OCTOBER, 1936 PUBLICATION an G LE Fc Vol

CARP CAUGHT IN PERKIOMEN CREEK Photo by LaMar Mumbar Vol.5. No. 10 s OFFICIAL STATE OCTOBER, 1936 PUBLICATION AN G LE fC Vol. 5 No. 10 <??!<£ acw PUBLISHED MONTHLY COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA by the BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS i i i Five cents a copy — 50 cents a year OLIVER M. DEIBLER Commissioner of Fisheries •t 1 1 C. R. BULLER Chief Fish Culturist, Bellefonte ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor South Office Bldg., Harrisburg, Pa. MEMBERS OF BOARD OLIVER M. DEIBLER, Chairman Greensburg MILTON L. PEEK Devon NOTE CHARLES A. FRENCH Elwood City Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee either HARRY E. WEBER by check or money order payable to the Common Philipsburg wealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. SAMUEL J. TRUSCOTT Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. Dalton DAN R. SCHNABEL Johnstown EDGAR W. NICHOLSON PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribu Philadelphia tions and photos of catches from its readers. Pro KENNETH A. REID per credit will be given to contributors. Connellsville •v All contributions returned if accompanied by first H. R. STACKHOUSE class postage. Secretary to Board <?*se =se?> IMPORTANT—The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address Please give both old and new addresses Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given Vol. 5 No. 10 OCTOBER, 1936 'ANGLER^ JUST STILL-FISHING how far upstream the sucker run has In the past, I have commented fre progressed; his observations on the quently on the various forms of fish condition of the water as it affects ing indulged in by our Pennsylvania the feeding of the sucker, on the posi fishermen. While a constantly increas tion of the baited hooks as they rest ing number of anglers are turning to on the stream bed to be most effective fly fishing for trout, and bait casting and various other features of sucker for bass and warm water game fish, fishing will indicate a striking knowl artificial lure fishing, we still have a edge of this phase of angling. He has large group of anglers who derive amassed, during many quiet hours great pleasure in still-fishing for pop spent on the banks of a favorite ular pan fish such as the sunfish and sucker fishing hole, many practical catfish, and for suckers and carp. I facts relative to the fish life of the am convinced that no finer cross-sec inland waters. In other words, he is a tion of inland water fishing can be true exponent of greater knowledge obtained than this balanced interest of the Waltonian sport. which exists for the various forms of Tolerance is a fine virtue and I am angling. Still-fishing is, after all, the convinced that our great fraternity most elemental type of fishing, and it of fishermen possess it to a marked offers opportunity for restful recrea degree. "Each man to his own way of tion not excelled by any other method. fishing" seems to be an accepted creed with anglers, a creed that tends to But we have neglected an angle to develop fellowship of the highest still-fishing that is perhaps most im character. , portant. I refer to its appeal to the Still-fishing appeals to the beginner in fishing. beginner in fishing, its appeal par In the large group of still-fishermen are many fine sportsmen. It is my be ticularly to our sportsmen and sports types of angling. Still-fishing, then, lief that each year there is a growing women of tomorrow, the boys and must be reckoned on this score alone tendency to take, not all an anti girls who today find healthful recre a vital part of modern angling. ation along our inland waterways. quated law permitting the capture of, It must not be supposed, however, For this group, with perhaps a few say, 25 suckers in a day's fishing, that this type of angling requires no exceptions, the appeal of fishing with specifies, but only enough to provide skill. To the contrary, some of our a can of worms, an old cane or cut a good meal for the family. With the most skillful anglers today are still- cooperation of our still-fishermen and pole and other equipment to match fishermen, that is if we take into con serves as an opening wedge to the other groups indulging in the various sideration their knowledge of stream forms of angling, we are certain to splendid sport that they may find in conditions and of the habits of the achieve in the years to come the bet later years on our streams and lakes. fish they angle for. Take, for instance, ter fishing which we desire. We must not lose sight of the fact a veteran sucker fisherman. Nine that first of all, interest must be times out of ten, if you talk to him, awakened in fishing for the boy or he can give you some angles on the girl. Later in life, of course, that in fishing game that may never have terest will probably expand to include occurred to you. He may tell you, for fly fishing and other more intricate example, if it is in early spring, just Commissioner of Fisheries 2 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER BASS STREAM INSECTS by CHAS. M. WETZEL OST of us know that the majority of it can, the time rapidly approaches when bed. In various localities they are known M our trout flies have a prototype, and it transforms into the winged fly. under different names as Clippers, Dobsons, the question naturally arises whether bass At this period, the insect crawls up the Hell Devils, Hell Divers, Conniption bugs flies, too, were not patterned after natural stems of convenient plants and just above and others, but regardless of what they are insects. From the year 1496, when Dame the water its metamorphosis is effected. Oft called, this insect is an universal favorite Juliana de Berners wrote her "Treatyse of times we can see these cast skins sticking with the live bait fisherman. Fys shynge wyth an Angle," great strides fast to some support, usually in a sprawling The mature larvae (about three inches in have been made in the determination, imita attitude close to the water. length) leaves the water in late May or tion and classification of insects on which Now in the perfect stage it becomes an June and pupates in cavities under flat fish feed. Trout stream insects naturally animated creature, darting here and there stones near the stream. The pupae at this received the greatest amount of attention, on swift sure wings in search of its prin time especially after the shedding of the for the trout is an inherent surface feeder, cipal food, mosquitoes, gnats and midges. last larval skin, is almost white in color. has always been the most popular fish, and Like an avenging demon bent on swift de About a month after the period of emerg the majority of aquatic insects fall within struction, it bears down on these luckless ence the metamorphosis is complete and the the range of its diet, Bass on the other hand pests—so swiftly that the eye can scarcely adult insect is commonly observed flying were more or less neglected. We have no follow it, probably later reappearing and over the water after sundown. They are close imitations of natural insects; the flies resting unconcernedly on the tip of our fish more or less crepuscular and are often at we use are merely large trout flies or the rod. It is no uncommon sight to see them tracted to lights at night. gaudy creations which arouse the fury of flying around ovipositing in pairs; and the the fish or appeal to its hunger. Bass like male clasping her prothorax with his for The male in the adult stage is conspicuous trout have a group of insects on which they ceps, his body sticking straight up in the with his extra long mandibles (over an inch prey—insects, dull of coloration, larger than air, is oft times carried beneath surface of in length), which are used in clasping the the usual run of trout flies and considerably the water as the female descends to insert female while mating. The length of life in more difficult to imitate. With them we shall her eggs thickly in the green stems of the winged insect varies from one to two deal. aquatic plants. weeks, a period strikingly in contrast to the three years spent in the sub-aqueous larva Some of the largest species of dragon stage. Eggs are laid on the rocks under Dragon Flies and Damsel Flies flies have a wing spread in the neighborhood which the larvae live. These egg masses av of five to six inches, but damsel flies seldom erage seven-eighths of an inch in length and Among the most ubiquitous of the larger attain the size of the one I pictured. This are covered with a white or cream colored insects are the dragon and damsel flies. In sketch was purposely enlarged almost one secretion. Sometimes they are so abundant our childhood days they were known under and a half times in order that it would fit as to make the rocks look as though some the dreaded names of "snake feeders" and the sheet. one had splashed whitewash upon them "snake doctors," and weird and mystic were By remembering the following simple profusely with a brush. the tales woven around these swift flying facts, the two insects may be readily sep creatures.

Load more