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Perihsylvani S\ Annl 1997/51.50 Susquehanna River Shad Update One-hundred and twenty-six years ago, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin signed Act 336, which established the post of Pennsylvania fish commissioner. At that time, the first commissioner's major responsibility was management of the migratory fishes in the Susquehanna River. Today, the Commission's responsibilities have broadened to include every public fishery and boating resource in the Commonwealth, and it also participates directly in management decisions affecting the Great Lakes and the Atlantic marine fisheries. In spite of these broadened responsibilities, the Commission still places a very high priority on management of Susquehanna River anadromous fish, in particular, the American shad. The Commission took a major step 40 years ago when it conducted a compre hensive study of the migratory habits of shad in the river. The results of the 1952 study were encouraging and led to many additional studies and the formation of an advisory group to administer study and restoration efforts. In 1969, the Commission and repre sentatives from Maryland, New York and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service formed the Susquehanna Shad Advisory Committee to work with Philadelphia Electric Com pany and upstream utility companies to implement a major shad restoration program. Restoration efforts have moved slowly but steadily forward during the past 23 years. In July 1991,1 reported to you on the completion of a modern fish lift at the Conowingo Hydroelectric Station. It was constructed by Philadelphia Electric Company at a cost of $ 12 million. During operation of this lift for the first time in 1991, some 27,227 adult shad were captured at Conowingo, more than three times the catch just two years be fore, and nearly double the 1990 catch. At the same time, the upper Chesapeake Bay Edward R. Miller, P.E. American shad population has grown from 8,074 in 1984 to 139,862 in 1991, a 17-fold Executive Director increase. Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Numbers offish, however, do not tell the entire success story. Fish captured in 1991 were 40 percent females and nearly 15 percent repeat spawners. These factors are very important to the continued success of the restoration effort because they indicate that a healthy and more viable population is being established. On January 24, 1992, a proposed settlement agreement was transmitted to the Penn sylvania Power and Light Company, Safe Harbor Water Power Company, and the York Haven Power Company, licensees of the Holtwood, Safe Harbor and York Haven hy droelectric projects. The proposal spells out a three-year design and construction pe riod for installation of fish passage facilities at these dams. During 1992 the Commis sion is making every effort to reach final agreement on installation plans and schedules with the dam owners. In the meantime, the 1992 restoration efforts and studies will continue. Both lifts at Conowingo will be operated, and captured American shad and some herring will be trucked upriver and released. Up to 35 million American shad eggs will be collected from the Hudson, Delaware and Connecticut rivers, and our Van Dyke Shad Rearing Facility near Thompsontown will rear fry and fingerlings for 1992 release into the Susquehanna Basin and the upper Chesapeake Bay. Van Dyke will also hatch and rear up to four million American shad eggs from the James and Pamunkey rivers for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the James River restoration program. Juvenile shad assessment efforts will be conducted in Pennsylvania during August through Novem ber, while Maryland fisheries personnel will conduct adult shad assessments in the lower Susquehanna River and upper Bay. A major effort will be made to gain specific information regarding movements and behavior of migratory adult shad as they approach the dams at different river flow and project operating conditions. It is planned to radio-tag, release and monitor movements of several hundred adult shad as they approach Holtwood Dam, and in the tailraces and spillway areas of the three dams. Results of this study should provide valuable infor mation needed to make final design decisions on location and types of entrance and at traction structures needed to complete engineering designs. The Commission will continue all necessary efforts to complete these important fish passage projects as soon as possible. April 1992 Vol. 61 No. 4 Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Pennsylvania William J. Sabatose President Brockport J. Wayne Yorks ANGLER Vice President The Keystone State's Official Fishing Magazine ^^ Benton James S. Biery, Jr. Swatara Better Shad Fishing from Your Boat by Art Michaels The most successful boating shad anglers combine their fishing and Marilyn A. Black boating know-how 4 Cochranton Ross J. Huhn Where to Fish on Opening Day by Dave Rothrock Saltsburg Where will you wet your line opening day? Here are more than Calvin J. Kern 195 suggestions 8 Whitehall Paul J. Mahon The Dark Robber Fly by Chauncy K. Lively Clarks Green The robber fly species are probably the least-known group among trout T. T. Metzger, Jr. fishermen, but robber flies can steal the show when it comes to catching trout. Johnstown Here's how to tie a robber fly 12 Howard E. Pflugfelder New Cumberland Adopting a Lake by John W. McGonigle Leon Reed The West Chester Fish, Game and Wildlife Association has big plans for Honesdale Chester County's Marsh Creek Lake 14 Boating Advisory Board Early Season Caddis Action by Ed Howey Donald J. Little Caddises are important to a trout's diet, so offer them the right treat and Chairman they'll cooperate 16 Philadelphia Clayton Buchanan Don't Miss the Boat on Opening Day by Hank Nuwer Pittsburgh Scoring from your boat on trout on opening day and early in the season Martin P. Eisert takes special skills. These experts reveal their secrets 18 Erie Judy Obert 1992 Expanded Trout Fishing Opportunities by Tom Greene Greentown This information details where you can find new stocked waters, delayed- Thaddeus Piotrowski harvest areas, new refuge areas, expansions to existing stocked waters, new Bloomsburg catch-and-release waters, and new trophy trout waters 22 Magazine Staff It's Not the Trout—It's the Stream by Linda Steiner All stocked trout streams are the same, right? No way, especially when you Editor—Art Michaels consider these ideas 24 Art Director—Ted Walke Circulation—Eleanor Mutch On the Water with Dave Wolf Staff Assistant—Rose Ann Bartal Why all the fuss? 31 Staff Assistant—Charlene Glisan Pennsylvania Angler (JSSN0031-434X) is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, 3532 Walnut Street, Harrisburg. The cover PA 17109. ©1992. Nothing in this magazine may be reprinted without the written pennission of the Pennsylvania Fish & Bon! Commission. Subscription This issue's front cover, photographed by Barry and Cathy Beck, shows Cathy rates: one year, $9: three years. $25; single eopies are S1.50 eaeh. Second Beck about to release a rainbow trout in a northcentral Pennsylvania stream. If class postage is paid at Harrisburg, PA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Pennsylvania Angler Circulation, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat you're looking for similar success this month, please see page 8 for more than 195 Commission. P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673. For subscription and change of address, use above address, please allow six weeks for processing. suggestions on where to go fishing opening day and early in the season. And for Send all other correspondence to: The Editor, Pennsylvania Angler, P.O. the latest on new trout fishing opportunities for the 1992 season, turn to page 22. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673. Editorial queries and contributions are welcome, but most be accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Do you fish for trout from your boat? The article on page 18 explains how to Material accepted for publication is subject to Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission standards and requirements for editing and revising. Submissions raise your score with suggestions on where throughout Pennsylvania to try your are handled carefully, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for the return or safety of submissions in his possession or in transit. The authors' luck. If you fish for shad from a boat, the article on page 4 can help you score views, ideas and advice expressed m this magazine do not necessarily reflect more. And on page 24, you can explore the idea that trout don't make the stream the opinion or official position of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission or its staff. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission receives federal interesting and keep us fishing—it's the infinite variety of fishing situations our aid in sport fish restoration Under appropriate federal acts, the U. S. Department ol the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national streams offer, where no two casting opportunities are the same. origin, age, sex or handicap. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire more information, please write to: The Office of Equal Opportunity, Department of Ihe Interior, Washington, DC 20240. They use this tactic because shad move closer to shore to migrate upstream as the flow increases and strengthens. In high water, you most often don't even need a boat to intercept the shad on their upriver journey because they remain out of the strongest flow, and that frequently means that the fish can be found close to shore. Check out a spot also looking downstream and upstream so that you get an idea of the route the shad would take on their upriver migration. The channel edges of deep-water curves are also likely spots.