The dark rich garden loam control—once only possible in engineer's My Dad And fishing worms have opened dreams—makes a quick reverse nothing more My Dad knew a lot of wonderful things— The doorways of their home. than a twist of the wrist. Why a bird dog points—and a katydid sings. Yet the average sportsman takes this ma­ The winter pressure eases The weight of King Arthur's coat of mail— And I sniff the atmosphere neuverability for granted to such an extent Why the beavers' big flat tail. that he seldom takes full advantage of it. It And somehow get the notion The length of an Indians hunting bow— That fishing time is near. is usually only in races that he is fully con­ Why the wild geese southward go scious of what his outboard can do. Why the brook trout lay so deep— They tell me that an old man The outboard's maneuverability can be How the "Seven Sleepers" sleep. Should have good food to eat utilized during every day of the fishing sea­ Why the ruffed grouse "crazy flight"— Like fruit and bread and butter son by sportsmen who work as a team when Why the grey owl hunts at night. And the proper kind of meat. going after the "big ones," instead of fishing All these things are precious gold— independently. Having two in the boat means When a boy's with his dad, and he's twelve I can see quite plainly, that one can put his hand to the controls, years old! To have the proper dish, instead of the rod, to aid the angler in turn­ —Don Winters. I should get my tackle ing the odds against the gamest of the finny And go and catch some fish. tribe. No person may sell or offer for sale any One method, of course, is to have a partner Ma says we have canned fish bait-fish or fish-bait taken from Pennsyl­ who likes to boat but doesn't care too much Standing on our shelf, vania waters. Penalty—$10.00 for each bait- about fishing. Since it is next to impossible But I get double pleasure fish or fish-bait taken and offered for sale. to find anyone like this, the problem of who If I catch the fish myself. is to fish and who is to handle the boat can So when a hundred voices be solved by alternately taking turns at the An empty typewriter ribbon box is handy Of Spring begin to talk, controls and the rod. for carrying odds and ends such as flies, All telling me my duty, The boatman has to be completely alert to hooks and other small bits of tackle. Now, who am I to balk? make the combination pay off in terms of a full creel with the lightest tackle and he A pair of bicycle pants clips hold your And when the babbling water should be fully aware of all that he can do pants tight when you want to put them down Talks to me about to aid the man battling a fish. Proper team­ inside your boots. The lovely pools and eddies work between boatman and angler is a com­ That "Rosy" fills with trout. bination that any fish will find hard to beat. Within seconds after the angler makes his ^6UESS I HAVE\v And when those blue-eyed bubbles strike, the boatman should swing the boat vEVERY THING; Wink and seem to wish into the best possible position to make any To call to my attention further move necessitated by the antics of The proper place to fish. the fish. I get the fishing fever He should be ready to follow the hooked And the only thing I know fish before half the line is off the reel. He That relieves that welcome ailment saves line for the angler and regains line Is to get my pole and go. when the opportunity presents itself. When 1 a fish is jumping close to port, for example, —B'. JUDSON SEWAI and the line is dipping off to the starboard side, it is up to the boatman to keep the line from fouling on the bottom of the boat Booklet on Films Available either by pivoting or by pulling away a num­ The National Wildlife Federation recerf ber of yards to straighten out the line. published a booklet entitled "The ConserV Usually the angler has enough to do once tion Film Library." It lists 15 wildlife fill1 a strike is made and it should be up to the many of them in sound and color that may boatman to handle the boat so the fish may obtained for showing at a small rental cha' be caught comfortably. Even the simple plus transportation. There are a number business of holding the boat steady helps films that might profitably be obtained immeasurable in boating a big fish. The clubs for showing in the local schools boatman should also keep one eye peeled for part of the conservation education progra other craft, rocks, logs, and other obstacles Address National Wildlife Federation, Set that might mean a fouled line or a broken & <8 ice Division, 20 Spruce St., Boston, Mas-' sheer pin. chusetts. The boatman should move fast enough so that a fish can't pull a taut line against rocks ./EVERY THING or brush. When playing a fish in shallow MY Instead of getting all steamed up 2 water with a sharp, rocky ledge offshore the shaking your fist over high prices, it's rfl' E-. ; boat, the fish will often run beyond the effective to keep cool and shake your he ledge and dive for the bottom to cut the line. An alert boatman can keep up with We couldn't resist telling about the fell1 the fish and stop only when both fish and who offered his new girl friend a Sco< boat are offshore from the ledge. Following and sofa. She reclined. the direction of the line and pivoting his boat accordingly can mean the difference in boat­ ing or not boating a big fish. It wouldn't hurt so much to become anff After sportsmen work together a few times except for some reason, anger makes y" they can understand just exactly what each mouth work much faster than your mino

18 PENNSYLVANIA ANGL* *! Fishing SNAPPING SNAKES Let's go a-fishing Help! Help! The weather is so fine In order to complete a file for the By KEITH C. SCHUYLER Get out your rod and reel library of a very prominent university If you are not too squeamish about snakes, Your hooks, 'n bait, 'n line. in the United States, the PENNSYLVANIA there is one sure-fire method of disposing of Pack a good-sized lunch ANGLER makes this appeal for the fol­ water snakes that will get them when other Bring a folding chair lowing "back numbers" of the PENN­ methods might fail. Dismiss all your troubles SYLVANIA ANGLER. July, 1938—Febru­ The procedure is simple: Grab the snake Shake off all your cares. ary, 1943—August, 1943—September, by the tail and crack, or snap, him like a 1943—December 1943. whip. This action will invariably dislocate Find a nice big pond or lake If any of our readers have one or sume vertebrae and render the snake prac­ Pick out a shady nook all of these "back numbers," we will tically helpless. The coup de grace can then Bait your hook 'n cast it in appreciate your good cooperation by be administered at your convenience. Then wait for one to take your hook. assisting us in locating and contribut­ This might seem a bit complicated and Be careful when you reel it in ing them. risky when a "22" rifle will do a much neater That he doesn't break away Sincerely, job (sometimes the snake's tail will separate Even if you don't catch one J. Allen Barrett, in the snapping process.) However, when Don't let it spoil your day Director of Public Relations, your are along a trout stream with your Pennsylvania Fish Commission For you have caught something else rod in one hand, it is more than inconvenient That you can't buy with wealth to carry a rifle. And, few fishermen are handy enough with a pistol to do a good That's relaxation, good fresh air job on a moving snake. Then too, the snake And sunshine that brings health. The wrong office holders are elected by frequently takes to water as soon as you Clara T. Klaus. people who don't vote.

Fisherman's Paradise Regulations RULES AND REGULATIONS—SPRING CREEK PROJECT—SEASON 1950 1. OPEN SEASON—May 19th to July 22nd, both dates inclusive. 2. OPEN—from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time) or until Klaxon is sounded. 3. ALL ANGLERS MUST PERSONALLY REGISTER BEFORE FISHING AND PERSONALLY CHECK OUT AND RETURN IDENTIFICATION BUTTON BEFORE LEAVING PROJECT. NO SUNDAY FISHING. 4. FISH IN THE POSSESSION OF ANGLER MUST BE DISPLAYED AND CHECKED AT REGISTRATION BOOTH WHEN CHECKING INTO PROJECT. FISH NOT SO REGISTERED WILL BE CONSIDERED AS HAVING BEEN CAUGHT ON THE PROJECT. 5. ANGLERS MUST PARK AUTOMOBILES BEFORE CHECKING IN AND MUST CHECK OUT BEFORE REMOVING AUTOMOBILES FROM PARKING LOT. 6. DAILY LIMIT—Only ONE FISH may be killed. The Angler must stop fishing after ONE FISH HAS BEEN KILLED. 7. Only artificial lures of hair or feather construction with barbless hooks approach. When this happens, a bullet is or regular hooks with the barbs removed may be used. No spinners or usually out of the question. swivels permitted. Ofter, a water snake will crawl in under 8. Fishing with, or possession of, any live bait, angle worms, meat, liver, or a flat rock leaving ihe end of his tail ex­ any other bait, is a violation of the rules and regulations. posed. It is simple enough to grab his tail, 9. SIZE LIMIT—All fish caught from large stream under 10 inches in length pull him out, and then snap him all in one and on ladies stream under 7 inches in length must be carefully returned movement. to the water. I have killed more water snakes in this 10. All anglers holding a Pennsylvania Fishing License will be permitted to manner than any other since I find them fish five days during the season. mostly when trout fishing. And I have 11. The dressing or cleaning of fish on the property is prohibited as all fish n^ver been bitten. This is a relatively slight must be weighed when checking out. consideration when you consider that the 12. POSITIVELY NO WADING—in the stream for any purpose permitted. water snake has very small teeth and is 13. Sinkers or lures not exceeding the weight of 2BB Shot are permitted. No non-venomous. casting or spinning outfits permitted. Recently, I stepped down over a bank 14. Feeding fish PROHIBITED except on Sunday. almost into a nest of three large water 15. Assisting in hooking or landing fish prohibited. All foul hooked fish must snakes. They were lying together on some be carefully returned to the stream. old refuse, and I made a leap into the center 16. Violation of the rules and regulations will be subject to a fine of Twenty of them. I managed to trample one, caught Dollars ($20.00), revocation of your fishing privilege on the project for the one by the tail and cracked him, but the balance of the season, and revocation of your fishing license. big one got away. About an hour later, I saw another streaking across the creek with If you like this project you can help the sportsmen of the state by obeying a small catfish in his mouth. I caught him these rules and reporting any infraction to the officers. by the tail as he was going up the bank and Section 251 of the Act of May 2, 1925, as amended, provides the Pennsylvania cracked him so hard that the catfish flew ell' Fish Commission with authority to promulgate such rules and regulations for out into the creek and swam away. The the angling, catching or removal of fish in or from any waters of this Com­ snake did no more swimming. monwealth as mav be deemed necessary. Penalty for violation—Twenty Although this method of holding down the Dollars ($20.00) and in addition thereto may be fined Ten Dollars ($10.00) for undesirable portion of the reptile population each fish caught, taken or had in possession, contrary to these rules and regulations. works fine on water snakes, I do not recom­ mend it on poisonous species. You might slip.

ftlAY—1950 19 come guesswork as to what you were down, you can't see that fly anymore watching floating on the surface, a fly and I'm starved." pr< Whippoorwill or a fleck of foam; Ned, with the aid of From mid-stream Dave chimed in tht a small pen flashlight, came stumbling with, "So am I," and started for shore. fri: (From Page 5) downstream from the Blue Hole. I reeled in, fastened the fly in the Th "Well, how you guys been doing?" keeper and took the four or five steps ve; He accosted us in a matter-of fact tone. to shore. Then, as I started up the acl bank and on about the third stride, I I judged from the sound of his voice ] you are hoping develops, I'd just as that here was a contented and satisfied accomplished the amazing feat of Da soon be on this strecth. I'll meet you fisherman, then replied, "Dave and I breaking the standing broad jump rec­ in right after we can no longer see a ord of the world backwards and landed have been having a barrel of sport, ] bivisible floating." but everything we've caught have back out in the middle of Mosquito ad Dave and I continued downstream. I been brownies. How did you make Creek—for, from under my upraised sal knew it had been too much to expect out?" foot had sounded the angry, warning 1 all three of us to be in agreement for He answered, "Well, from a little buzz of a rattlesnake. tol a second time in one day. At six, we after six until twenty minutes ago I Ned was the first to speak and he Th were on the pool where Dave and Ned had a circus and all those I caught asked in a quick, anxious way, "Did fir had started fishing that morning— were brownies. I kept four of the he strike you, Apper?" an and, trout were showing. best ones. Boy, that was the kind of "No," I stammered, "but he scared mc This pool we had chosen for our fishing I used to dream about when the devil out of me. Can you see shj evening endeavors is an easy one to I was in the army. Come on break him? Don't let him get away." fish. The eddy-side is a curving sand­ ra1 bar that parallels the sweep of the th. channel-side before it fans out into a Warden Has Unusual, Useful Hobby sin broad, fairly deep tail. There is good bif clearance for a backcast and unless By Hal H. Harrison identify many more fishes than ever before. tic you want to try for the opposite bank, In addition, I have learned to name the eig which is some undercut, you need not Carlyle (Tid) Sheldon has the most un­ various species quickly when I see them," expected hobby of any fish warden in the wade. he declared. Se< state. "How many bass have you?" I asked the We studied the 'rises' for several He collects fish! sai warden. as minutes. The watching and waiting This Crawford county warden, one of 50 "Do you mean large mouth and small revealed the locations of what we con­ in Pennsylvania, started two years ago to mouth bass?" he asked. fel sidered the larger fish. Then we went collect fishes of the Great Lakes region. To­ day, in his home in Conneautville, he has When I told him that those were the bass into action. I meant, he gave me a very revealing answer: du preserved 65 different species, representing in Dave's first two casts produced two 22 families of fishes. "Well those aren't bass," he told me. "The 'pan stinkers' from the pool tail. These Although science lists 233 species known popular fish that we call bass are actually he released and called up to me, "They to occur in the Great Lakes region, which members of the sunfish family. So are white took a Dusty Dun. If this keeps up includes a great deal of northern United crappie bass, black crappie bass and rock bass," he added. I'm going to knock the barb off. What States and southern Canada, Sheldon, has N are you using?" been able to find, preserve and label over "We have only two true members of the 25 per cent of them in two years. The 22 bass family in Pennsylvania, the white bass Before I could answer I was fast to families of fishes from which he has taken and the yellow bass," Sheldon explained. a small trout. While releasing it I his 65 species, represent all but seven of the And there, I contend, is a fish warden who yelled down to Dave, "That fish hit a families in the region. really knows his fish! Furnace Quill." This unique collection is contained in Action continued at an increasing uniform glass jars and is much in demand at sportsmen's events for display and demon­ tempo and because of the small size of stration purposes. A number of the very the trout we were catching—we 'de- large species of fishes which are missing from barbed.' This added to the sport, and the collection will be added quickly when although it soon became apparent to large containers of uniform structure are us that the size of fish was increasing available. with the lengthening of the evening A few of the families of fishes are now shadows, we stayed barbless. complete in Sheldon's collection. These in­ clude the gar family, the mud minnows, the After one particularly lusty en­ silversides and the pikes. In the latter fam­ counter with a foot long 'brownie,' I ily, Sheldon has the mud pickerel, chain noticed the quill on my fly was broken, pickerel, northern pike and muskellunge. so switched to a Golden Badger Bi­ The largest family of fishes in this region visible. is the minnow family with over 30 species. The largest number of the minnow family Once during the evening we changed is the carp. locations. Dave waded to where he The fish warden believes that the rarest could easily float a fly near the under­ fish in his collection is the silver lamprey. cut bank and I moved up towards the He found this rarity in a tributary of Lake pool head. The trout still hit without Erie. There are four members of this primi­ a let-up. We lost count of the number tive family in this region, and Tid has them of fish caught and released. Of the all but one. many taken only four were creeled— "This collecting of fishes gets in your two apiece. The keepers were all blood," Sheldon told me. The more species I get, the more anxious I am to add others. brown trout and each would go close to Crawford County Fish Warden Carlyle (Tid) Of course, it is just a hobby, but it helps me Sheldon shows part of his collection of fishes two pounds. a great deal in my work. Since I started of the Great Lakes area. One of the rarest species in his collection is a silver lamprey Some fifteen minutes after it had be­ this collection, I find that I am able to which he holds in his hand.

20 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER ^ The tiny beam from the pen light ing, and all allied activities. Furthermore, probed among the rocks and debris of perhaps the most brilliant virtue of the book, this mass of information and lore is the eddy. I was thinking a thousand What's New so efficiently organized, so masterfully lined frightened thoughts as Ned searched. up, categorized, and indexed, that any little Then the light stopped. It was re­ item of information that your heart desires, Reviewed by Hugh Johnson vealing the rattler coiled and ready for no matter how special or seemingly obscure, action. such as how to goggle-fish for abalone or Ned spoke, "Move up towards Apper, how to fish an ice fly, can be spotted, in Dave. I'm going to shoot and you're in Fishing Books this half-million-word compendium, in a in line." jiffy. The Fisherman's Encyclopedia is a three- Dave waded to where I was and WOW! That expresses your initial reaction way major achievement: (1) as a distillation when you first pick up a copy of The advised Ned, "Shoot, but for heaven's of all the scientific fish information of in­ Fisherman's Encyclopedia edited by Ira N. sake don't miss." terest and of use to anglers, (2) as a treasury Gabrielson and Francesca LaMonte, just We watched the barrel of Ned's pis­ of facts covering every aspect of the how, published by Stackpole & Heck, Inc. of when, and where of all kinds of fishing, and tol ease out into the flashlight beam. Harrisburg, Pa. As you hold the book in (3) as an example of distinguished book de­ Then after a breath-holding moment he your arms (I say "arms" instead of "hands" sign and book manufacture. It is impossible, fired. The snake jerked, quivered advisedly!), you not only feel that you in the short space of a review such as this, and convulsed into a hundred spas­ have something big but that you have some­ to explain why the book is that kind of an thing monumental. modic twists. Then collapsed into a achievement, but I can say that, during the shapeless mass on the shore. There The book's bigness in dimension (11" three or four days since buying The Fisher­ Was no repetition of the hair-raising high, 8V2" wide, and almost 2" thick) and man's Encyclopedia, I have spent more than rattling. An inspection showed why— its bigness in number of pages (730 of eight hours reading it. As large as the book them!) are what strike you first, and cynic­ the .22 W.R.F. hollowpoint had is, the setting of the text in two columns ally you might say "What a padding job smashed the reptile's head, bad torn makes it easy to read, but even eight hours this must be!" However, as you leaf through hardly made a dent. In that short dip, how­ big holes through the body and prac­ the pages, tentatively probing the contents, tically severed the rattles, which were ever, into this bottomless well of informa­ you realize how big, how monumental this tion, I read the clearest and most practical eight in number. book is in scope and coverage of subject presentation of limnology that I have ever While standing there after Ned had matter as well. And as you explore more come across; I read a fascinating and not- secured the rattles as a souvenir, Dave particularly, reading a bit here and a sec­ too-technical chapter on fish evolution and tion there, you realize that there is no pad­ said, "Oh! brother, what a climax to biology; and I found, for the first time in a ding in this mountain of a fishing book, that a fishing book, recognition of the fact that s near a perfect day astream as a it is a solid, genuine, and honest work. It fellow could want." one of the finest baits for smallmouth bass is like holding in your lap—and, believe me, is salt-water shrimp. These are just spoons­ Ned and I nodded. Yes, again, and you need your whole lap for this buster— ful, to return to the metaphor, from this well during the same day, we three were everything that ever happened, is happen­ of information, but I am convinced that the ln agreement. ing, and can happen in the field of fish, fish- entire contents will taste just as good! In fact, after a man has absorbed all the in­ formation in this book, he should be capped and attach it to a single or double bladed and gowned and have an M.A.A. (Master spinner. This 'rig' can be cast to the likely of Arts in Angling) pressed into his hand! MINNOW RIG game fish haunts and retrieved in various BY Don Shiner speeds and actions. Of course, the minnows Over sixty writers, authorities in their could be used in this way without the addi­ special fields, have put their knowledge and Game fish are the most cannibalistic among tion of a spinner, but the whirl of the shiny talents into the writing of this book. Under ^e finned tribe and often to the extent 1 blade in front of the minnow adds to its the general editorship of Ira N. Gabrielson— P devouring their freshly hatched fry. It is effectiveness. former director of the U. S. Fish and Wild­ indeed rare when they refuse a minnow Casting this "minnow-rig" can be accom­ life Service, with more recent experience as *hich by chance ventures too near to them. plished by using the conventional fly casting President of the Wildlife Management In­ However, the minnow must be lively or show S1 or spinning rod, of course, the age old stitute, and with the associate editorship of gns of life as in the case of a crippled method of skittering (particularly for pick­ Francesca LaMonte—internationally famous Minnow before it will be considered edible erel) using a long bamboo or reed pole can ichthyologist, The Fisherman's Encyclopedia Using minnows as bait while angling for not be overlooked. can be fully trusted as an authoritative work. 'fout, bass, or pickerel and keeping them nvely and active is a considerable large If the minnow has become rather soft and There are literally hundreds of illustra­ Problem. The number of minnows in a it is found that frequently the minnow is tions, including many full pages in color container should be kept down to a minimum thrown or torn off during a cast, this same illustrating the more important game fish and 111 order to insure a sufficient amount of rig can be trolled. the more important flies and lures. 05c ygen for each, or the water requires more The important thing to remember is, even A special orchid should go to the pub­ frequent changing. However, if for some though your minnows die while encased in a lisher and the The Telegraph Press in Har­ re ason the minnow dies, do not discard it, container, they need not be thrown away or risburg (which also prints THE PENNSYLVANIA as there are ways of using the dead minnows discarded. Try the addition of a spinner ANGLER) for executing such a triumph of a nd often bring even better results than (see illustration) and instead of having the good book-making. The binding is suffi­ *hen using the healthy fingerling. Merely day become a disappointing one, you might ciently rugged to hold this tremendous book Place a hook through the lips of the minnow be well pleased with the resulting catch. together for a life-time of hard use; and the attractively designed brown covers, the rich red endpapers, the head and footbands, the stout re-inforcement, and the fine-quality paper—all this spells beauty and durability. The price is $12.50, a very fair tag for this distinguished library of angling information.

If you don't like this country, remember, there are a billion people who would like to come here, and two billion who would like to get their hands on an American dollar!

I ^¥—1950 21 manent. than the ponds themselves, small wet flies in the late evening—but and they should be harvested. we never landed one. The pond was Mud I find a reluctance on the part of a maze of standing timber. So soon as (From Page 8) many trout anglers to fish these ponds. we hooked a fish he took a half hitch The trout are well fed and difficult to around the nearest tree and departed AI catch. They sometimes grow almost with the fly. H: unbelievably fast. As long ago as 1937 This pond and these trout have long litter or the droppings mixed therein. we found a pond and saw brook trout since disappeared. But there are And they eventually discovered the we estimated to weigh between three others. And it is the rich and teeming "• secret lay in the activities of one of and four pounds. We could not land mud that makes them possible. Long them. We could hook these trout with live the beavers! w. these soil organisms. It was making «j B12. And B12 was the element in manure, in yeast, and in milk that was giving them rapid growth rates. Now Streamside Life they know how to manufacture B13 in Tc the laboratory and mix it with cheaper feeds to produce heavier and healthier Boneset and Regal Fritillary pigs and chickens. Eri To me, and to the Game Commission By Robert Leo Smith Pi men with whom I've discussed this, these things begin to explain why wild In late summer the streamside is a riot of weed, there, too, you may find the regal life surges upward when a small pond color. The giant joe-pye weeds and asters fritillary, a large, showy butterfly, richly Fr is built in wild land. When I see a flaunt their purple blooms; goldenrods are a colored with orange, browns, purple, black, C; mass of yellow; and among the two, where and white spots. It prefers swampy meadows, cottontail approach a beaver pond in the ground is moist enough, the boneset adds damp woodland borders and streamsides. early evening, hop delicately through a touch of white. Here it feeds, chiefly by night, on the nee- C; the mud to the water's edge to drink, Two to four feet high, the boneset has a tar and foliage of ironweed, boneset, gold- and retire to the shelter of a bush and stout hairy stem with lance-shaped leaves enrod and other composites. In spite of its spend ten minutes carefully cleansing united at the base so that the stems seem to feeding preference for these plants, the regal his feet with his tongue—I begin to pierce them. From this characteristic the fritillary lays its eggs underneath the leaves suspect it is all a part of Mother boneset received its name, for "herb doc­ of the violet on which the newly-hatched, Si Nature's infinitely accurate plan to tors" believed that a plant with united leaves yellowish-brown, black-spotted larvae feed- give him the vitamins he must have. could heal a fractured bone. The dull white The caterpillars undergo five moults before florlets, that grow in flat-topped terminal they reach maturity. Each time the form ^ Certainly conditions become ideal for clusters, begin to bloom in July and con­ and color changes. Upon the fifth moult the growth and development of soil tinue through September. they become a beautiful velvety black, organisms in and near the beaver Wherever you find boneset and joe-pye orange-spotted larvae with six longitudinal colony. The very nature of the beavers rows of thick, black bristled spines. Jo (to be continually dragging wood into The regal fritillary flies from June till M the water) is to maintain a food supply September. It passes the winter in the egg or as a first stage larva not only for themselves but for the La minute creatures that attack the wood. Js As it decays, by action of some of these si' organisms, food useful to others is re­ leased, and so the cycle is begun, to expand outward and upward. As the algae find food in abundance the in­ sects prosper, and birds including La woodcock and ruffed grouse find life H: rich and interesting. So also as the waterborne life surges upward the land animals will benefit from the increased vigor of the grasses. A beaver pond is rarely a permanent thing. They build, and cut the trees and move to build again. In a wild L„ remote corner of Clinton County, B< Pennsylvania there is a wide shallow upland valley where beavers have worked practically undisturbed for al­ P] most twenty years. Before they came it was a barren land, sustaining little but stunted stands of popple and Lu scraggly blueberry bushes. Now there is a wide expanse of fertile land where A: the wild grass grows shoulder high and small game flourishes. But with all this we have drifted away from fish and fishing. Many beaver ponds contain fish. And in the northern tier of Pennsylvania coun­ ties most of these ponds contain native M trout. These trout are not more perT ft

••• 23 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE? ** Wintersrien, Raymond, 146 W. Savory Pennsylvania Fish Law Violations St, Palo Alto, Pa. Violation of the rules and regulations 20.00 Cases settled during the month of March 1950 Woods, Charles, 170 E. Savory St, Allegheny County Ardsley, Pa. Violation of the rules Palo Alto, Pa. Violation of the rules and regulations 20.00 Hregdovice, Anthony, 332 Soose Rd., and regulations 20.00 Millvale, Pa. Violation'of the rules Henry, Joseph, 61 Holland Ave., Ard- Somerset County and regulations $ 20.00 more, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 Deeter, Milton H, Jr., R. D. No. 1, Hregdovice, Anton, 332 Soose Rd., Wasson, Willis B., 415 Sylvania Ave., Somerset, Pa. Violation of the rules Millvale, Pa. Violation of the rules Glenside, Pa. Violation of the rules and regulations 20.00 and regulations 20.00 and regulations 20.00 Meek, Thomas, Central City, Pa. Hregdovice, Rudy, 332 Soose Rd., Wilson, Ed, 2447 Woodland Ave, Fishing in streams without the Millvale, Pa. Violation of the rules Roslyn, Pa. Violation of the rules consent of the owner 25.00 and regulations 20.00 and regulations 20.00 Sutler County Northumberland County Washington County Toth, Steven R., McKim St., Zelien- Motter, W. A, 205 N. 4th St, Sun- Ozenich, Robert, Lawrence, Pa. ople, Pa. Violation of the rules bury, Pa. Exceeding creel limit .. 10.00 Violation of the rules and regu­ and regulations 20.00 Motter, W. A, 205 N. 4th St, Sun- lations 20.00 bury, Pa. Interference with officer 100.00 Erie County Wyoming County Philadelphia County Pizzuto, Biaggio, 3008 Elmwood Ave., Croasdale, Enos J, R. D. No. 2, Erie, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 Felder, Horace, 531 Emily St, Phila­ Nicholson, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 delphia, Pa. Violation of the rules Franklin County Henry, William, R. D. No. 3, Tunk- and regulations 20.00 hannock, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Carbaugh, Donald P., R. D. No. 2, Gabrielski, Wallace, 2441 E. Duncan Mercersburg, Pa. Fishing without St, Philadelphia, Pa. Violation of York County a license 25.00 the rules and regulations 20.00 Carbaugh, Donald P., R. D. No. 2, Rojewski, John, 2438 E. Duncan St, Brown, Paul M. Jr., 200 Pattison St, Mercersburg, Pa. Illegal device .. 20.00 Philadelphia, Pa. Violation of the York, Pa. Violation of the rules Carbaugh, Donald P., R. D. No. 2, rules and regulations 20.00 and regulations 20.00 Mercersburg, Pa. Violation of the Schaeffer, Richard, 413 Berks St, Dellinger, John, 241 E. Princess St, rules and regulations 20.00 Phila, Pa. Violation of the rules York, Pa. Violation of the rules Sprenkle, Welty G., R. D. No. 4, and regulations 20.00 and regulations 20.00 Waynesboro, Pa. Fishing without Sherman, Maze, 734 Mercy St, Phila­ Louder, William, Jr., 233 N. New­ a license 25.00 delphia, Pa. Violation of the rules berry St, York, Pa. Violation of ••untingdon County and regulations 20.00 the rules and regulations 20.00 Minnich, Harry Jr., Hellam, R. D, Nale, Glenn A., Petersburg, Pa. Fish­ Smith, Gordon, 1945 N. 4th St, Phila­ Pa. Illegal device 20.00 ing without a license 25.00 delphia, Pa. Violation of the rules and regulations 20.00 Murphy, Robert, 566 Company St, ^sfferson County York, Pa. Violation of the rules and Myers, John E., R. D. No. 4, Punxsu- Schuylkill County regulations 20.00 tawney, Pa. Dynamiting fish 100.00 Good, Clarence, 245 Commerce St, Spangler, Ralph, 257 N. George St, Port Carbon, Pa. Violation of the York, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Lackawanna County Wolf, Leonard L, Mt. Wolf, Pa. J rules and regulations 20.00 asuta, Joseph, 3515 Birney Ave., Jacusky, Charles, 62 E. Bacon St, Operating motor boat without dis­ Minooka, Pa. Exceeding bait fish Palo Alto, Pa. Violation of the rules playing license 10.00 limit 20.00 and regulations 20.00 Menichello, Frank, 122 Sussex St., Reed, Lamar, 356 Front St, Potts- Old Forge, Pa. Violation of the ville, Pa. Violation of the rules and rules and regulations 20.00 regulations 20.00 Club Given Talk on Pollution Reed, Marlin, 320 N. George St, Lancaster County Clean streams and stream pollution was Pottsville, Pa. Violation of the rules Sigh, James, Gordanville, Pa. Illegal the theme of the address by Maynard Wood, and regulations 20.00 device 20.00 representative of the sanitary water board of Arouse, Charles, 714 N. Pine St., the State Department of Health at the fish Lancaster, Pa. Illegal sale of fish 20.00 boosters meeting held by the Hellertown ^erntz, George C, 321 N. West End Sportsmen's Club. Ave., Lancaster, Pa. Exceeding Mr. Wood stated that the two objectives in bait fish limit 10.00 the clean streams program are to protect e°anon County health and conserve water and the state is Baeshore, Louie, P. O. Box 78, Leb­ confronted with four problems in order to anon. Violation of the rules and clean these streams, namely, sewage, indus­ regulations 20.00 trial waste, silt and acid mine drainage. All p ieiss, Wm., 519 S. 7th St., Lebanon, four will kill and harm fish. Pa. Violation of the rules and He reviewed the history of the sanitary regulations 20.00 water board and cited many numerous ex­ ^erne County amples of how it has influenced industrial plants, mine operators and municipalities to Alesczyk, Felix, 127 S. Main St., treat their waste waters before running it Ashley, Pa. One walleyed pike back into the streams. in closed season 10.00 °osas, Joseph, Retreat, Pa. Fishing Previous penalties were $100 fine but now with tipups during closed season 20.00 with new legislation penalties for each viola­ Drach, Frank, 41 Carpenter St., tion are up to $5000 and a year in jail. He Luzerne, Pa. Violation of the rules commended the sportsmen's organizations and regulations 20.00 and fish wardens for reporting stream pollu­ tion throughout so it could be quickly acted Montgomery County This "grasshopper" hook has fine wires soldered upon and remedied. He showed the board's to the shank. This prevents the "hooper" from ^ost, Walter, 706 Garfield Ave., being torn from the hook during a cast. motion picture, "Clean Streams."

0 »UY-_ 1950 23

«**a assortment of shapes among the diatoms. by photosynthesis change them into living There are crescents, circles, disks, triangles, protoplasm, the diatoms must be an import­ The Diatoms rafts, needles, boats, and stars. These are ant link in the food chain of animals. By Carsten Ahrens further decorated with all manner of ex­ Each diatom as it matures gathers within Diatoms are plants with some most un- quisite designs seemingly etched upon them, its box-like shell a minute bit of oil. After plantlike characteristics. They have been or with projections like spines and nodules death, the silica case and the oil remain. classified with the brown algae. Plantlike, which would give an extensive surface area. Sometimes weather conditions makes it they manufacture their own food from car- Reproduction is without sex and by simple possible for great masses of almost pure bondioxide and water in the presence of division. So rapid is reproduction under diatomaceous remains to settle to the ocean sunshine. But they're little like plants when favorable conditions that it has been esti­ bed. Such a deposit has been described by they seem to locomote, and they seem some­ mated that a single individual might give Card and Dun off Victoria Land in 70 S. thing like moUusks for each is surrounded rise to a billion diatoms within a month's Latitude. The deposit was 400 miles long by by a transparent shell, a pill-box case of time. 120 miles wide and of unknown thickness- pure silica. Some years ago I had the interesting ex­ The theory is that the original oil of such a They are found all over the world. They're perience of visiting the famous Lompoc mass plus the oil formed by the decomposing in freshwater and in salt water. Some species Quarries of California. Here were the white, plants might be the origin of considerable of float freely; others are sessile. Some are soli­ chalky remains of these water plants of some our petroleum. tary; others live in large colonies. They prehistoric age. The brilliant sun turned occur in tremendous numbers in the ocean the miles of whiteness into something that where they become the principal item in the was dazzingly painful until we were sup­ diet of the whalebone whale. The big crea­ plied with sun glasses. We were told that The Rainbow Trout the individual skeletons of these small plants ture gulps in great quantities of ocean water (From Page 9) and diatoms, and separates the water from were so minute that 40 million might be the plants with a neat arrangement of whale­ found in one cubic inch. We speculated on bone which hangs in his mouth, acting as a the astronomical number of diatoms in this strainer. one deposit which was about 6 miles square popular each year. The lighter test All of the diatoms are one celled and must and an estimated 700 feet deep. lines in the 6 to 10-pound range are be studied through the microscope. They Deposits of the shells of diatoms occur in preferred together with a lightweight are a very ancient form of life, having ex­ many parts of the world. Usually they are casting reel. A long nylon leader of isted on our earth for many millions of years. referred to as dioto?naceous earth. The equal poundage should be used. There are some 10,000 varieties of them. One powder is quarried and used by industry in fact that always surprises the student is that a number of ways. Huge amounts are used Spinning is ideal in some of the the same species are living today that lived for filtering raw cane sugar solutions in the larger streams, for with this type of a quarter of a billion years ago. He finds refining process. It is added to concrete and outfit it is possible to attach a Vs or the same intricate patterns in the fossil clay in making bricks for thermal insulation. 1/16 oz. weight to a fly and cast it forms that he finds in living forms and can It is used in scouring soaps, tooth pastes, much farther than it is possible to recognize them easily. Evolution seems to and metal polishes. reach with a fly rod or casting rod- have ignored the diatoms. Because of their rapid reproduction and An ideal lure for spinning is the mid- The microscope disclosed a bewildering their ability to take inorganic substances and git digit. Most trolling for rainbows is done only in the larger lakes and streams^ and the standard lightweight casting rods like the "Pal" and casting reel' like the "Pal" are excellent. The use of all nylon leader is recommended and any of the smaller lures such si midget river runt or midgit digit are productive. Some trollers prefer the stiffer action fly rods and troll slowlj' around the "drop-off"—that is, where the shoreline suddenly drops into deep water.—Heddon Fish Flashes.

Springtime in Potter County I sat and looked till the sun went down Just five miles east of a little town— In a northern County of our fair State It was a sight, to you, I'll now relate. Ridge upon ridge with a thousand shade! Greener than those of the Everglades- Held by its rapture, serene and sublime Dazed by the glories of glad springtime Down at their feet runs a sparkling brook Wending its way through each tiny nook-' Clean as a whistle, clear as a bell Singing its praises to each hill and dell. Shy speckled beauties flit thither and yof Playing their games as the brook rolls on-^ At night the coon comes down to fish, But the trout all know his favorite dish. So away from the smoke and city smell Nature's children are made to dwell— That we poor mortals may plainly see And understand more about, Eternity. W. W. Britton.

24 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE* 'IllllHiiilllliullli!!^!!!1::;!^: : : I!!ll!llilll!!ll!l!ll!!ll!l!!l PENNSYLVANIA'S ANTI-POLLUTION PROGRESS I I!' I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Illlllil il i I lilllllllllll I!llllll!llllllllllllll!l!ll Illllll II | ||j||||||||| I I j | |

Four Mine Permits Denied lehem Township, Washington Co., sewage Two More Towns Get Orders treatment works for mine change house. Four additional coal mine operators have Two more municipalities have been added The Board also issued an order to Keating been denied permits by the Sanitary Water to the growing list of those ordered by the Township, McKean Co., requiring the abate­ Board under the Clean Streams program be­ Sanitary Water Board to build sewage treat­ ment of pollution of the streams or the sub­ cause their projected operations are located ment works and have them in operation by mission of plans for a sewage treatment along clean streams to which any acid mine specified dates in the vigorous promotion of works. Waters which would form would be dis­ the Clean Streams program. charged. In each instance applications for The latest construction orders have gone permits were made by the operators. Orders Issued to Municipalities to Spring City, Chester Co., requiring the Gilleland Coke Co. was denied a permit building and placing in operation of second­ for a stripping operation in Franklin Town­ Orders to construct sewage treatment ary treatment units as additions to the exist­ ship, Fayette Co., located along Lazy and works and to have them in operation by ing plant of primary treatment to provide a Allen runs, both clean streams and from June 1, 1952 have been issued by the Sani­ complete treatment of the sewage. The which the entire water supply for Smock, a tary Water Board in furthering the Clean completion date is set for January 1, 1951. community of 1,500 people is procured by Streams program, to the remaining munici­ The other order was issued to Phoenix­ the Trotter Water Co. palities along the Susquehanna River and ville, Chester Co., also along the Schuylkill Mercer Coal Producing Co. was denied a its two branches. The first action of the River. The population is about 15,000 and as Permit for the operation of a strip mine in Board covering that river basin called for in the case of Spring City the order is for Mill Creek Township, Mercer Co., located orders to go to all communities, including construction of an enlargement of the exist­ along Little Sandy Creek, a clean stream Harrisburg along the main river from the ing primary treatment works to provide from which most of the water supply for the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary to Sun- complete treatment of the sewage. Polk State School for Feeble Minded is pro­ bury and along the West Branch to and in­ cured. cluding Lock Haven and along the North Branch to the Confluence of the Lackawanna Barron Coal Co. was denied a permit for Lack of Permit Closes Mines River, and to all communities along the Juni­ the operation of a strip and a deep mine in Orders to cease the operation of their coal ata River and its tributaries. Upper and Lower Turkeyfoot townships, mines until a drainage permit shall have Somerset Co., located along an unnamed Construction orders were sent between been received from the Sanitary Water Board tributary of Laurel Hill Creek, both clean February 28 and March 3 to 22 municipalities have been sent to five additional operators streams. The company proposed to set up along the Susquehanna River and its branches in the bituminous coal field. Under the a system to treat the acid mine wastes but and to seven on the Juniata watershed. All Clean Streams law, it is pointed out, it is the Board declared that in its opinion there those communities had submitted plans for illegal to open or reopen a coal mine with­ is no practical method of treatment at the sewage treatment works and were approved out a permit from the Board. Present time, a position supported by the by the Sanitary Water Board. The latest orders went to the following: Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, which is con­ Under the latest action of the Board all Petroski & Carr, Slickville, stripping oper­ ducting research into that problem for the municipalities along the tributaries of the ation in Saltlick Township, Fayette Co.; Hill- Board. river and its branches within the limits man Coal Co., Punxsutawney, strip mine in Krach & Gearhart was denied a permit for designated in the first action, will receive Gaskill Township, Jefferson Co.; Smith & a stripping operation in Brady Township, construction orders with the same require­ Zindel, LeContes Mills, strip mine in Cov­ Clearfield Co., along the East Branch of ments that the sewage treatment works be ington Township, Clearfield Co.; D. J. Musser, Mahoning Creek, a clean stream which is a built and placed in operation by June 1, 1952. Berlin, strip mine in Brothersvalley Town­ source of public water supply of the Punx- ship, Somerset Co.; C. W. Dillon, Calumet, sutawney Service Co. strip mine in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland Co.; Somerset Coal Corp., 11 Municipalities Receive Aid Somerset, strip mine in Brothersvalley Town­ Communities Plans Approved Eleven more municipalities have received ship, Somerset Co. The Sanitary Water Board has authorized grants-in-aid from state funds representing the issuance by the Bureau of Engineering, payments for a part of the cost of preparing State Department of Health, of permits ap­ plans for sewage treatment works, required More Clean Streams Orders by the Sanitary Water Board under the Clean proving plans for sewage systems to 11 addi­ Orders to abate pollution of the public Streams program. Payments to those munic­ tional communities and one industrial plant, waterways or to submit plans for waste ipalities total $48,224.24, bringing the total of Under the Clean Streams program. treatment systems have been sent to eight State funds paid to date for this purpose to additional industrial concerns by the Sani­ The permits will be issued to White Haven, $784,677.96. The total of municipalities tary Water Board in furthering the Clean Luzerne Co., intercepting sewers and sewage having now received the grants is 154. treatment works; Baden, Beaver Co., exten­ Streams program. sion to present sewer system; Pittsburgh, ex­ The latest payments went to Catawissa, They are Pittsburgh Tallow & Hide Co., tensions to sewer system; Bloomfield, Perry Columbia Co., $1,214.19; Lykens, Dauphin Moon Township, Allegheny Co., along Mon­ Co. extension to sewer system; Monaca, Co., $2,137.50; Upper Dublin Township, Mont­ tour Run; Bridgeville Glass Works, Collier Beaver Co., intercepting sewers and sewage gomery Co., $660.39; Ashland, Schuylkill Co., Township, Allegheny Co., along Chartiers treatment works; Whitehall, Allegheny Co., $5,128.41; Phoenixville, Chester Co., $4,586.74; Creek; Longacres Dairy, Washington Town­ extension to sewers; Scott Township, Alle­ Huntingdon, Huntingdon Co., $8,233,89; ship, Berks Co., along Northwest Branch of gheny Co., extensions to sewers Longvue Hazleton, Luzerne Co., $15,639.18; Middle- Perkiomen Creek; Lenkerbrook Dairy, West Bisopsal Co., McCandless Township, Alle­ burg, Snyder Co., $1,627.78; Norwood, Dela­ Hanover Township, Dauphin Co., unnamed gheny Co., extensions to sewers and enlarge­ ware Co., $3,852.89; Montgomery, Lycoming tributary of Swatara Creek; Speece's Dairy, ment of sewage treatment works; Mill Creek Co., $1,780.67; Punxsutawney, Jefferson Co., Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin Co., Sus­ Township, Erie Co., extension to sewers; $3,382.60. quehanna River; Penn Packing Co., Royalton, Baldwin Township, Allegheny Co., exten­ Under the Clean Streams law municipali­ Dauphin Co., Susquehanna River; Fred J. sion to sewers; Greensboro, Greene Co., in­ ties required to prepare plans for sewage Maurer, abattoir, Tremont, Schuylkill Co., tercepting sewers and sewage treatment treatment works received up to 50 percent Schuylkill River; Farmers Fairfield Dairy Works; Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp., of the cost of those plans, based upon 1942 Co., Muhlenberg Township, Berks Co., Laurel Vesta-Shannopin Coal Division, West Beth- prices, from State funds. Run, Schuylkill River. II ,.„.,•„„