December 1963
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DECEMBER 1963 ulettbe Greeting;* frnm thi> psLnjnJUjhanM 3>iAh fommiMiwi PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION (pmnAijlvcwia Chufl&Ji DIRECTORY Published Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION EXECUTIVE OFFICE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA ALBERT M. DAY Executive Director William W. Scranton, Governor ROBERT J. BIELO Assistant Executive Director • EDWARD R. THARP PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION Assistant Executive Director WALLACE C. DEAN, President Meadville Watercraft Safety Division JOSEPH M. CRITCHFIELD, Vice President Confluence WARREN W. SINGER GERARD J. ADAMS Hawley ROBERT M. RANKIN Galeton Assistant to Executive Director MAYNARD BOGART Danville R. STANLEY SMITH Waynesburg JOHN W. GRENOBLE Carlisle RAYMOND M. WILLIAMS East Bangor PAUL F. O'BRIEN Administrative Officer JOHN M. SMITH Comptroller DECEMBER, 1963 VOL. 32, NO. 12 • DIVISIONS Aquatic Biology GORDON TREMULEY Chief GEORGE W. FORREST, Editor Fisli Ctillurc HOWARD L. FOX Superintendent Real Estate and Engineering Cont&nJtA CYRIL G. REGAN Chief EDWARD MILLER Asst. Chief 2 SUSQUEHANNA RIVER FISH POTS-John M. Hershour Law Enforcement 7 GUIDE FOR A DAY-Wilbert Nathan Savage WILLIAM W. BRITTON Chief Conservation Education-Public Relations 10 FROM THE FISH'S VIEWPOINT-Eugene R. Slatick RUSSELL S. ORR Chief 12 YE MERRY OLDE YULETIDE ANGLER-Don Shiner 14 BOATING with Robert G. Miller NORTHWEST REGION 16 A UNIQUE WALL ORNAMENT-Larry J. Kopp S. CARLYLE SHELDON Warden Supervisor 17 WHO NAMED OUR RIVERS AND WHY?-Walter Hubbard 1212 E. Main St., Conneautville, Pa., Phone: 3033 18 IT'S ALL IN THE MIND-Keen Buss, Fishery Biologist-Pennsylvania Fish Commission SOUTHWEST REGION 20 NOTES FROM THE STREAMS MINTER C. JONES Warden Supervisor R. D. 2, Somerset, Pa Phone: 6913 22 EDITOR'S ANGLE 24 FLY TYING WITH CHAUNCY K. LIVELY NORTHEAST REGION 25 SCHOOL'S OUT-Ned Smith H. CLAIH FLEEGER Warden Supervisor 351 Terrace St., Honesdale, Pa., Cover art by Bob Cypher Phone: 253-3724 Inside cover photo by Don Shiner SOUTHEAST REGION JOHN S. OGDEN Warden Supervisor 1130 Ruxton Rd., York, Pa Phone: 2-3474 POSTMASTER: All 3579 forms to be returned to Dunlap Printing Co., Inc., Cherry and Juniper Sts., Philadelphia 7, Pa. The PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, NORTH CENTRAL REGION South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. Subscription: One year— $2.00; three years-$5.00; 25 cents per single copy. Send check or money order payable to Pennsylvania Fish Commission. DO NOT JOHN I. BUCK Warden Supervisor SEND STAMPS. Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. Change of address should reach P. O. Box 5, Lock Haven, Pa., us promptly. Furnish both old and new addresses. Second Class Postage paid at Harrisburg, Pa., Phone: 748-7162 and at additional mailing offices. Neither Publisher nor Editor will assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or illustrations while in their possession or in transit. Permission^ to reprint will be given provided we receive SOUTH CENTRAL REGION marked copies and credit is given material or illustrations. Communications pertaining to manuscripts, material or illustrations should be addressed to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Harrisburg, Pa. HAROLD CORBIN Warden Supervisor 521 13th St., Huntingdon, Pa., NOTICE: Subscriptions received and processed after the 10th of each month will begin with the Phone: Mitchell 3-0355 second month following. Susquehanna River By JOHN M. HERSHOUR Art By JOHN F. CLARK PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER IN THE days before the power dams were built, there will be five falls, so we cut the 2" x 6" in 4 ft. lengths. were hundreds of fish pots in the Susquehanna River. The poles are laid parallel and the 2" x 6" spiked in the They were called fish weirs, eel racks and eel pots in the notches. Notches are also cut on the underside of the Delaware River, but always fish pots in the Susquehanna. poles for the shores. There will be five on each side. The Vee walls of scattered stones can still be seen when The 2" x 10" risers are cut and spiked to the 2" x 6". the water is low. They are on edge and look like a stair riser. The inventor of the fish pot is not known. It is thought Saw mills along the river stocked fish pot lumber. It is the Indians had a device made from poles and brush rough sawn white oak, longest lasting in water for fish and the white man improved upon their method. What pots. The grid strips are spaced 1 in. apart. They are ever the name or design there never was anything that nailed to the 2" x 6" and the risers 6 inches overhang could equal them for so little outlay of money. the riser. Nearly every farmer who owned land fronting the river Underneath the overhanging grid strips down to the had a fish pot or two. When a pot was built adjacent to next grid is called the trap or pocket where the fish his land it became his personal property as long as he coming in the pot are trapped. maintained it in a fishing condition. Often fish pot owners, The shores are round white oak logs, 6 in. in diameter. when they made their wills, bequeathed their fish pots This will be all we can do in framing the pot. The to their sons, sometimes with the stipulation that their shores will be cut when the pot is set out at the site. mothers be given fish if any were caught. Meanwhile, out at the site, two boys have been drilling Back in early part of this century, Pennsylvania passed holes in a rock on the river bed. They have by-passed a law prohibiting the sale of game fish caught in fish most of the water with boards and rocks. A template is pots, and later that all pots must be licensed. The fee made of the rock holes and corresponding holes are drilled was $1.00 per year and a number and regulation came through the logs. We are lucky to find some brake draw with the license; the number to be painted or stenciled rods from a wrecked freight car. They are cut the right on both sides in plain view so the fish pot inspector could length and put in the log holes. OK it if lawful. They had the authority to destroy pots Now all hands with a lot of "heave-ho's" get the framed that were unlawfully built. No game fish could be kept. pot on a shad net scow. It nearly sinks from the weight. A removable section of each grid was required so all Finally, after dragging bottom several times, we get fish could fall through to the river beneath the pot when the pot out to the site. It is eased off the scow so the the licensed owner was not in attendance. butt ends of poles will be near the holes in the rock. The pot inspectors were fish wardens. The name "in With a lot of maneuvering the rods in the logs slip in spector" was pinned on them by the river men and there the rock holes. was little love for the inspectors. They carried an ax to The pot is now safely anchored. We now make the chop out illegal pots. The river was full of game fish, the butt end level. We go to the small end of carriage poler. loss of sale was a hard blow. The river men retaliated by With the aid of a stout pole for a lever, we raise the setting their boats adrift when they had the chance. pot, using a temporary frame to carry the weight until the More than one "inspector" was forced to swim ashore or shores are in place. stay and starve on the island. When the pot is in right elevation it is leveled and the The unrestricted sale of food fish, such as eels, catfish, shores put in place. A footing is made using Peach rockfish, mullet, carp, suckers, white and yellow perch Bottom slate on the uneven river bottom for each shore. made pot fishing profitable for home use and city markets. The length is taken with a rod for each shore and they are toe spiked to the carriage poles. Sites and Construction The shores are braced diagonally and horizontal. Lumber is not spared in the bracing. The first requirement of a good fish pot was a good Rocks are placed between the butt ends of carriage poles. They are laid as solidily as possible. Crevices are chinked with smaller stones to help strengthen the pot. About 10 ft. of the poles extend under the water, 2" x 6" are notched in and a tight plank throat or lead is laid. This forms the first fall and a slick water course through the throat. site. Many such places were still available. If a pot I builder could find an old abandoned fish pot he was in Walls and Dam luck. The pot had to show signs it had been deserted We now start building the Vee walls that will back the for a long time and almost completely destroyed. He water until it flows over the first fall in the pot. Heavy could then lay claim to the site. He had to start at once rocks are placed on the down stream side that buttress to make known his intention of claiming the site. Many the smaller rocks. Rocks and stones are gathered from a hot argument took place over an abandoned site. Long the river bed and when they become scarce, the shad range shot gun wars were in vogue until one party scow is used. It is decked over with planks to make easy finally quit the place.