OCTOBER—T9Z9- V /•»* State's -4 Off/Eta/ •%
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OCTOBER—T9Z9- v /•»* State's -4 Off/eta/ •% ••» -S\- W ***< '*%"£*"'.• ^aP* • • • •- '•>.':'.>:-.-• > apt?- • ^g ,-**lr.'^: -WiJU ^^p _. w- S^FfflP.^B^ l&A "STILL LOOKING GOOD!" V^ur great Commonwealth has taken a number of beatings so far in 1979. Since the end of June, black eyes from adverse publicity have already shown up in what had to be an expected decline in fishing license sales. Tourism has suffered and we still consider that the second largest industry in Pennsylvania. Certainly the fuel shortage and the attending increases in the price of gasoline have had the most effect. Although the odd/even method imposed by the Governor has now been lifted, it costs about twice as much to move about today as it did a year ago, and there isn't much we can do about that. In early August, a ripsnorting storm came through Southcentral Pennsylvania with 98 mile per hour winds, and the attending damage was enough to make people scurry for their cellars. An outbreak of polio among the Plain People, particularly the Amish, certainly didn't help — particularly in those areas where the sect is referred to colloquially as the "Pennsylvania Dutch." One county's tourism was down by 80% because of this, in spite of the program to inoculate people who had previously objected. Pollution of the waters of the Commonwealth still continues and we have a constant uphill fight to preserve the water quality standards that make this so-called industrial state a paradox. The latest pollution to attract extensive public notice comes from the Susquehanna River contamination by hazardous industrial wastes dumped into an abandoned mine in Pittston. Slugs of PCB's have been allowed to occasionally flow from improper storage areas; cyanide leaked from an underground storage tank and polluted a stream — killing most of the trout stocked there. Other atrocities to our waters have occurred from the dumping of hazardous chemicals such as dichlorobenzene, toluene, xylene, napthalene, and other phenol derivatives. And finally, the incident that really put the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, and a place called Three Mile Island on the map — an incident handled so poorly by Metropolitan Edison Company, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has cast a cloud, albeit not radioactive, over the state to the extent that the only real attraction in that vicinity now seems to be that morbid curiosity of tourists. In so many ways we have taken black eyes we don't deserve, and the people who should have been out enjoying our unique natural resources have just not done so. Pessimism, more than optimism, prevails. We want you to know that the Pennsylvania Fish Commission has not lost the least bit of faith in this great Commonwealth. For one thing, the Department of Environmental Resources is prosecuting those criminals that foul our nests and our waters to the utmost limits of the law. We cooperate with DER in these prosecutions and our record to date shows a 15% increase. Aggressive programs by DER to control storage and disposal of hazardous wastes are paying off. We are expanding our fishing and boating access at Goldsboro, in the shadow of the cooling towers of Three Mile Island, because the fishing is great and there has been no deleterious effect to aquatic life in the Susquehanna River because of that TMI incident. Last month we awarded Certificates of Appreciation for Outstanding Service to strike force attorneys in DER for outstanding cooperation with the Fish Commission in pollution cases. Richard Ehmann, Howard Wein, Elissa Parker, and Robert Ging have been working hand-in-hand with our field personnel and have proven time and again to be what the Fish Commission considers "Good Guys." What Pennsylvania needs is a continuation of this strong enforcement of our air and water quality laws, a constant eye on those industries that tend to be polluters, and a lot more backing from the citizens of Pennsylvania and surrounding states who really still believe that Pennsylvania is a great place to live, work . and go fishing. Pennsylvania — you're still looking good! Ralph W. Abele Executive Director Pennsylvania Angler Pennsylvania's Official Fishing & Boating Magazine Published Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Richard L. Thornburgh, Governor MEMBERS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION John A. Hugya, President Johnstown Leonard A. Green, Vice President Carlisle William Cox Elysburg William O. Hill Erie Walter F. Gibbs Reno Calvin J. Kern Whitehall Sam Guaglianone Johnsonburg Jerome E. Southerton Honesdale James J. Stumpf Laughlintown MEMBERS OF THE BOATING ADVISORY BOARD Nicholas Apfl, Chairman Fairless Hills Clayton Buchanan Pittsburgh Sherwood Krum Hawley Charles Chattaway Monongahela Leon Lyon Bellefonte Volume 48 - No. 10 CONTENTS October, 1979 Fishermen & Hunters are Boaters too by Virgil Chambers 6 You've got to Believe by John Crowe 8 The Carp Fisherman by David R. Thompson 11 "Reel" Duck, Anyone? by R. Aldine Longenecker 15 Successful Bass Fishing by Richard F. Williamson 17 Panfishing by Bill Pennewill 20 Raystown Lake Display by Wes Bower 24 ON THE COVERS Our covers this month offer the traditional October invitation to one and all to share autumn's beauty as found along Pennsylvania's waterways. Generally, one is completely alone; but, look a little closer. Deep in those shadows on our front cover there's an angler! Not only that, he had a fishing partner upstream, out of sight. It was one of the few times we've ever encountered a "crowd" on a trout stream in autumn! Photographs by the editor. MONTHLY COLUMNS WATERSIDE WANDERINGS 2 STREAM NOTES 28 MEALS FROM THE CREEL 4 ASHORE & AFLOAT 30 FLY TYING 26 ANGLER'S NOTEBOOK 32 James F. Yoder, Editor Th51^ ASTER: All 3579 forms to be returned to the office of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17120. fj Pennsylvania Angler, (ISSN 0031-434X), Copyright 1979, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, 3532 Walnut Street, r SDUr 0ne ' g, Pennsylvania. Second Class postage paid at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: Not *ear—$400; Three years—$10.00; 40 cents per single copy. Send check or money order payable to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. Do e rCc . nd Cash. Changes of address should reach us promptly giving both old and new addresses, including both zip codes. Subscriptions Vec res ' | and processed by the end of the month will begin with the second month following. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission will not assume n ttia?° ?'b>lity for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or illustrations while in their possession or in transit. Communications pertaining to the (jjp^'ne should be addressed to: The Editor, Pennsylvania Angler, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. °'<cited materials, manuscripts, or photos will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope for their return. Waterside Wanderings by Linda Steiner NcI o t being one of the world's most time by the waterside, and perhaps a waits. The trout of autumn are successful anglers, by necessity I pair of polarizing sunglasses to cut the dressed in bright hues to rival the spend a lot of time looking into the reflected glare. leaves, announcing that their water, hoping the fish will take my I am partial to this time of the year, spawning time has arrived. bait. At times all I am able to do is when the colors of the autumn leaves Like anxious beaus dressed up to I stand by and watch as the trout flash have reached their zenith. There's not "a-courtin'," the trout wear their around whatever flies I present or go a more productive time for the vibrant colors and the springtime on about their business, oblivious to sportsman, a fact that hunters have fisherman, who is accustomed to what I consider an excellent offering. always known and smart fisherman catching newly released hatchery So, I often find myself a "fish are just beginning to realize. trout, may be surprised at what a watcher" — which isn't necessarily all Brilliantly colored trees form a bright summer of living on stream food an° bad. The angler whose only interest is canopy for the fisherman as he wades the onset of the spawning season can in bringing a fish to net misses a lot of and plies his fly rod or eases his boat do for adult trout. Many of the othef what's happening in the underwater across a pond, breaking and mingling fishes of the state spawn in the spr"1? world. It's almost as much fun to the leafy reflections. The reds and and early summer, but the brook an stand back and observe fish behavior golds rain down on him when a breeze brown trout are naturally fall (at least we unlucky anglers tell passes, adding the warmth of color, spawners while the rainbow has bee ourselves that). In order to be a fish coming to rest on the dark water. known to spawn in either early spr"1*' watcher, you don't need a pair of Beneath this radiance is another or fall. binoculars, a field guide and a funny show of color the average fisherman A small stream in northwestern hat. All that's required is some spare misses, but for which the fish watcher Pennsylvania, a feeder to the 2 PENNSYLVANIA ANGL „ ''egheny River that is closed to I caught and released sported distinct Trout in the lakes will now be s ning in jts lower reaches (as it is kypes and were probably kings of their nudging into tributary streams, not ls" Commission nursery waters), pools.