A; OFFICIAL STATE JANUARY, 1935 PUBLICATION ^ANGLER? Vol. 4 No. 1 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA PUBLISHED MONTHLY BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS b\ the Pennsylvania Board of Fish Commissioners S3 S3 S3 OLIVER M. DEIBLER Commissioner of Fisheries Five cents a copy c^> 50 cents a year C. R. BULLER Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries Pleasant Mount ES S3 S3 Q l& iZ ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor Members of Board South Office Bldg., Harrisburg, Pa. OLIVER M. DEIBLER, Chairman Greensburg JOHN HAMBERGER J3E3E3 Erie DAN R. SCHNABEL Johnstown NOTE Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER LESLIE W. SEYLAR should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee McConnellsburg either by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not ac­ EDGAR W. NICHOLSON ceptable. Individuals sending cash do so at their Philadelphia own risk. KENNETH A. REID Connellsville PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribu- ROY SMULL butions and photos of catches from its readers. Mackeyville Proper credit will be given to contributors. GEORGE E. GILCHRIST All contributions returned if accompanied by- Lake Corao first class postage. H. R. STACKHOUSE Secretary to Board IMPORTANT—The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given ^ANGLER/ Vol.4 No. 1 JANUARY, 1935 EDITORIAL Sucker Fishing game fish but to the boy who follows fishes. So general is their range, that the sport with a can of worms, cut pole waters in most sections of the state yield I believe that if a census could be and heavy line. thousands of them annually and they taken on the number of fishermen who consequently are an item of food in Fishing for suckers also has another indulge in various types of the angling many households. A catch of five appeal—it is restful and there is in the sport in Pennsylvania, sucker fishermen suckers, averaging one and one-half chill atmosphere along the stream a fine "would comprise an exceptionally large pounds in weight, is sufficient to pro­ chance to relax, to enjoy the comrade­ group. This form of fishing has been vide a family of five persons with suffi­ ship of other fishermen and often a constantly growing in popularity dur­ cient meat for a meal. fire of driftwood burning near the poles. ing recent years and suckers today rank Of course, there is not the thrill of rod When the .suckers gather in great as important fish in our inland waters. tip swishing to the surface as a bass schools at the juncture of tributary and Caught in autumn, winter and spring, makes its first run, but counter to it, main streams in the spring of the year, when their flesh is firm and sweet, they that deliberate and slight tugging as preparatory to their spawning run, loca­ are delicious food fish. the fish takes the bait creates just the tions of this type are usually popular Perhaps one of the most encouraging sort of suspense that makes fishing a fishing spots. It is not unusual to see, omens pointing to better all-round sport great sport. In those mild days that for instance, at the juncture of a tribu­ tary stream to the Juniata River, a great for Pennsylvania fishermen has been the often come in March and early April, sucker stream, perhaps fifteen or twenty rapid increase in number of the sucker when the call of trout streams becomes fishermen. On a good fishing day, when schools in many of our streams during increasingly strong as the season ap­ the suckers are actively feeding, catches recent years. This increase may be at­ proaches, many anglers find in sucker are often general. ; tributed to two factors, first, the outlaw­ fishing an opportunity to answer the ing of the spear or gig in taking suckers fishing urge coincident with early spring. The importance of variety in fishing and second, stocking of suckers when­ The sucker is by nature a bottom for our Pennsylvania anglers is clearly ever possible by the Fish Commission. feeder, and as such it has at times been illustrated in the instance of sucker fishing. Its wide range, and the readi­ It is significant, relative to the growth accused of destroying the spawn of other ness with which it takes the hook, offers °f interest in sucker fishing, that most fish. Its destructiveness in this line, an opportunity for the fisherman to en­ of oiir warm water streams containing however, has probably been overempha­ joy his sport when the season is not large numbers of these fish are usually sized. Lacking the aggressive ways of open on warm water game species such easily accessible to fishermen in various the bass, pickerel or trout, it is no match as the bass. sections of the state. Whether an angler for any game fish in combat. On the wishes to fish with rod and reel or with other hand, thousands of its young are There is much to commend still-fish­ the old-fashioned cane pole and sturdy available as game, fish forage, an impor­ ing for suckers and it is/deservedly be­ line, his chances of making a catch are tant consideration in any stream. In coming more popular here in Pennsyl­ equally good. Regarded in this light, preserving the proper balance in our vania. still-fishing for suckers is perhaps the fishing waters, this species is an impor­ most cosmopolitan form of angling. It tant asset. appeals not only to many fishermen who From an economic angle, suckers prob­ also enjoy fishing for bass and other ably rank with our most important Commissioner of Fisheries. 2 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER Stream Improvement Work Pushed in Lancaster County By OLIVER M. DEIBLER Commissioner of Fisheries HAT stream improvement or rather T stream farming is being taken seriously by the conservationists among our fishermen is attested to by the fact that in many of our counties throughout the State, stream improvement projects have been inaugu­ rated, and some very commendable work has been accomplished. In quite a number of counties the sports? men have taken advantage of the Emergency Relief Funds made available for work pro­ jects, as practically all the cost involved in stream improvement work is labor, and in cases where material was required, the lo­ cal sportsmen have supplied these materials from their own funds. One of the foremost projects of this kind, and insofar as we know, the first to take ad­ vantage of these Federal Funds was the Lancaster County groups. Through the un­ tiring efforts of Mr. R. S. Sullenberger, the idea was sold to the County Commissioners and the Relief officials, and a very sizeable appropriation was approved for three of the important streams in Lancaster County. The Board of Fish Commissioners furnished their engineer, Mr. Thomas O'Hara, who went over these projects with Mr. Sullenberger and the foreman of the works, and assisted in lay­ ing out a program that has progressed most satisfactorily, and will without doubt result in a greatly improved condition of these streams. The carrying capacities will be ma­ terially increased, as the prime factors neces­ sary to increase capacities are measured by the amount of food available and the shelter provided. That these requisites have been supplied becomes self-evident the minute any one goes over the stretch of streams that have so far been completed, and for the benefit of those who may not be privileged to visit any of these projects in Lancaster County, we are presenting a number of photographs that were taken soon after the work was started. The substantial manner in which this work has been done and the amount of funds se­ cured for this work most certainly reflects great credit on the persistency of Mr. Sul­ lenberger and all those who in any way assisted in procuring for this county this appropriation. The Sportsmen of Blair County have also been most active and have some excellent results to show for their activities. Indiana and Center County projects have been approved and in quite a number of other counties they are now being worked out and it is hoped they may all be successful, and also that the conservationists throughout the State will avail themselves of the oppor­ tunity that is now presented of securing Federal Funds to assist in this work. In closing, I want to emphasize the fact that trout streams are not the only waters that should be considered from the angle of increasing carrying capacity for fish life. Streams harboring warm water species are also to be listed with those that can be definitely improved in this way for fishing. PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER s CATCHES BIG PIKE ON NORTH BRANCH Famed for its smallmouth bass fishing, the Montgomery Sportsmen North Branch of the Susquehanna River, yielded a big wall-eyed pike on November 20 to Grant Peifer of Watsontown. Peifer's catch, measuring 27% inches in length and Honor J. Hansell French weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces, was one of the largest pike to be taken from the Branch in recent years. It was caught in the vicinity At their 46th annual meeting, more than of Wyalusing, favorite fishing ground for 200 members of the Montgomery County many Pennsylvania fishermen. Fish, Game and Forestry Association ex­ tended congratulations to J. Hansell French, At the time he made the catch, Peifer their Vice-President and a leader in conser­ Was fishing with his friend F. H. Schulze of vation activities of the Association, who has Wyalusing. They were using spinners de­ been named by Governor Earle to serve as signed by the Watsontown fisherman when Secretary of Agriculture in his administra­ the big fish struck.