Pennsylvania APRIL 1985/801: ANGLER The Keystone State's Official Fishing Magazine

f••;;_ l^gSt ;,'--» . ""»-», gram funds available from traditional (not elected) destroyer of programs, in sources and not as a substitute spite of serious pressure from Congress Straight therefore." and conservation organizations. Our %"The states must allocate 10 percent friends, in trying to maintain what is of their D-J apportionment for motor- already the law. are lining up key fig­ boat access facilities." ures to protest this to the Administra­ Talk %"The state may use up to 10 percent of tion. The Senate list is already known to their D-J apportionment for an aquatic include such notables as Majority resources education program." Leader Robert Dole. Finance Commit­ D-J FUNDS DIVERTED V'The selection and supervision of proj- tee Chairman Robert Packwood, and ject personnel must assure that ade­ Interior Appropriations Subcommittee The Dingell-Johnson Act was amended quate and competent personnel are Chairman James McClure. Congress­ in 1984 to provide for an expansion of available to carry the projects through man Breaux is constantly on our side in the original D-J Act of 1950 by apply­ to a satisfactory completion." this program. The Pennsylvania Fish ing a 10 percent excise tax on fishing Last October. David Stockman, di­ Commission has written to its entire tackle to more items and by providing a rector of the Office of Management and Congressional delegation, including 3 percent tax on electric motors and Budget (OMB). tried unsuccessfully to both its Senators, for support, and electronic fish finders. At the same water down the provisions of the new other allies are the American Fisheries time, part of the Federal Marine Fuels sport fishing and recreational boat law Society, the American Recreation Co­ Tax was added to what is now called the and recanted, promising not to interfere alition, the Atlantic States Marine Fish­ Wallop-Breaux Fund. The effect of this again. But in preparing the agency's eries Commission. Bass Anglers Sports­ legislation, which is derived from user 1986 fiscal budget, he is now trying to men's Society. Boat Owners Associa­ fees, will provide an increase in federal reach the same objective by a different tion of the U.S.. International Asso­ aid of from 2\A to three times the pres­ route in the form of a notice to the Fish ciation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. ent levels. and Wildlife Service of intent to freeze Izaak Walton League of America. This is 75 percent federal money, and all the new funds provided under the National Association of State Boating we have enjoyed its use for over 30 expansion bill, except for the excise Law Administrators. National Boating years, never lapsing any of the funds for taxes on additional fishing tackle. Federation, National Marine Manufac­ turers Association, National Wildlife which the Fish Commission has been The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federation. Sport Fishing Institute. eligible. We are now looking at what and all the conservation organizations Trout Unlimited, and the Wildlife will probably be about $1.6 million in screamed their protests, but OMB is Management Institute. additional federal money for the com­ attempting to do its utmost to "im- ing year, funds which will become pound"all but $3 million of those funds In the 1984 presidential campaign, available October I. 1985. The regula­ for fiscal year 1986. and in spite of statements were made about President tions attending the use of this money former endorsement by the president. Reagan: include such language as: OMB's views have apparently prevailed %"Additional funds resulting from in the president's budgetary process. "In 1980. Ronald Reagan asked for the expansion of the D-J program must This is obviously an illegal move, and your vote based on a promise to sup­ be added to existing state fishery pro­ it is contrary to the law and the will of port sportsmen and outdoor enthusi­ the Congress. OMB now must intro­ asts. And unlike many politicians, he duce new legislation that would repeal didn't forget. He promised to improve the Wallop-Breaux Act and authorize it fishery and boating facilities — that's to impound these funds to help reduce the promise and he kept that promise the unbelievable federal deficit. by signing the Federal Aid in Restora­ These funds are all user-pay funds, tion Law, which increases funding for and that means the OMB proposes to fishery management and boat access break faith with the fishing and boating facilities." public by taxing them for a specific boat­ ing fishing fund and then diverting the Now, the White House has let Mr. funds for other purposes. Stockman do its dirty work, and we Here we go again! have a real fight on our hands. Fortu­ There seems to be no end to the nately, the conservation organizations betrayal practiced by Mr. Stockman, are together on this, and with congres­ who has a record as a self-appointed sional support we believe we can win.

<^^&j^^ud-OrUJL< Ralph W. Abele Executive Director Pennsylvania Fish Commission APRIL 1985 VOL. 54 NO. 4 Pennsylvania Basic Baitfishing for Trout by John D. Taylor 4 Just in time for Opening Day, here's a review for veteran casters and the basics for beginners. ANGLEThe Keystone State's Official Fishing MagazineR Seven Dry Flies That Do It AH by Lefy Kreh ^r 8 The author rounded up the opinions of fly fishing's top experts, and here's his review of their magnificent seven.

Citation Shad by Dave Wonderlich The shad rocketed out of the water, thrashing its tail, and 11 splashed back again to peel off line in another sizzling run. This is the story of a magnificent fish with ideas on how to catch your own.

Go for that Special Opening Day Experience by Mike Sajna The Commonwealth's delayed-harvest areas offer less crowded 14 Opening Day waterways. Here's how and where to try them out for a different experience.

Easy Muddling by Chauncy K. Lively 18 The author shows you step-by-step how to create this early season offering.

Marine Fuel Tax:Boat Fund Revenue Source by Larry Shaffer 21 The tax money that Pennsylvania boating anglers pay on purchasing fuel is returned to the Keystone State. Read this explanation of where Citation specifics page 11 your money goes.

25 County Features —Luzerne County by Stan Sowa Straight Talk 2 Anglers Currents 20 The Law & You 20 Regulation Roundup 20 Anglers Notebook 22 Mail 24 Profile 30

The Cover This month's front cover, photographed by Tom Fegely. is a reminder to make opening day and the entire season a family sport. Before you wet your line,

though, be sure to read the articles beginning on pages Special reg spots page 14 4, 8, and 14. Shad anglers will find something special on page 11. This month's back cover artwork was Staff created by Commission graphic designer Ted Walke. EDITOR/Art Michaels GRAPHICS/Ted Walke PHOTOGRAPHER / Russ Gettig PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION BOATING ADVISORY CIRCULATION / Eleanor Mutch Ross J. Huhn, President BOARD STAFF ASSISTANT / Jayne Povleski Saltsburg Clayton Buchanan, Chairman

Marilyn A. Black, Vice President Pittsburgh POSTMASTER: Send 3579 forms to Pennsylvania Meadville Nicholas Apfl Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA Walter F. Gibbs Theodore T. Metzger, Jr. Fairless Hills 17105-1673, Pennsylvania Angler (ISSN0031-434X). c 1985 is published monthly Second class postage paid at Titusville Johnstown Charles Chattaway Harrisburg. PA Subscription rates: one year, $5; three Leonard A. Green Joan R. Plumly Monongahela years. Si4, single copies are80C each. For subscription and change of address, contact Angler Circulation, Pennsylvania Carlisle Jenkintown Sherwood Krum Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA 17105- Calvin J. Kern Jerome E. Southerton Hawley 1673, Address all other correspondence to: The Editor, Penn­ Whitehall Honesdale Leon Lyon sylvania Angler, P.O. Box 1673. Harrisburg. PA 17105-1673. Robert L. Martin J. Wayne Yorks Bellefonte The authors' views, ideas, and advice expressed Bellefonte Benton in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official position of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission or its staff. >.c."

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^RlQIjt by John D.Taylor ost trout fishermen began their angling days with a can of nightcrawlers and one of pop's old M rods. As they grew older and their skills improved, many switched to lures and flies because they added a new dimension to their sport. That was my own situation. Lately, however, I find myself longing for a simpler way to catch trout—a way 1 don't have to know paraleptophlebia adoptiva from stenonema fuscum. Bait fishing is a simple, effective method for catching trout. It allows more time to be spent on the important things in fishing—birds chirping, sunshine on the back of your neck, and a gentle breeze, if you can find the right rock and good "Y" stick. Here's a look at the "big five" trout baits and some tips to help you catch more fish now and throughout the season, if you're not too busy concentrating on the "important stuff." Worms Worms are the most common trout bait. Like most trout baits, worms are not a regular occurrence within a stream. They are introduced by other factors. Rainfall is the most frequent contributor. Some trout fishermen prefer red worms (garden hackle), while others insist nightcrawlers are tops. Trout seem to enjoy both. Collecting worms is as easy as fishing them. Nightcrawlers are best gathered after a thunderstorm or on a rainy night. After a rainstorm you can pick up all the worms you'll need. Take along a bucket of dirt and walk driveways, parking lots, roads, or any paved surface. N f> matter what your choice Fishing worms is simple. A dead drift with little weight of tackle, fishing bait for so the worm moves naturally is an effective trout taker. trout can he your ticket to Size 8 to size 12 bait-holding hooks should be used. The (•(('« on opening day and best spots to fish worms are pockets, holes, ends of riffles, all season long. and beneath undercut banks. photos by the author areas border a stream. Overhanging banks with grassy shores are one area no cricket or hopper fisherman should overlook. The best time to fish hoppers and crickets is when their annual populations peak. Usually that means June through early September. Collecting hoppers and crickets in sufficient quantities can be a problem. The insects are quick, especially if you try to grab them by hand. The easiest method I've come across is to use a fine-mesh net and work a field early in the morning when the hoppers don't have so much jump. Crickets are probably more difficult to collect in the quantities fishermen need. 1 usually employ one of the young neighborhood kids to round up as many crickets as he can for me. or 1 buy them from a bait store. Minnows If you're after big trout, minnows are the bait to use. The bigger the minnow you fish, the bigger the trout you're likely to take. The best way to fish minnies is to allow the baitfish to drift naturally with the current. Use the least amount of weight practical and be sure to hook the minnow through the lips or just under its dorsal fin-—they'll live Some worm fishermen prefer to add an attractor of longer if hooked this way. Special minnow rigs are also some sort. One company markets a barbed bait hook available. Bait hooks in sizes 6 or 8 are best, unless you with a spinner and several fluorescent beads attached to have exceedingly small or large minnows. the leader. My father swears by them. Pools, pockets, holes, and large runs of slow water are Early season, especially the first few days of the top places to fish minnows. They're also less likely to season, is the worm fisherman's finest hour. Cold, come of the hook, an aggravating problem in those cloudy, or turbid water usually signals wormin' time. areas. Minnows can be fished year-round because they are However, worms can produce results almost any time of an in-stream variety of bait, and they can be particularly year, especially after a rainstorm. effective after rainstorms. Minnows can be collected, or they can be bought in Grasshoppers and crickets almost any bait store. Catching minnows is fun. but There's scarcely a fisherman who hasn't read at one there are regulations governing how they are caught, time or another how a young fisherman collected a jar of numbers allowed, and sizes. Consult your summary for grasshoppers and proceeded to catch scads of trout. It's a this information. fact: Grasshoppers and crickets are excellent trout baits. Most minnow fanciers prefer to set a baited minnow Like worms, hoppers and crickets are introduced into trap in a small stream and wait a day or so before streams. The unfortunate cricket or hopper that ends up collecting their catch. Remember that the trap must be as trout bait was usually wind-blown into the water or made tagged with the name, address, and phone number of the a fatal miscalculation triangulating his jump. owner or user if it's left unattended. Crickets and hoppers are a trout delicacy, and few fish will refuse them. One of the best methods to work these Salmon eggs offerings requires using a fly rod. Use a long leader and Salmon eggs are actually foreign to most Pennsylvania a fine-wire hook. Cast the insect above feeding trout so trout streams, but trout eat them with gusto probably that the drift takes the insect over the fish, and make because they resemble the eggs of other fish. The best sure the float is drag-free. Crickets and hoppers should way to fish salmon eggs is a dead drift with weight be hooked through the collar or thorax. Properly sized necessary to send them bouncing along with the current hooks are critical. The distance between the shank and just above the bottom. barb (the gap) should match the hopper's collar width Salmon eggs are a pain in the neck to keep on a hook On a spinning rod. crickets and hoppers can be fished if you fish them singly. Some trout anglers make egg on or below the surface. To fish a floating hopper, use a sacks from fine-mesh squares. They fill the squares with long but very thin float placed about two feet above the about 10 eggs, tie up the corners, and impale the sack on hook and hopper. Allow the rig to drift over feeding a size 6 bait hook. trout. Most fishermen, however, prefer to fish a single egg. Sub-surface fishing is best accomplished with as little They use a small short-shanked hook in sizes 8 to 12. weight as possible and a dead-drift float. Hook the egg just below the skin and work it around so Hoppers and crickets are best fished where they occur that the egg is actually held between the barb and the naturally. There is hardly an abundance of hoppers along shank of the hook. Also, be careful not to pierce the oil a wooded mountain stream, so it's best to use a cricket. globule— the small, round, oil-filled sack on top of the The best hopper spots are meadows or where grassy egg. 6 Pennsylvania Angler Salmon eggs come in a variety of colors. The one I've had the most success with are cheese, clear, bright red, and yellow. Eggs can be fished in any "trouty" waters to produce results. However, pockets, holes, slow water, and some slower riffles usually produce the best results. While eggs catch trout year-round, early and mid-season are usually their most effective times. Be sure to consult your summary to find out where eggs can be legally used. Cheese Exactly why trout take cheese is probably something no one will learn. However, 1 suspect that trout respond to cheese for the same reason why catfish respond to stinkbaits: Odor attracts them. Cheese is one of the baits where heavier weights will not cause problems, especially if fished in a hole. However, keeping cheese on a hook does present a problem, and the only solution is to find a recipe for making cheese balls (not the party kind). Most recipes involve using cotton balls or bread to make the cheese more hookable. I usually buy a small brick of Velveeta cheese. It can be shaped and seems to stay on a hook better than the other cheese balls I've experimented with. A size 4, 6, or 8 standard bait hook is the typical choice of cheese fishermen. Cheese is at its best in high, murky waters. Scent plays the most important role in these conditions because trout can find a stinky wad of cheese better than other baits. Other baits Along with the big five, a number of other trout baits can be deadly. Most of these are difficult to gather in the numbers a trout fishermen needs, but they are dandy Baits and the Biggest Trout trout takers and deserve mentioning. The fisherman In 1984, 225 Senior Angler's Awards were issued willing to spend the time and effort necessary to collect for brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and other baits will reap satisfying rewards. Still, before you palomino trout. Of that total, 154, or about 68 collect aquatic life from any waterway, consult your percent, were caught on baits. Here are more telling summary for regulation. facts on those big trout. • Nymphs, These can be gathered streamside. They're •Brown trout. The total number of Senior Angler's typically found in riffles under rocks. Tweezers are a Awards made was 70, of which 42, or 60 percent, handy item for plucking nymphs off rocks. Nymphs can were fooled with bait. Worms took 17, minnows be stored in a 35 mm film container with a small amount took 14, salmon eggs fooled six, and other baits of water until enough are collected. Nymphs should be (cheese and corn) took five. drift-fished on a small hook (size 12 or 14) with, at most, • Brook trout. There were 79 awards made, of a pair of BB splitshot attached. They can be used any which 52, or about 66 percent, were taken on live time of year. The best spots to work nymphs are the tail baits. Minnows and worms took 23 each, cheese ends of riffles, pockets, and holes. took three, salmon eggs took two, and corn • Grubs. For fishermen who cut their own firewood, grubs accounted for one. are easy to obtain. Check under rotting bark. Grubs are • Rainbow trout. The total number of awards was fished somewhat like nymphs. A small hook, very light 35, of which 30, or about 86 percent, were taken on weights, and a dead-drift float produce good results. baits. Worms accounted for 16, minnows took • Beetles. These insects, though hard to find, are an seven, cheese fooled four, salmon eggs took two, excellent trout bait, but I've never been able to come up and corn took one. with a consistent source. When 1 find a bunch, 1 collect • Palomino trout. Some 41 awards were made, and fish them. One of the best ways to fish beetles is on with 30, or about 73 percent, taken on baits. a fly rod, grasshopper-style. I use a small hook (size 12 Worms took 14, salmon eggs took seven, minnows 0r 14 fine-wire dry fly hooks) and a long leader. Floating took four, corn fooled three, and cheese accounted the beetle over feeding trout usually produces an exciting for two. r'se. Beetles are best used in a woodland environment or around overhanging banks. \7*] April 1985 2SP;

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I w Seven Dry Flies That Do It All by Lefty Kreh

here are more than a quarter- you might as well get off the water. If I asked him to jot down his seven, million fly patterns, according you didn't have a trailer full of flies, and when 1 looked at his list, six of Tto a well-researched book on you wouldn't have the right ones the seven 1 had written down were the the subject, so how can the novice anyway. same as his choices. Other expert trout angler possible know what flies Nothing could be further from the trout fishermen I talked to agreed that he should use? Complicating his truth. you need only seven basic patterns, decision is his experience when he Standing in the Bow River, a and each of them had selected at least fishes with anyone who has been at stream with wild rainbows, many five of the seven 1 picked. They didn't the sport for very long. Numerous topping six pounds, I found fish rising all name the same flies, but often had aluminum and plastic boxes carried all around me. Many well-traveled a substitute that was very close to by the expert are filled with all sorts anglers, including me, regard this mine. Remember that there are about of patterns. Or worse, when he enters waterway as the finest dry fly river in a quarter-million fly patterns, but a well-stocked fly shop — the sight of the world. 1 tied on a size 16 Adams these experts all agreed that with trays and boxes of all sorts of strange and adjusted the leader for that fly. 1 seven basic dry flies in different sizes, flies must be overwhelming. knew that the real key to dry fly most of the time in most of the places A few years ago, I stood hip-deep in fishing is that the tippet must have you could do well. the swift, clear waters of the Bow slack directly in front of the fly so no Consider the requirements of such a River and thought about how lucky unnatural drag occurs while the fish is selection. The flies would have to be I've been to have tested most of the inspecting the fly. I caught several effective on a small beaver pond, tiny great rivers of this continent and fish, and then I began changing flies. mountain brook trout stream, big Europe. During 32 years as an In the next hour or so I caught quite a brawling rivers in the West, high outdoor writer 1 have fished the tough few fish, bungled a few casts, and lakes, and wide, sweeping rivers like chalkstreams of England and the low, spooked a number of rainbows. But 1 the Madison. The flies would have to clear meadow brooks of France; the managed to take these wild, wary fish work when mayflies, caddises, or spring creeks of Montana and Ohio; with several different patterns, as long terrestrials were on the water, too, and the limestones of Pennsylvania; and as I took the trouble to adjust the you can apply these ideas to all brawling rivers in Alaska, all over tippet length for each fly so that it fell Pennsylvania trout fishing situations. Canada, and our own West. to the water with slack in the leader Here is the list, and then I'll explain tippet. With the exception of the European a little about why each fly was grayling, the quarry was always Later, I was with Dave Whitlock at selected: Adams, Light Cahill, brown, rainbow, cutthroat, or brook the big outdoor show in San Mateo, Hopper, Ant, Elk Hair Caddis, trout. Their problem was to find California. Dave is one of the most Humpy (often called a Goofus Bug), enough to eat to stay healthy. My respected trout fisherman/ writers in and a Royal Wulff. Problem was to present something the country. that they might want. "Dave," 1 asked, "if you were I've attended clinics and read limited to only seven different dry fly magazine articles and books where I patterns, but you could use them in all came away with the impression that if sizes from 8 to 24, could you J couldn't speak Latin and know effectively fish most of the time in 'nsects better than an entomology most of the places for trout?" Professor, I didn't stand a chance of I had written down the seven flies I catching trout. Worse, the implication thought would do the job as I stood in was that if you didn't have certain flies the Bow River thinking about this for that very specific condition so well question. Dave thought a minute and Hopper described by the author or speaker, said, "Yes, 1 could."

April 1985 9 Adams, Cahill Caddises First, everyone agreed that if you About a quarter- Caddis flies are becoming more were stuck with only one fly it would important on many trout streams be the Adams. The Adams will work million flies are because they can tolerate more well when any dark mayflies are on pollution. I prefer the elk hair caddis the water. Just match the size of the available to simply because it floats exceedingly fly to what you see floating on the well, is easy to tie and to see, and fish surface. Any time light-colored anglers, but like it. However, any good caddis mayflies are being taken by trout, the imitation works, such as the Hillbilly Light Cahill will do nicely — so long America's fly or polypropylene caddis. as you match the approximate size of the hatching flies. fishing experts Royal Wulff, Humpy Finally, there are two flies that the Hoppers have narrowed experts thought were important in Hoppers furnish a major food rough water, where the fly may be supply for many trout during the the group to a drowned quickly. This would also summer and early fall, and there's include Pennsylvania's brook trout enough protein in a hopper to induce magnificent streams. In the short pools the line a lot of bigger trout to take an often drags the leader and fly down offering from the surface. One thing seven. through the chute and drowns it. that I've noticed on the stream bed, Those two flies are the Humpy and looking at drifting hoppers, is that the the Royal Wulff. Fish eat them well live ones always float with their legs Ants and they are tough, high floaters. extending below the surface. I know, You find ants wherever you find There you have it. Excepting rare, I've caught hundreds of trout on trout. The exact pattern is your brief periods when trout are feeding hopper imitations that have no legs. choice, based on your own experience. on a specific fly, these seven flies, used But I now cover my bets by casting 1 prefer the deer hair body ant, which in various sizes to match the flies on hoppers with legs. is big, bulky, and when cast, plops to the water, will catch trout for you the surface with a fish-attracting most of the time in most places. | p*j sound. I also like George Harvey's latest idea of tying a brightly colored (fluorescent pink, green, or red) feather on top of the ant as a wing. The fish ignore this bright patch of color, but it allows me to see the drifting ant very well.

Adams Royal Wulff

Elk Hair Caddis

Humpy Light Cahill

black & white illustrations Ant try Bemadette Pitera 10 Pennsylvania Angler ^°Tto^e /l/;/•// /9&5 11 —

he low, clear water was so recorded, the boat is anchored and Tdifferent from what it was on usually more fish are caught in that our first shad trip early last May. spot. The water was still receding from Why didn't we do that on our first recent flood levels, although the trip? Our schedules were tight and temperature was fine—five feet we arrived late, so we didn't have below the surface it was 58 degrees. time that day to motor upriver away It was overcast, gray, drizzly, cold. from the other boats, and we didn't and we worked hard. By evening want to disturb the other boat Floyd and I had each caught one anglers who were also resigned to shad with Sam having to settle for fishing close by that afternoon. We o doing the netting, but his enthusiasm did see one fisherman trolling who § wasn't dampened—he knew our hooked at least a dozen shad (and f favorite time to catch the powerful lost them all because he didn't keep a fish (toward the end of the run when a tight line). <& . ... £ spawning is visible in the pools) was loyd brought me back to the s Captain Floyd Kellogg had told yet to come. Fpresent when he said, "1 have to Sam Everett and me before. "Once Early in the season when the fish bring my plug in to clean the debris you get fishin' pox (the shad strain), are running but most of the off the hooks. You have to keep you'll get a reoccurrence every spawning hasn't yet begun. Floyd checking your hooks for debris." We spring for the rest of your life." Cap trolls shad darts slowly in a zig-zag all reeled in as Floyd slowly worked was right. Rain or shine, sickness or pattern over the deeper channel the boat through the riff, beyond health, it's a good day when the shad areas. This method can be used after which was the entrance to our are running. the run has arrived in the area you favorite shad pool. On our second plan to fish. When a strike is shad trip later in May, Captain Kellogg said the magic words: "You the slack out as the fish moves boys will hate to hear this. The shad from side to side. Shad Fishing Tips have started to swirl (spawn). We're • Six-pound monofilament is a going to our favorite pool." • The boat angler should anchor good choice for line. Four-pound in water with enough current to is very light, and we've The temperatures had warmed, suspend and give action to the experienced more strikes with six the gray along the banks had turned dart. than with eight. to green, the water level had • Dart size should be varied or • Set the drag on your reel to dropped, and the scene was set for weight added as needed to get the work the fish, but not too tightly. an experience we will all probably dart down to the running shad. Shad are known as paper-mouths remember the rest of our lives. • When fishing the evening (unless hooked in the upper jaw), Floyd cut the motor, I dropped spawning activity, the dart should and too tight a drag will rip the the anchor, and our darts couldn't ride higher in the water. hook out. have been cast out any sooner. • If you aren't getting strikes, try • Shore fishing can also be From scouting and observing, Floyd first pulling back on the rod productive if you can find a spot knew where the shad were holding smoothly, then with light jerks— to cast to a channel. Bends and during the day and where they this action will sometimes the bottom of narrow riffs where splashed and swirled on the surface provoke a strike. the channel is close in are good in the evening during their • Try casting quartering locations. spawning. He put his boat in a spot that allowed our darts to be downstream and giving a jerking • After you see swirling near the suspended in the current and motion to the swinging dart by surface of the pools, spawning intercept the shad on their way in to twitching the rod. has begun. Pick a spot between spawn. It worked. • Every few minutes check the the main channel and shallower dart for debris, which floats flats for your dart, and be there downriver and catches on the by 5 p.m. Action should start s the evening approached and the hook. within the hour. A minute hand moved past five- • An occasional bump on the • Be sure to keep a tight line thirty, Sam's rod jumped against the line, which may even bend the when the shad comes toward the boat and bounced into a crescent. rod tip but doesn't hook the boat. They'll try anything to get "I got one!" Sam hollered. He held fish, is caused by shad bumping slack and drop the hook. on with both hands as the speeding the line as they swim by; a hit • If you don't get strikes after a fish tore line from his reel. may come soon. while, move the boat 10 feet to one Floyd and 1 quickly got our lines • Keep the rod up and a tight side; the new dart placement in the boat to prevent a tangle with line when the fish jumps out of can make the difference. Sam's as the deep-bodied fish leaped the water. This rod action keeps — Dave Wonderlhh and tail-walked across the current. — Sam's tone of voice showed respect 12 Pennsylvania Angler when he said, "What a fish!" We Because its size qualified Sam for an expected the fish to start hitting. suspected Sam was connected to Angler's Award in the Pennsylvania Then the surface came alive—it something very special, but when Fish Commission's Angler wasn't too late in the season. The Floyd got his first glimpse of the Recognition Program, we refer to fish had given us one more chance. airborne shad, his expression this fish as the "citation shad." Before dark we landed seven changed to a serious look, and he am caught another shad that shad—four roe and three bucks, not said, "That's a big shad!" Sevening that went 6'/2 pounds, like Sam's "citation shad," but not I don't think from then on Sam and the Captain and I again each far off. Floyd later said he took knew anyone else was in the boat, caught one. The courage, stamina, shad for three more days, and then or for that matter that there were and patience that Sam and the fish it was finished. banks on the edges of the river and exhibited are characteristic not only a world beyond—time became a of the great "citation shad" but all s we slowly drift-fished, Sam's relationship between the angler and the shad we've caught. They also A line took off through the a great fish. The screaming reel, the personify the beautiful, powerful paintbrush-splashed pool. He caught bent, powerful rod his father made Delaware in its fight to remain a bass in that spot last summer, too. him. the six-pound line, all had to free-flowing river. The darkening shadows reminded us be worked with finesse and in On our final shad fishing trip our day was almost spent. This trip harmony with what could be taken early in June, we were anchored in was probably our last for the year. and what the fish would give. "our pool" by 5:30. It didn't look Well, the shad will be back soon For each foot of mono Sam promising; Floyd hadn't seen any now, and Sam, Floyd, and I, along recovered, the shad seemed to take action for a while and there wasn't with a lot of other anglers, will be two. The fish finally was moved to another fisherman on the river. Six anxiously waiting. There should be within 15 yards of the boat, only to o'clock came, then six-thirty; it was plenty of fish and who knows, PA drive to the river bottom and well past the time when Floyd maybe another "citation shad." I 3 bulldog without giving an inch. Then, as if the battle had just begun, he rocketed straight out of the Water, thrashing with his tail, and splashed back again to peel off line m another sizzling run. Sam was now bracing the bottom °f the rod handle against his forearm as his fingers held fast to 'he yellow rod. He kept his rod high on jumps to allow its action to keep a tight line. He cranked the peel with determination when the fish rushed the boat. He worked his drag to best advantage and held his arm and rod over the water to keep lhe line from the prop. After at least three-quarters of an hour, the long-handled net was extended, but the fast, powerful fish again ran and leaped. When the time was right, Sam raised the net and his catch was sealed. The fish was a 7'/2-pound roe shad. Its deep-silver sides and dark d°rsal surface gave way to a purple ""'descence in the evening light.

April 1985 13 Go for that Special Opening Day Experience by Mike Sajna t first glance, that morning carried with it the essence of already caught six fish and was a "We want people to catch fish," A every other opening day past. beginner, he informed me when 1 Marcinko pointed out, "even if they Trucks, four-wheel-drives, and cars stopped to say hello. His buddy, he can't keep them. If they go there, we of all age and condition of repair added, had taken 23. want them to catch fish to promote the were parked in every opening that With those totals rattling my brain, sport and enjoyment of catching and touched a stream. On the banks, and the fact that it was not yet 10:30,1 releasing trout." clusters of people squatted together flipped the Hare's Ear I had been told impassively waiting, while in the water was working into the pool and let it hile all of the projects are open others circled up in pitiful attacks on drift down beside a submerged rock. W to fishing year-round, anglers every pool. Nothing took the offering that time, are not permitted to take fish out of As 1 drove through the mountains but it was only a matter of a few them from the beginning of March of western Pennsylvania, I saw similar moments before that changed and 1 until mid-June, and then only three scenes, and they made me remember had a hard-fighting 12-incher on the per day instead of the usual eight. The why years before 1 had lost all enthusi­ end of my line. purpose of the regulations is to main­ asm for opening day in my area. I only "This is great," I caught myself tain a density of trout in the project hoped that the new delayed-harvest saying aloud as I released the fish and areas that increase the chances of project 1 was headed for was not under looked around to find 1 was still alone. angling success. the same pressure as the water I had "The best thing that ever happened to Along those lines, the Fish Commis­ already passed. After all those winter this place." sion also stocks the projects as early as days 1 was anxious to wet a line, but It was a feeling I would hear echoed possible. As soon as the ice is gone and not at any price. Much of the trout time and time again that opening day. the trucks can use the roads is the way season was left if things didn't work Marcinko put it. out, 1 told myself. he delayed-harvest area where I Early stocking and no-harvest for When I reached the bridge that Topened my trout season last year 3'/2 months also give the fish a chance marks the downstream boundary of is only one of 18 such projects scat­ to adjust to natural conditions and the project, I could not believe my tered across Pennsylvania. They are wise up. By the time anglers are eyes. On the one side was almost the the state's newest special-regulation permitted to take fish home, they may same circus 1 had seen driving up, trout waters, introduced by the Fish be surprised at how tough these former while on the other, although three Commission in October 1982 as part "hatchery pets" have become. anglers were moving up the trail on the of Operation FUTURE. For the an­ I have heard some anglers who do right, I could see only one person gler looking for more than simply to not fish the projects complain that fishing. 1 had to wonder for a second if take his limit, these areas are some of they are stocked more often and with I was imagining too much. the most accessible islands of peace bigger fish than other trout waters. Pulling over behind a mud-splat­ available during the madcap of the According to Marcinko, however, tered pickup, I got out of my car and early season. none of those complaints has any basis walked down to the bridge. With just a 'it's working out real well," said in fact. He said that all stocked waters hint of color, the water added to the Marty Marcinko, the Fish Commis­ across the state are treated the same. If sense of unreality by appearing almost sion's Coldwater Unit leader. "The bigger fish are found in many of the Perfect. Ideas on what patterns to try concept has really caught on, and it's a projects, the answer may lie with 'mmediately began racing through my unique concept for stocked trout." sportsmen's clubs or the occurrence of mind. 1 hurried back to the car, rigged The idea for delayed-harvest pro­ wild trout. Many clubs appreciate the U P, and in another moment was gone. jects was developed by Fish Commis­ uniqueness of the projects and conduct When I finally reached the pool 1 sion biologists with the aid of resource their own stocking programs. The Fish was thinking about, 1 could not believe classification material gathered under Commission stocks delayed-harvest that it was deserted. Along the way I Operation FUTURE. The philosophy projects only twice, once before the had passed several anglers, but only behind it, Marcinko said, is to expand opening day of the regular trout °ne was still in sight, and he was a the concept of no-kill, catch-and- season and once after it starts. good 50 yards downstream focusing release fishing for the quality of the his efforts on a fast run. He had experience. April 1985 15 f the 18 projects in the delayed- Oharvest program. 13 are fly­ fishing-only and five are artificial- lures-only. Fly-fishing-only means ex­ actly what it says. Artificial-lures-only means that along with flies anglers may fish with lures constructed out of "metal, plastic, rubber, or wood." Molded facsimiles (crankbaits) of insects and other items of fish food are prohibited, and even the possession of natural bait is forbidden on all of the projects. Projects labeled fly-fishing-only are generally waters that were managed under the fly-fishing-only program before the institution of Operation FUTURE. The newer projects, espe­ cially those that were never under any sort of special regulation, are recom­ mended for the artificial-lures-only regulation. Marcinko says that the Fish Commission is moving more toward the artificial-lures-only desig­ nation because it wants to give as many anglers as possible an opportun­ ity to experience the fishing available in the projects. Also in the spirit of equality, delayed-harvest projects have been GREENE scattered across the state on a wide variety of streams. There is at least one project in each of the Fish Commis­ sion's six law enforcement regions, +— and plans are already in the works for in Ridley Creek State Park. It extends areas are delayed harvest, fly-fishing- more. for one mile from the falls in the park only. Here are some ideas on where to fish downstream to the mouth of Dismal for that special experience. Run. Southcentral Donegal Springs Creek's project Situated in the southcentral region Southeast begins on the John Heir farm below of the state are two projects. Yellow The southeast part of the state has Route 141 and runs for two miles to Creek in Bedford County and Clarks Tulpehocken Creek in Berks County, the bridge on Route T-334 near the Creek in Dauphin County. Ridley Creek in Delaware County, mouth of the stream. Both projects are These projects are both fly-fishing- and Lancaster County's Donegal fly-fishing-only. only. The Yellow Creek project begins Springs Creek and West Branch Octo- The West Branch Octoraro Creek at the mouth of Maple Run (Jacks raro Creek. project of 1.9 miles begins about 220 Run) and continues upstream for a At 4.1 miles, Tulpehocken Creek is yards below Route 472, downstream to distance of one mile to Red Bank Hill. the longest of all the projects. It is a point near the second unnamed tribu­ Clarks Creek's special section is two artificial-lures-only beginning at Blue tary below L.R. 36010. miles long. It begins at the Game Marsh Dam and continuing down­ Commission parking area on Route stream to a point 0.2 miles above the Northeast 325 and stretches downstream to the junction of T-702 and T-602. Besides In the northeast the only delayed- Game Commission's access road at the being the longest delayed-harvest harvest project so far is on Dyberry Iron Furnace. project, Tulpehocken Creek also is Creek in Wayne County. It is one mile unique in that it is the only one that is in length and extends from the Northcentral not managed with adult trout. Because Widmer property line about a mile Northcentral Pennsylvania offers of its unique habitat qualities, Tulpe­ below Tanner's Falls downstream to the North Fork of Redbank Creek in hocken is instead stocked with five- the Mary Wilcox Bridge on LR 63041. Jefferson County, Marvin Creek in and six-inch fingerling browns and There's also Tobyhanna Creek in Mon­ McKean County, and the Driftwood rainbows in the fall. By mid-June the roe County. This project is one mile Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek in fish have grown to between 10 to 12 long, from the confluence of Still Cameron County. inches in size. Swamp Run downstream to the PP&L On the North Fork of Redbank The Ridley Creek project is located service bridge. Both these Northeast Creek, the delayed-harvest water be- 16 Pennsylvania Angler Southwest Projects in the Two of three delayed-harvest pro­ Delayed jects in southwestern Pennsylvania are artificial-lures-only. They are Laurel Harvest Program Hill Creek in Somerset County and Loyalhanna Creek in Westmoreland * Tulpehocken Cr. County. The third project, on Little * Ridley Cr. MahoningCreek in Indiana County, is * Donegal Springs Cr. fly-fishing-only. * Dyberry Cr. The Laurel Hill Creek project runs * Yellow Cr. for 2.2 miles through Laurel Hill State Park from the Boy Scout camp off * ClarksCr. Route 31 downstream to the T-364 * North Fork, Redbank Cr. bridge above Laurel Hill Lake. Loyal­ * Marvin Cr. hanna Creek's special water is the most * Driftwood Cr. accessible of all. It flows for 1.5 miles * Cool Spring Run along Route 30 from the Route 711 * West Br. Clarion R. * bridge at Ligonier downstream to the * Slippery Rock Cr. LR 64071 bridge. Little Mahoning * Laurel Hill Cr. Creek's delayed-harvest section is an­ * Loyalhanna Cr. other long one of over four miles. It starts at the LR 32089 bridge at * Little Mahoning Cr. Rochester Mills and runs upstream to * West Branch Cesna Run. Octoraro Cr. * Caldwell Cr. Angling strategies * Tobyhanna Cr. Some proven early season trout v v PHILADELPHIA catchers include streamers such as the DELAWARE Gray Ghost, Muddler, Royal Coach­ * = Fly-Fishing-Only man, Mickey Finn, and marabou * = Artificial-Lures-Only patterns in various colors, especially "Fly Fishing-Only On East Bank black. Among the nymphs to try are the Hare's Ear, Brown Stonefly, Musk- rat, and pheasant tail or orange soft gins at Route 322 in the Borough of gate. The banks of this stream are hackle. Brookville and continues upstream for overgrown with brush in many places, Dry flies are iffiest of all methods two miles. The Marvin Creek project so it may be a better choice for during the opening part of the season, runs from the area of the power line ultralight spinning gear rather than a certainly if no hatch is coming off, but three miles south of Smethport down­ fly outfit. three to try include the Adams, Elk stream nine-tenths of a mile along One of the shortest of all the Hair Caddis, and ant. Route 6. The Driftwood Branch pro­ delayed-harvest projects is on the West While it may not be a fly imitation, ject is the newest of all the delayed- Branch of the Clarion River. It begins one of the best early season trout harvest areas. It extends for one mile at the intersection of Route 219 and takers I've ever run across is the upstream from the Shippen Township LR 24007 and continues upstream synthetic egg. Developed on the steel- building to a point about 100 yards along Route 219 to the Texas Gulf head and salmon rivers on the West above the Route 12 bridge. All three Sulphur property. Fly-fishing-only is Coast and Alaska, the ability of this northcentral projects are fly-fishing- permitted only on the east bank. pattern to catch early season trout only. Caldwell Creek in Warren County is borders on the incredible. During no 1.2 miles of delayed harvest, fly-fishing- more than a couple of hours of early Northwest only. It runs from Selkirk highway season fishing last year, four of us hooked, landed, and released over 40 The northwestern part of the state bridge downstream to Dotyville bridge. fish using egg patterns, and probably also contains four delayed-harvest Finally, in the northwest region is missed half again as many. projects. One is on Cool Spring Run in Slippery Rock Creek. Like the West Mercer County, another on the West Branch project, this one is only a half- Although the projects named here Branch of the Clarion River in Elk mile long. Many anglers rate this will not be deserted, experience has County, another is Slippery Rock Creek stream as the most beautiful of all shown me again and again that they in Lawrence County, and the last is Pennsylvania trout streams. Its de­ offer much more space in which to fish Warren County's Caldwell Creek. layed-harvest fly-fishing-only project than those places where ordinary trout Cool Spring Run is one of the five starts below McConnell's Mill State fishing regulations are in effect. artificial-lures-only waters in the pro­ Park at the Heinz Camp property line Finally, be sure to consult your 1985 gram. This project starts at the bridge and extends downstream to a spot a Summary of Fishing Regulations and at LR 43027 and runs upstream for quarter-mile from the Armstrong Laws for more specifics on these L25 miles to the abandoned railroad Bridge on L.R. 37052. projects. [PA] April 1985 17 In the years following World War 11, Dan Gapen's Muddler Minnow Easy Muddling catapulted into prominence, earning an enviable niche in fly fishing history, and its present popularity is not limited to the North American continent. Indeed, fly fishermen the world over use the pattern successfully. The Muddler's widespread acceptance is due largely to its versatility. Although it was originally dressed to represent a sculpin, it fairly represents many baitfish. In small sizes, dressed in somber, dark coloration, it passes as the dragonfly nymph, and anglers soon learned that the standard version, greased and fished dry, worked well as a grasshopper. Inevitably, most successful patterns undergo modifications by various fly tyers over the years, and the Muddler has spawned many offspring. Notable among these are the Marabou Muddler, the Fur-strip Muddler, and the Spuddler, popular in the West. All share the features that identify the Muddler family: the fat, trimmed head and flowing hackle of deer body hair. by Chauncy K. Lively The initial steps in the Muddler's dressing—tails, body, and wings- photos by the author are fairly simple and follow well-

Now reverse direction and Clamp a long-shank size 4 to wind the tinsel forward to the • 12 hook in your vise and tie in tie-in point. The result should be a 1 Cut a 5-inch length of gold, brown, flat nylon thread a fourth of smooth, double-layer body, free of • medium-flat tinsel (either the shank length behind the eye. 2 gaps or lumps. Tie off the tinsel and metallic or mylar) and cut a taper in Wind it evenly back to the bend and trim the excess. If you /^ one end. Tie in the tapered end and tie in matched turkey quill sections as used metallic tinsel, wind it evenly back to the bend tails. Wind them forward over the lacquer the without overlapping. quill butts to form a smooth body to prevent J under body. Half-hitch at the original tarnishing. tie-in point.

18 Pennsylvania Angler known procedures of streamer fly pre-trimming the hair butts to size 1 the flared butts to the eye. If all tying. However, the hair head and could complete the wings and head went well, the hackle will be hackle are a source of problems for in one operation, with virtually no distributed along the sides and over many beginning tyers, so here is a further trimming required. The the loop. method that not only simplifies a method was readily adapted to Pre-trimming the hair butts difficult procedure but considerably Muddler dressing; in fact, I later eliminates all but minor shaping of reduces the dressing time. learned that Paul Jorgenson uses a the head; in fact, if you prefer a Classically, the Muddler's head is similar method, a sound large, round head, no trimming is fashioned by spinning deer body endorsement in itself. necessary. I like a straight-tapered, hair, in the manner of dressing hair The abbreviated Muddler head/ spadelike head, shaped with a sharp bass bugs, around the shank in front hackle method utilizes only one razor blade. This profile not only of the wings with the hair tips fairly large bunch of hair. After it is makes a good hopper pattern, but flaring over the body as hackle. cut from the hide it is held by the when twitched, it causes the fly to Successive bunches are spun until tips while the fuzz and short hairs dart under the surface. The density the eye is reached. Then the hair is are stroked or brushed out. Then the of the head and hackle determines trimmed bullet-shape to blend with tips are evened in a hair stacker. the floatability (or sinkability) of the the hackle. Next, the bunch is measured over fly; naturally, if maximum buoyancy Another school of tyers binds a the shank with the tips extending is required, a large bunch of body bunch of hair on the near side of the about three-quarters of the shank hair is utilized. shank, drawing the thread taut length toward the tails and the butts Muddlers are most commonly without permitting the hair to spin. trimmed even with the eye. dressed on long-shanked size 8s and Similarly, another bunch is dressed Maintaining this position, the bunch larger. There are times, however, on the far side. The hair is thus is lowered to the shank and two especially during the dog days of distributed around the shank as if loose turns are made around hair August, when a floating size 10 or spun. Then bunches are spun to fill and shank over the wing windings. 12, fished as a dry fly, will produce the shank and the whole is trimmed Using the pinch grip, the hair tips with outstanding effectiveness on to shape. Both foregoing methods are held in position and the thread is both trout and smallmouth bass produce excellent results, provided drawn taut, flaring the short butts in streams. The abbreviated head/ they are properly executed. front. The trick is to hold the hackle hackle method makes it easy to Unfortunately, novices often find firmly in place as the thread is dress Muddlers as small as you wish. these difficult, particularly in sizes drawn tight, preventing the hair The elimination of the tedious smaller than 6. from spinning. Then, without chores of spinning and extensive A few years ago, while dressing a relaxing thread tension, the thread is trimming of hair is of itself a great Gill Bug Caddis, I found that by wound two or three turns through time-saver and a boon to the busy fly dresser. I call it "Easy Muddling." | PA]

Tie in a sparse underwing of 4 • gray squirrel tail hair, Cut a bunch of coarse deer Make two loose turns around the hair extending just short of the tips of the 6 • body hair close to the hide and and the shank just forward of the tails. Trim the excess hair butts and remove the fuzz and short hairs. Even wings. Without relaxing your left- apply cement to the windings. the tips in a hair stacker. Measure the hand grip, draw the thread tight and For wings, cut a matched pair bunch against the hook so that about wind it through the flared butts to the 5 • of mottled cinnamon turkey one-fourth of the body length is eye. Whip-finish and remove the quill sections from opposite wing exposed at the rear. Trim the butts in thread. You may leave the head as is, feathers. Place the concave sides front even with the eye. Lower the or trim the head to the desired shape. together and tie them in with the tips bunch to the shank and maintain a extending to the tips of the squirrel firm pinch-grip with your left hand. hair. April 1985 19 World's Biggest ANGLERS CURRENTS Backlash Snarl???

Regulation The Law Roundup and You by Dennis T. Guise by Perry D. Heath The 1985 trout season begins on Saturday, April 13 at 8 a.m. Even Q. I would like to become a deputy though opening day for 1985 is still waterways conservation officer. Do I some weeks away, the Fish Commis­ contact my district waterways conser­ sion is considering the dates for 1986 vation officer? seasons for trout, bass, muskellunge, A. Yes. walleye, and other species. At the January meeting of the Pennsylvania Q. I recently purchased an electric Fish Commission in Harrisburg. the motor for my fishing boat. Do I need a Commission approved publication of a boat registration certificate? notice of proposed rulemaking contain­ A. Yes. Forms may be obtained from ing the proposed opening days for 1986 the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. fishing seasons. John Kopta, of Hadley (Crawford Boat Registration Section. P.O. Box If adopted, trout season will begin at County), finally decided to investigate 1852. Harrisburg. PA 17105-1852. 8 a.m. on the first Saturday after April why he constantly lost lures on a II, which is April 12 in 1986. The mysterious underwater obstruction at Q. Must I tag my turtle set lines? season for muskellunge, muskellunge his pet walleye spot on Pymatuning A. Yes. It is unlawful for a person to hybrids, pickerel, pike, walleye, and Reservoir. He retrieved this mess of leave a set line, turtle trap, or other sauger will reopen on the first Saturday monofilament line, hundreds of sink­ device unattended unless the device has after May 11 (which in 1986 is May 17). ers weighing nearly 40 pounds, and an attached a tag or other means of And the seasons for bass on lakes, assortment of hooks, lures, and identification with the name, address. ponds, and reservoirs will reopen on the angling hardware. and telephone number of the owner or first Saturday after June 11 (June 14 in user of the device. 1986). Don't Use Automotive In addition to proposing opening Parts in Your Boat Q. We have a camp in the northcentral days for 1986, the Fish Commission part of the state and we like to fish for proposed other regulation changes at Some marine engine parts seem very native brook trout during the first week its January meeting. It proposed a new expensive compared to their auto­ of trout season. How many fish am I regulation on scientific collectors' per­ motive equivalents, but there are major permitted to keep? mits, minor rewording of the regula­ differences in the environments in A. A person who is engaged in a fishing tions on live fish dealers' licenses, and which they are designed to operate. trip away from home for two or more updating existing regulations to use the Some automotive fuel components days may. while transporting fish from term "waterways conservation officer" release fuel and vapor into the engine the place where caught to his residence, in place of the former title, "waterways area, and some automotive electrical possess a number of fish equal to no patrolman." The Commission will also parts emit sparks. Fuel vapors do not more than two times the daily creel limit be proposing some statements of policy accumulate beneath the hood of a car, for that species offish. In prosecution on fisheries matters. but they quickly reach explosive levels for violation of this regulation, it shall All proposed changes to Fish Commis­ in the engine area of a boat. be a presumption that a person trans­ sion regulations are published in Pennsyl­ These parts include: porting fish from a fishing site caught vania Bulletin. If you have comments, • Alternators all such fish during one calendar day. suggestions, or objections about Fish • Distributors Commission regulations, write to: Execu­ • Starters, generators, and accessory Q. While ice fishing, I lost my new 1985 tive Director, Pennsylvania Fish Commis­ motors (hydraulic pump, tilt drive, and fishing license. Must I purchase a new sion, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA so forth) license? 17105-1673. Input from interested an­ • Starter solenoids A. When a license certificate is lost or glers and boaters helps the Commission • Carburetors destroyed, a new license may be secured improve fishing and boating regula­ • Fuel pumps from the Commission or any issuing tions, so the Commission welcomes Using automotive components may agent for a fee of $ 1. your comments. seem like a bargain when you repair or replace parts on your boat, but be sure Perry D. Heath is the Commission Law Dennis T. Guise is the Fish Commis­ to look at the value on human life when Enforcement Division deputy chief. sion chief counsel. you tune your marine engine.

20 Pennsylvania Angler Marine Fuel Tax Boat Fund Revenue Sou by Larry Shaffer

id you ever wonder where the Fund. Thus, the money spent for boat­ money comes from to operate ing goes to help pay for the sport, rather D Pennsylvania's extensive boat­ than into highway potholes. ing safety programs, or to pay for the Now we're the first to admit our state's numerous boating access areas, state's highways need attention, too, but or defray the cost of operating a fleet of we also feel that boaters' gasoline patrol boats? monies rightfully belong in the Boat Through license dollars and taxes on Fund, and that's what the state marine hunting and fishing equipment they fuel tax program is all about. It repres­ buy, the sportsmen themselves have ents some 42 percent of the Boat Fund through the years paid for the nationally income and is, therefore, an important recognized fishing, hunting, and conser­ question to complete on every boat reg­ vation programs that Pennsylvania en­ istration form. joys. And it's no different with boating. A federal program, first funded in Boaters, or to be more specific, power- 1983, does basically the same thing. The boaters for the most part, pay for the Biaggi Act, as it is known, takes part of outstanding boating programs in Penn­ the four cents per gallon federal gasoline sylvania. As with fishing and hunting tax—again that portion paid by power- programs, no "general population" tax boaters—and returns it to the states. dollars, that is, no monies from the Gen­ Under the terms of this act, up to $15 eral Fund, go to support the Fish Com­ million may be allocated to fund boat­ mission's boating programs. The pow- ing safety programs. Pennsylvania re­ erboaters, those who operate a boat ceived more than $287,000 during the equipped with any sort of motor, pay at past fiscal year and must, according to least two ways for the boating programs law. use these monies in new or ex­ and facilities across the state. panded boating safety programs. The first is in boat registration fees. Some of this money will be used to The Boat Code was amended in 1963 to mark low-head dams. Many of our require that all motorboats be regis­ boating fatalities occur near these dams, tered. The fees have not changed since which are left over from the bygone days then: $4 for boats less than 16 feet in of water-driven gristmills. The money length, $6 for boats 16 feet and longer. also will be spent to increase safety At least part of the reason that the fees patrols on our waters and update the Pennsylvania's boating program is have not changed is a second source of Commission's boating equipment and the envy of many states, and power- income the Fish Commission realizes, radio communications, and in an effort boaters can take much of the credit in also paid for by powerboaters. It is the to further boating education, it will help helping pay for these programs, which tax on every gallon of gasoline they buy train school aquatic instructors and fire benefit both powerboaters and non- to keep their boats running. department instructors in water search powerboaters. \TT\ This revenue-producing program op­ and rescue techniques. erates very simply. When renewing their The state marine fuel tax, on the other Larry Shaffer creates and produces the boat registrations, boaters are asked to hand, continues to fund general operat­ Fish Commission's weekly radio broad­ tell us how much gasoline was bought ing expenses in boat patrol work, con­ casts, from which this article is adapted. for the boat during the last year. This struction and maintenance of access Commission broadcasts can be heard figure is then multiplied by 12 cents per areas, and education and administration. on 70 AM and FM radio stations gallon fuel tax, and put into the Boat throughout Pennsylvania. April 1985 21 r/ Read i Bumper Sticker — Boat Decal —

Pennsylvania „ Truck Decal The Fish Commission has available colorful decals that ANGLER measure 5% inches by 4 inches. You can use them as bumper stickers, boat decals, truck decals. or place them on your tackle box and other gear. These decals are free, but please include with requests a business-sized stamped, self-addressed envelope. Contact: Angler Decal. Publications Section. gone fishing Pennsylvania Fish Commission. P.O. Box 1673. Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673.

Wet fly patterns that can help you Now is the time to check for rusted, o score early in the season include a bent, or broken hooks on all your lures. If Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear. March needed, replace the hooks with new ones. Brown. Royal Coachman. Light Hooks held on by split rings can be easily Dedicated to the sound conservation Cahill, andDark Cahill. removed and replaced. On lures with of our aquatic resources, the protec­ molded-in hook hangers, cut off the old tion and management ot the state's hook with wire cutters and add new hooks diversified fisheries and to the ideals of safe boating and optimum boating using readily available split rings. opportunities.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE Want a simple straightener for your fly Ralph W. Abele, Executive Director leaders? Get a small piece of pure or red Howard T. Hardie. rubber gasket material, punch a hole in Administrative Assistant Dennis T. Guise, one corner and fasten it with a key chain Chief Counsel to your fly vest. Leaders run through the Ross E. Starner folded rubber quickly straighten. Comptroller

BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATIVE After storage on your reel for the Monofilament line on large-capacity SERVICES 717-657-4522 Paul F. O'Brien, winter, fly lines become tightly coiled and spools is the best bargain, so buy mono in Director kinky. To prevent line and casting bulk. Having a bountiful supply on hand Allison J. Mayhew, Personnel problems, pull out all the fly line and could inspire you to change your old line John Hoffman. Real Estate o Glen Reed, Federal Aid stretch it to remove the kinks. Pull hard more frequently and reduce the risk of Mary Stine, Licensing until the fly line lies straight. losing a good fish on a line with weak spots. BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND ENGINEERING 814-359-5100 Line can lose strength through exposure Edward R. Miller, P.E. Are your hooks sharp enough? Test Assistant Executive Director to heat and ultraviolet rays while fishing, Delano Graff, Fisheries them by pulling them with slight pres­ so replace all line on your casting and Eugene Smith, sure over a fingernail. If the hook digs Construction & Maintenance spinning reels with new, premium in a little, it's sharp enough. If it moves K. Ronald Weis, monofilament. Architectural & Engineering smoothly across your fingernail, hone that hook. BUREAU OF WATERWAYS 717-657-4538 To check for cracked aluminum oxide Gene Sporl, or silicon carbide guides or grooving in Assistant Executive Director Edward W. Manhart, wire guides, run fine material through the Law Enforcement guide. An old stocking, a cotton ball, or a Virgil Chambers, Boating Education cotton tip applicator are all good. A crack snags filaments of the cotton or tears the OFFICE OF INFORMATION 717-657-4518 stocking material to indicate the need for Michael J. Bickler, Director replacement. Larry Shaffer, Publications Stephen B. Ulsh, Education o Dave Wolf, Media Relations

22 Pennsylvania Angler State—Federal Trout Stocking Program Preseason — 1985 TROUT SCHEDULED TO BE STOCKED Pennsylvania PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION HATCHERIES: Regular Preseason: Streams .. 1.890.800 Lakes 401.250 ANGLER Total Pennsylvania Fish Commission . . . 2.292.050 Cooperative Nursery Program (Estimate) .... 300.000 FEDERAL HATCHERIES: Allegheny National Forest: Streams 53.800 Lakes 5 000 58.800 Federal Areas: Streams 9.050 Lakes 20.300 Total — Federal Areas 29.350 GRAND TOTAL 2.680.200 *Species: Approximately 27rr -Brook Trout; 38Cr — Brown Trout; 359<—Rainbow Trout TROUT WATERS SCHEDULED TO BE STOCKED No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of TOTAL TOTAL Streams Miles Acres Lakes Acres MILES ACRES State Program 787 4.737.9 21.630.2 99 5.597.0 4.737.9 27.227.2 Allegheny Natl. Forest 9 116.3 388.9 2 82.5 116.3 471.4 Federal Areas 3 3.5 30.8 4 967.8 3.5 998.6 Totals 4.857.7 22.049.9 105 6.647.3 4.857.7 28.697.2 Number of Number of Trout Hatcheries Transportation Trucks Pennsylvania Fish Commission 9 43 Federal Hatcheries 2 3 Totals AH;ITI? limjo .Fish Culture.

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Find these words among the mixed up letters. They may be up,down backwards, forwards or diagonal ...but always in a straight line. BELLEFONTE HUNTSOALE PLEASANT MOUNT SPAWN BENNER SPRING HYBRID PONDS TANKS CO-OP JARS RACEWAYS TIONESTA cORRY LINESVILLE REYNOLDSDALE TROUGHS EGG MILT ROE UNION CITY ERY OSWAYO SILO WALNUT CREEK

ANSWERS MAY BE FOUND __^ April 1985 23 ON THE NEXT PA GE. ~J ° f-j N I just finished reading Ben Please feel free to call on our Callaway's article on who the winners Federation at any time so that we can are in fishing ("Who Are Angling's assist you in the promotion of any Winners?," February 1985). He makes programs of the Fish Commission.— -MAIL- a good point, but I find myself Joseph A. Leiendecker, Secretary, somewhere in the middle. 1 fish as an Federated Sportsmen's Clubs of Berks In your January 1985 issue readers were escape from the pressures of working County. encouraged to share their computer- with people all day. But I also enjoy applications to fishing, tackle-making, bringing home fish for the supper and boating. table. My wife and 1 have an I noticed an inconsistency in the Most of my applications involve agreement— if I catch, clean, and February 1985 Angler. The cover basic language computerization utiliz­ cook the fish, she will join me in photograph is identified as Glendale ing my floppy fishing hat and faithful eating them. Ben did make me think Lake, and the angler is holding up a hardware. My commodore is I. because about why 1 was writing to you to trout. How could that be? I also know 1 am the operator of my own boat. My share the story of my "first day of that the Commission does not stock apple is what 1 sometimes take with my buck season" fishing trip. Glendale Lake with trout. — Richard sandwich. My computer tells me to take I'm not a hunter, so I thought I'd Kohler, Altoona, PA my license, gear, and positive attitude- take advantage of the beautiful first it also helps me decide where I hope to day of buck season to try some fall The February 1985 Angler cover is test my skills for the day. My memory bass fishing. 1 saw only one other correctly identified as Glendale Lake, banks recall in an instant all I need to person fishing at Bald Eagle State in Prince Gallitzin State Park. You know for every trip, including even the Park. Armed with only a dozen are correct that the Commission does pleasures of all previous fishing trips. minnows, my rod, a few hooks, not stock this waterway with trout, Optimization ofevery aspect is assured, bobbers, and my bucket, I had one of but a local sportsmen's club does and my software package provides fine- the best days. The biggest largemouth every winter for a fishing derby. The 1 line calibration ofevery microsecond of 1 caught was 18 inches and 2 /: catch on the February cover is a my fishing day. My chips are correlated pounds, and the largest crappie was stocked trout caught during the to epitomized perfection. 15 inches and just over one pound. It derby.— ed Sure, 1 have my personal computer was truly a delightful afternoon of on board. I call it common sense.— beauty, quiet, and fun. The beauty Robert V. Everest, Yard ley, PA. was topped off with a lovely sunset. I 1 agree with Ben Callaway in his won't soon forget that first day of article, "Who Are Angling's buck season, and I wanted to share it Winners?" I love to fish for the fun of with you. it. I go for the relaxing, the beauty of I want to thank the Fish I really enjoy the Angler. It is the outdoors, and the quiet of a lake. Commission for Fish-for-Free Day. always filled with articles that are It's the most relaxing thing I can do. My son and I enjoy fishing, but my both interesting and informative. Sure, I'd like to catch a nice one once wife never was fishing until Fish-for- Keep up the good work. — David A. in a while, but it's not the really Free Day. She enjoyed fishing even Wenker, Milesburg, PA important thing to me. I enjoy the though she didn't catch anything. So scenery, the lake, and the outdoors so maybe next year, she will get a license much that I guess I don't put all my and won't have to sit in the car while fishing know-how together at one my son and I fish. Our organization commends you and time. — Richard E. Kubeck, Temple, We went to the Montour Preserve, the members of the Fish Commission PA Lake Chillisquaque for the day, and and its employees, who are making a the waterways conservation officers valiant effort to eliminate the were very helpful. 1 understand much pollution of the streams in Berks

better now how to identify the fish we County by various individuals, ...FISH CUITURE... Solution catch since we learned a lot at the businesses, and municipalities. We O N C I T (Y)

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Luzerne County by Stan Souva " ost people realize that a wealth of fishing is * available in Luzerne County, and this area is a hot- spot for trout fishermen. There's some topnotched warmwater action, too.

°ave Wonderlich Lily Lake Lily Lake, off Route 239 on the Slocum-Conyngham township line, is a heavily used warmwater spot. It is a 160-acre lake situated along the southern slope of the Penobscot Mountain range between Pond Hill and Fol- stown. The Fish Commission has a public launching facility there, near Pond Hill off LR 40120, and boats can be moored during the summer months. The fishing at Lily Lake is for largemouth bass, pickerel, walleye, and northern pike, and the action takes place year-round. Francis E. Walter Dam The Francis E. Walter Dam has a reputation for being "hot and cold." It seems fishermen try on and off for six weeks and not catch anything to speak of, then all of a sud­ den everybody is coming away with a basket of nice perch. At times, bass can't be found by anyone, then you will see four or five weighing over three pounds each. Last year, the dam gave up several bass over six pounds, and for the most part, bass and pickerel action here is pretty good. This waterway has been stocked with trout, muskies, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappies. perch and some catfish. The dam is situated at the confluence of Bear Creek and the

Lehigh River approximately six miles north of White Haven. Boating is permitted with a 10-horsepower limit. Moon Lake Travel about seven miles north of West Nanticoke along Route 29 and you come to a 40-acre county-owned water­ way known as Moon Lake. Bass action here is very good. Large plastic worms work best on the largemouth bass, and the way to get them is by getting about 30 feet from shore in a boat and casting up on shore, dragging the bait back to you. Anglers fishing from shore using the same bait are not nearly as successful. You have to make the bass believe your bait is something jumping offshore into the water from the shoreline. It's also a great place to go for a family outing. Moon Lake features free picnic sites, boat rentals, and a nice swimming pool for family activities while you are out fish­ ing. Action is good year-round.

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For those bringing their own boats, a Fish Commission Harvey's Lake access area is located at the northern side of the lake. Shore Harveys Lake, four miles north of Dallas on Route 415, fishing is available at some of the public areas (like the is the largest natural lake in the Commonwealth (658 acres). Alderson section and at the outlet) and on private docks for Bass anglers do very well here as soon as trout fishing lets those who take the time to be courteous and ask permission up. They do best from boats while casting to shore, under from lakefront lot owners who have their land posted. boat houses, and all around docks. Poppers, spinners, and Some of the best smelt fishing occurs here, also. The best Rapalas work well, and if they don't produce, plastic baits to use for smelt are perch eyes, cut bait, or tiny pieces Worms are the ticket. of worms. Cut your first few smelt into small bits and use Walleye can be taken on jigs, and panfish hit readily on them for bait. Use small hooks (size 18 or 16) and be ready Worms throughout the year. It is a very deep lake and is one to change them to suit the size of the smelt that are hitting. °l the best places around for large lake trout. These beau­ Smelt are a school fish, so watch where the anglers are ties are caught by anglers trolling deep with Christmas tree because word travels quickly when the smelt are running. figs and lures. The usual best places are from the old amusement park east Harveys Lake is best known for fine trout fishing and it toward the dog leg and favoring the southern side. If you 8'ves up some rainbow trout to late fall anglers. Brook enter the lake from Warden Place, look toward the amuse­ trout are the big drawing card in April and May for spring­ ment park and turn right. Then go toward Beaumont and time fishermen. fish in about 30 feet of water. April 1985 27 Sylvan, Silkworth Lakes Fish Commission access areas can also be found at Syl­ While the panfish seem to run small here, there are many van Lake and Lake Silkworth. largemouth and smallmouth bass waiting to be caught. The Sylvan Lake, which supports largemouths, smallmouths. best baits for the bass are crayfish and plastic worms, and and pickerel, is located in Ross Township two miles south the best way to get them is from a boat. Pickerel and wal­ of Sweet Valley. This 8 [-acre lake gets stocked with winter leye can also be found at this lake. trout. Plastic worms and spinnerbaits tempt the bass there, and fishing can be done from boats, from shore, and Lake Irena through the ice. Sylvan Lake is a largemouth bass hotspot. This 20-acre strip pit has developed into a hotspot at the Silkworth is a 75-acre waterway along Route 29, nine southern end of the county. It is located off Route 93 miles north of West Nanticoke. It provides good year- behind the Laurel Mall in the Hazle Township Community round fishing for pickerel, muskies, walleye, largemouth Park, and it is one of the few strip pits that has good water. bass, and smallmouth bass. Like Sylvan, this waterway is Approximately 11.000 trout are placed there yearly, and also a largemouth bass hotspot. Shore access is limited, but anglers pull them out almost as fast as they get planted. It is boaters do well using jig-and-pig combinations around the a place where the "locals" go to have fun. docks and in the weedy areas at the north side of the lake. If they don't produce, try using live bait. Lakes Francis, Took-A-While Harris Pond Lake Francis gets stocked with trout and is a bit more scenic. It is located in game land 187 between Routes 437 The Fish Commission northeast regional office is at the 30-acre lake known as Harris Pond. This lake was emptied and 309. You'll find bass fishing here, and even though in 1984 because surveys showed high numbers of stunted there's some ice action, the fishing is best here in summer. perch, bass, and bluegills. The Fish Commission is currently If bullheads and channel cats catch your fancy, stop at reclaiming the waterway. Lake Took-A-While near the PP&L nuclear power plant along Route 11 between Shickshinny and Berwick. Worms Francis Slocum Lake and doughballs fished on the bottom are good baits. Pan- fish are also plentiful. This well-stocked lake is open to the If you have your own boat and you like fighting muskies, public, and it offers free picnic facilities. Shore fishing is the try Francis Slocum Lake. To get there from Kingston, take word here, and the action is best in summer. Route 309 north for four miles to Trucksville. then turn right onto Carverton Road. Continue another three miles, Lehigh River and a public launch ramp will be on your left. To connect with the muskies, you need a stiff rod to get The Lehigh River marks the southeastern border of the lure hooks deep into the mouths of these predators. Use Luzerne County. It runs through some scenic territory as it heavy line with a short wire leader and cast long Rebels, makes its way from Choke Creek in the Stoddartsville area large spoons, or deep-diving Rapaias. A fast, erratic retrieve for more than 20 miles toward state game lands 149 near works best, and the best time to fish for them is late fall the village of Tannery just south of White Haven. The before the ice forms. Lehigh offers good trout fishing from April through June, and activity picks up again during October. Trout fisher­ men should use minnows and maggots in the Lehigh. The Lehigh suits both fly fishermen and spinning tackle enthusiasts equally well. The river is wide, thus making spinners and other lures good bets, and it offers much room for fly fishermen's back casts. Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River's rapids at West Nanticoke draw rafts of fishermen in pursuit of walleye. This is the place to be for top walleye action. Another good spot is near Ber­ wick where Wapwallopen Creek enters the river. Here anglers catch both walleye and muskies. Use 7-inch or 9- inch jointed Rapaias and big minnows for the muskies, and hair jigs for the walleye. Go wading after dark in March or November and you might land some between 6 and 12 pounds. Fishing is best when the river is low because you have more versatility in maneuvering and the fish have fewer places to hide. The smallmouths hit just about any­ thing around the old bridge piers near Forty Fort, but anglers have the best success using crayfish, twisters, and small minnows. White crappies are also found there. Upstream toward Harding, the big channel cats hit hard and in between those two areas anglers do quite well on walleye. This is the place to be for great walleye and small­ mouth bass fishing. 28 Pennsylvania Angler Nescopeck Creek Nescopeck Creek from 1-80 upstream is one of the most Stan Sowa writes an outdoor column for the Sunday Inde­ scenic trout streams in Pennsylvania. About six to seven pendent in Luzerne County, and co-hosts "Pennsylvania miles of it run through game land 187, and it is well-stocked Outdoor Life" weekly on WNEP-TV, Channel 16. The with brown trout. It is all walk-in to the stream over game author gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by land food plots. Be sure to bring bug repellent because waterways conservation officers Claude Neifert and gnats can be a nuisance and the mosquitoes are truly blood­ Robert L. Steiner. thirsty. The Adams fly is deadly because it looks so much like a mosquito, and the size 12 or 14 resembles the average Luzerne County Trout Stocking swamp mosquito. Late in the season the water gets very In 1984, Luzerne County received more than 108,000 clear, so you have to go to two-pound-test line on ultralight fish in inseason and preseason stocking. Here are some gear and wear the knees out of your waders to sneak up on of the county's best bets with the numbers of fish they the wary trout. received. Huntington Creek Harveys Lake 18,600 Huntington Creek crosses Route 118 between Pikes Harvey Creek 21,000 Creek and Kyttle, and two miles of the creek upstream and downstream at that crossing get stocked with trout. Lake Irena 11,000 Farther downstream you get into warmwater fishing, so Lake Francis 2,000 catfish, pickerel, and suckers can be taken below Hunting­ ton Mills. There are a few places open to fishing along this Lehigh River 10,100 creek. Nescopeck Creek 13,400 Hunlock, Harvey creeks Pine Creek 6,600 Both branches of Hunlock creek are stocked with brown Wapwallopen Creek 4,700 trout, and these waters also support wild brownies. All types of lures should be tried. One year the trout hit corn, and the next season they only take spinning lures like size 0 and 1 Mepps, C.P. Swings, Blue Fox Vibraxes, and Roos­ ter Tails. One of the most pressured trout streams in the county is Harvey Creek. It is easily accessible and trout are well- stocked over its entire 13-mile length, extending from Har- veys Lake to the Susquehanna River at West Nanticoke. Most of the land along Harvey Creek is owned by the Penn­ sylvania Gas and Water Company and is open to fishing only. Worms, minnows, and salmon eggs are good baits. Pine Creek The Fish Commission stocks some 12 to 15 miles of Pine Creek in this county with brown and rainbow trout. This creek has a number of nice holes that also hold good-sized wild browns, and the best time to catch them is early in the season until the second week of June. Minnows and worms are good baits. Pine Creek winds its way back and forth along the western border of the county from a point north of Fairmount Springs down toward St. Marthas Church, Register, and New Columbus. Wapwallopen Creek Flowing from the Susquehanna River bisecting the county is Wapwallopen Creek. This waterway is for the most part a put-and-take fishery, but provides good action with flies in summer and fall. In the early season, minnows are the preferred bait, which best tempt the large number of stocked brown trout. Two spots are particularly good. At the lower end, try your luck from the second bridge upstream from the mouth to the fourth bridge. At the top end of this waterway, try the American Legion property at Mountain Top. To avoid crowds, fish Wapwallopen Creek early in the morning or in the evening. [7*] PROFILE Trout of a Different Color by Richard A. Snyder

A beginning trout enthusiast at a fishing spot along any the culture of the palomino rainbow as a result of one of hundreds of streams stocked by the Commission experimental genetics work at the Benner Spring Fish might be startled when seeing what appears to be an Research Station. elongated goldfish. Chances are quite good that the The palomino, a cross between unrelated strains of angler observed a palomino trout from a recent stocking. fish, shows hybrid vigor common in such cross-breeding. The Commission regards the palomino trout as a novelty Palomino trout grow faster than progeny of comparable- fish and stocks it for adding variety to the angler's creel. age regular rainbows or even golden trout. The palominos During the 1983-84 fiscal year, some 47,000 palomino also demonstrate an extra degree of hardiness in the trout were stocked in waters of the Commonwealth by hatchery compared to other trout, although the egg the Commission. survival is lower than expected. Unlike many hybrids, The palomino trout is actually a rainbow trout but of which are often sexually sterile, the palomino trout is a a different color phase. It has the color of a palomino fertile hybrid. Routine hatchery operations are involved horse—thus, the name. The Commission began stocking in its propagation and culture. When two palominos are the palomino in 1967 following a period of selective bred, one might expect 50 percent of the offspring to breeding and culture efforts. The palomino is actually a be palomino trout, 25 percent to be golden rainbow genetic hybrid between a regular rainbow trout and a trout, and 25 percent to be regular rainbow trout. Often golden rainbow trout. The golden rainbow trout, in this these ratios vary, depending on the bloodlines of the case, came from a strain developed at a hatchery of the parents and the intensity of their colors. Considering the West Virginia Conservation Department. That strain, natural range in colors expected in any one color phase, called the West Virginia Centennial Golden Trout, is it any wonder why we see such a blend of shades, became quite popular in the 1960s and originated from a hues, and mosaics in a raceway of rainbow and palomino single "freak" female rainbow, possessing a mixture of trout? golden and normally pigmented tissue, discovered in Often, palominos are cultured and stocked as if they 1954. In the mid-1960s, the Commission obtained eggs were regular rainbows. Because palominos are so visible and sperm of the West Virginia golden trout and began in streams or lakes, many anglers use the palominos as an indicator of the abundance of the other harder-to-see trout. The fact that these highly colored trout are so conspicuous to man and to other predators may be one reason why few, if any, survive to the season's end -let alone those that find a suitable mate to renew the cycle. Anglers frequenting Lake Erie, its tributaries, and Presque Isle Bay may see other palominos. Palomino coloration has been bred into steelhead trout stocked in Lake Erie and its tributaries by local sportsmen. These highly colored migratory rainbows add another dimension to the Lake Erie experience for Commonwealth anglers. Relatively little field research has been done on the palomino trout, as palominos comprise less than one percent of the Commission's catchable trout stocking program. One study indicated that yearling palominos were returned to the angler's creel better than did brown. brook, and regular rainbow trout of the same age. General observations are that palomino trout are very much like regular rainbows in terms of diet, behavior, movement, and choice of habitats (see "The Aerial Acrobat" in the September 1982 issue of the Angler). E3

Richard A. Snyder is chief of the Commission Fisheries Management Section in the Division of Fisheries.

30 Pennsylvania Angler Palomino trout Illustrated by Tom Duran The gate swings both ways

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iccess to private land: For millions of anglers in Pennsylvania, it's the difference between spending a day afield, or the day at home.

For the most part, landowners are not against fishing. But they do want to control access to their property. They want to know who's on their land, and why.

Pennsylvania Fish It's been said many times before but always bears repeating: Ask Commission permission before you fish on private land, and once you get it, treat the land as if it were your own.

You have a fishing friend in Pennsylvania