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OFFICIAL STATE PUBLICATION

VOL. XIX—No. 7 JULY, 1950

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION

Division of HON. JAMES H. DUFF, Governor A PUBLICITY and PUBLIC RELATIONS * J. Allen Barrett Director PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION MILTON L. PEEK, President RADNOR PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER BERNARD S. HORNE, Vice-President South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. PITTSBURGH WILLIAM D. BURK MELROSE PARK 10 Cents a Copy—50 Cents a Year GEN. A. H. STACKPOLE Subscriptions should be addressed to the Editor, PENNSYL­ DAUPHIN VANIA ANGLER, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. Submit fee either by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth PAUL F. BITTENBENDER of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. Individuals sending cash WILKES-BARRE do so at their own risk. CLIFFORD J. WELSH ERIE PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contributions and photos of catches from its readers. Proper credit will be given to con­ LOUIS S. WINNER tributors. Send manuscripts and photos direct to the Editor LOCK HAVEN PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa.

Entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office of Harris­ EXECUTIVE OFFICE burg, Pa., under act of March 3, 1873. C. A. FRENCH, Executive Director ELLWOOD CITY IMPORTANT! H. R. STACKHOUSE The ANGLER should be notified immediately of change in sub­ Adm. Secretary scriber's address. Send both old and new addresses to Pennsyl­ vania Fish Commission, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. * Permission to reprint will be granted if proper credit is given. C. R. BULLER Chief Fish Culturist THOMAS F. O'HARA Construction Engineer Publication Office: Telegraph Press, Cameron and WILLIAM W. BRITTON Chief Fish Warden Kelker Street, Harrisburg, Pa. Executive and Editorial Offices: Commonwealth of ROBERT P. DEITER Comptroller Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Harris­ burg, Pa. ^r

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Almost all of the 16 million Americans who fish and hunt are deeply concerned about the future of those sports. Loud cries from every quar­ ter of the nation are calling for a greater abundance of game animals and fish and hundred of theories to bring this abundance about are ad­ vanced each year by the wildlife managers and by the sportsmen. And The Angler there is very little agreement between many of the ideas. Everyone seems to be for conservation—as long as someone else accomplishes it. Even though the nationwide movement for conservation is stronger ~76i& Iteue ... than it was a number of years ago, it is apparent that it is still lacking in that type of "push" and vitality which will make it a success. Ecological Sense or Nonsense Probably the greatest vacuum which must be filled in the sporting By Alvin (Bus) Grove world is in the attitude of the average sportsman concerning his favorite pastime afield. Most of us must confess that while we desire more game Conservation Means Human and more fish, there is very little that we have personally done to accom­ Resources Too 4 plish our objectives. By Thad A. Bukowski * For example, in Erie County less than 20 per cent of the fishing and hunting license purchasers are members of the Erie County Sportsman's Summer Resort Bass 6 League, the only organized sportsman's club in the area engaged in a By Don Winfers program of stocking pheasants, rabbits, and fish. • It is estimated that if every hunter and fisherman joined his area Nibbles in the Night 7 sportsmen's organization, that about four times as many rabbits could By William Boyd be stocked and about three times as many pheasants would be available » for fall shooting. F|y Fishing for Black Bass 8 In addition, many of the important land improvement measures which By Don Shiner are needed to provide food and cover for game animals and fish could be carried out. Most of these methods are easy to put into effect but they Hu"tin g for Your Fishing .... 10 require expensive labor to carry them out. It has been pretty well By Jack Anderson proven that the sportsmen do not intend to provide the labor with their own muscles, so it is only fair to ask them to provide it with their money. This extra money in the interest of game and fish abundance can F'sh Management Gadgets ... 12-13 By E. F. Westlake, Jr. properly be considered a part of the sportsmen's equipment. In 1949, hunters and fishermen spent almost six billion, yes billion, dollars to pursue their sports. If every sportsman spent an extra dollar on behalf bidden Trout Brooks 14 of his sport, this would only be about 16 million dollars and a small per­ By Dick Fortney centage of the total spent for guns, shells, rods, reels, licenses, etc. It is also reasonable to expect that as more and more hunters take to d- Reptiles and Amphibians 16 the field and more fishermen crowd the streams that increases in hunting By Hal H. Harrison and fishing license dollars will be asked to keep even with the demand. So let us all give more serious thought to the things that we can per­ Fish 'ng Isn't Catching Fish 17 sonally do to improve hunting and fishing conditions. Admitting that By Al Wolgast the present day sportsman is more interested in the enjoyment of being out of doors than in the actual bagging of game, there is nevertheless, Stre amside Life 21 no fun in coming home empty handed time after time. On the other By Robert Leo Smith hand, on those days when hunting and fishing is good there is no point in bringing home more than we can use. Many sportsmen impose rules on themselves which are more stringent than the state's bag limits, and take home one less than the limit when '<6e (fate* . . . that amount is adequate for their dinner table needs. However, let's all resolved to do something during the coming years to preserve the sports p 'bY James ;Balog and was taken at for the boys who are growing up around us. T.L rnen Lake near Green Lane, Pa. p e scene is reminiscent of ma>ny 6nnsylvania vacation spots. Ecological Sense or Nonsense (V) By Alvin (Bus) Grove i

HERE are among fishermen some However, introduction may involve browns (18-20 inches in length) ar« T who are of the honest opinion that only the placing of bass in water previ­ cannabalistic enough to eliminate man)1 fishing now is as good as it has ever ously thought of as trout water, or it of the smaller brook trout rathei been. The possible exception to this may actually involve only the estab­ quickly, and this they have done ap' opinion may be that the hatcheries lishing of another species of trout, for parently. Obviously introduction i! should raise and stock into our waters example rainbows into water already worthwhile, but it may be dangerou-' more fish, and more trout in particular. holding brown or brook trout. The and deserves serious consideratiof a Another segment of the fishing popula­ brook trout of course is the native before being undertaken. Its possibly tion is convinced that fishing is a thing of Pennsylvania streams, and both value though can be assayed when ijc of the past and there are no fish to be browns and rainbows are introduc­ is remembered that such famous trouje caught except the few that are stocked. tions. There is little doubt that certain rivers as the Manistee, Au Sable, an] I These fishermen either have sold or introductions have been very bene­ Pere Marquette in Michigan are syn | are about to sell their tackle and take ficial and have provided improved fish­ thetics, insofar at least that trout ther' a up golf. However, a third group of ing. Much brown trout water is not is an introduction. e anglers is sometimes heard from, and suitable for brook trout, and without Propagation has occupied the firs s in my opinion it is this group in which the planting of brown trout some of place in the minds of fishermen durinfs: there lies real hope for the future of our present trout water would be the past twenty or thirty years. Not al fishing. As a group they are not fatal­ barren. The stocking of bass and pan agree entirely with the program, brtri istic, but they do feel that in many fish into new ponds has in the past and most agree that it is the only apparert fi instances fishing is not as good now as may in the future improve our fishing. method by which large numbers oic it once was. On the other hand they Some introductions have not been suc­ trout or other fish can be propagate't] can name a stream or two which are cessful and were ill-conceived, either to be placed in a selected stream. Th1 c considerably better now than they by the "Powers that be" or by the business of propagation has becom1 v were ten or fifteen years ago. As a lowly fisherman himself. The empty­ big business, and a large share of th1 is group they are not particularly vocif­ ing into the lakes of the contents of fisherman's dollar goes into it. Tb1 c, erous and are often not heard from for bait buckets that include live yellow science of propagation has advance' li long periods of time. In general they perch has posed a problem, and much more rapidly than stream sci;^ are not fish hogs, but neither do they although not quite so serious in Penn­ ence, and today we understand muclp put back every fish that they catch. sylvania, it has been or will become better the needs of trout in a hatcher! e They are essentially good fishermen, disastrous in several lakes in New pond than in a natural stream erih good sportsmen, and good citizens, en­ York State. The value of the introduc­ vironment. As a matter of fact this] joying fishing as a sport and not as a tion of chain pickerel into a mountain raising of trout is much better unde? C substitute for beefsteak or lamb chops. pond previously occupied by brook stood than their stocking, and in mart tl They are usually sociable, considerate, trout in Centre County is questionable. instances where and when to stock \f< and good fellows. Of course, some hide Several years ago two large brown a serious problem. Arthur Carhart, if Sj within this group and give lip service trout were placed in a spring in Cum­ a recent article, calls the hatched li to it but are really not members in berland County, which previously was trout a gold plated trout. His inform^ good standing. It is the members of inhabited only by brook trout. The tion is startling and not without cofa this third group who are sufficiently interested in their sport to try to im­ prove it, not only for themselves but for their children as well. It is this part of the fishing population who ask, "How can we improve our fishing?" To some anglers the term improve means more fish; to others it may mean larger fish, and still to others fish in streams that do not now have a fish population. As a result the answer is not easy, and perhaps a program of improvement that leads to more fish will not at the same time provide larger fish nor in more streams. How­ ever, it is not to difficult to consider methods by which one or more of these improvements may be undertaken. Men interested in research in fish and fisheries summarize the methods of improvement into four categories— namely, Introduction, Propagation, Protection, and Stream Improvement. Introduction means to put fish into water in which they do not now exist. This may in the foreseeable future be a method that will be considered in re- populating certain of our streams now Water used in propagation must be properly aerated. Supply, temperature, degree of puiw and oxygen content are several of the important factors which must he considered in selectiO' involved in our Pure Stream Project. hatching locations.

PENNSYLVANIA ANGL^I siderable foundation. He states, for example, that only a 25% return re­ sults from stocked fish, that is to say, four trout are stocked and one is caught. He further estimates that an eight inch trout may cost thirty cents, in} and if so, the one out of four actually id creeled by the fisherman costs $1.20. ap- Can you imagine fishermen who catch i: such trout and feed them to the cat at DUi home? Within the past month I heard ior a fisherman claim he had a poor bl. evening's fishing on a local stream, i i creeling only two trout, one about ou eleven and the other fourteen inches. an< When he took them home, there was y» too little to bother to clean and cook, ier and so he fed them to the cat. At the estimated cost of $1.50 per pound he firs' supplied his cat with a $3.00 blue plate rini special. tal The rights of individuals are to be bu respected and protected. After all the re»! fisherman caught the trout and so he ; o could do whatever he wanted to with atei raffish have been introduced into this pond. With a minimum of management much fun- them. He also purchased a 1950 li­ nshine couHl%iT providedI here Notice that the stream flowing into the head of the pond his Tb' cense which permits him to do just silted in at least a third of it and that cat-tails and several other aquatic plants are now living Offl1 *hat he did, but in spite of all this it fn this mud tol Many of the small ponds built in Pennsylvania have become silt catchers. tb' is difficult to see and understand the Tb cat-trout relationship. The cost of the some fishermen do such things in total 1 carry out and abandons it to the buz­ ice license in this case paid for the trout zards and ants. Some fishermen kill ignorance of the problems of fishing sci *hich were creeled, but if it is to be every legal trout that they catch, and and the cost. It is hoped that the iuq Put solely on a dollar and cents ex­ they do it deliberately with every in­ insistence of a right will not cause it her: change, then this fisherman has taken tention of taking home as big a basket to be lost. The idea reminds me of a story a fishing crony told me several eJ "is money's worth for this year and as possible. Some fishermen must have tb weeks ago. We had been fishing close should put his rod away for the season. a limit catch to show to the neighbors, ideJ Obviously this is not the answer, but together, and when it was too dark to nab and others keep lists to indicate their see our flies on the water, we reeled the fisherman who kills trout and then prowess. Early this spring, before the feeds them to the cat is in about the in and stood along the bank talking. s season opened, one fisherman showed -t, i ame category as the hunter who de­ He related an experience that he and liberately kills a hen pheasant and me his 1949 list of 250 trout, all killed several other men had had on opening hei' and duly recorded. rmf leaves it to rot in the weeds or shoots day. At a place called the Whirl Hole a deer only to find it too difficult to I cannot avoid the conclusion that a half dozen or so men were fishing cof from the bank when from somewhere upstream there appeared a fisherman wading the middle of the creek, right into the hole with the water near his boot tops. The comments from the bank fishermen can be imagined, but the wader retorted that he could wade where and when he pleased. Now no one, I am sure, denies this although sometimes we wish such people would wade in over their heads. After the reply one fisherman from the bank threw a large rock into the water, near the wader's line, and immediately a howl of protest issued from the wader, about spoiling his fishing. The rock thrower said he was sorry but he could throw rocks into the stream wherever and whenever he pleased. The idea is so obvious that the story seems trite, but there is little doubt that the ex­ pression of an individual right may at times not only be dangerous but cer­ tainly is not to be expressed at the expense of the rights of others. In 1943 Gordon L. Trembley re­ ported that in 1939, 2130 tagged trout Several large springs supply the water for this hatchery. Locations: where ^j^^X^™ rorit *ater is available are not too numerous and impose considerable limitations on possible hatchery (Turn, to p°9e 2°) •ctitf sUes.

L J^tLY— 1950 Conservation Means Human Resources Too! By Thad A. Bukowski unit from time immemorial has been type of individual who conservationists the most significant unit in keeping our have the greatest trouble with, be­ OR many years now we have prac­ nation strong and all of us healthy in cause in effect he is hitting back at F ticed conservation in nature. We our outlook upon life. It is important, what his father liked but did not pro­ have tried to prevent forest fires. We therefore, that the family unit con­ vide for him—the enjoyment of both have tried to keep the soil from erod­ tribute a great amount of correct this needed companioship and the ing to the sea. We have tried for a teaching even in the conservational pleasure of the outdoors. The reason number of years recently to provide field. the outdoors may become distasteful adequate food and cover for our game How does this concern for the family to him and make of him a problem may in order that it may live, flourish, and unit and what it does have anything be due to the simple fact that it always replenish itself in our game lands. to do with the outdoors? Well, let's associates him with his father and he Just recently too, our greatest conser­ take the problem of learning to hunt realizes that he lost his father's friend­ vation measure has been our gover­ and to fish. Generally speaking, prac­ ship to his father's liking for the out­ nor's attempt to clean the streams of tically all of us as sportsmen have doors to the extent that he didn't take our Commonwealth in order that pure learned this very satisfying leisure his son out with him. water may result, and we may not only time activity from someone older than This is the son's manner or reason­ have better recreational activity such ourselves right in the family. And ing: as fishing, swimming and outdoor most of the time probably from our 1. I love my father sports of all sorts, but also that all the fathers. Also, the chief reason why we 2. He loves fishing and hunting bet citizens may get a more adequate sup­ are avid sportsmen now is in great ter than me because he prefers ply of a God-given commodity in the part due to the fact that the learning them to being bothered with me way in which they should get it—as experience was a pleasure while we 3. Therefore, I hate anything that; fresh as possible. went through it. It was not a task, takes him away from me. nor something distasteful that had to But conservation should reach out This may sound a bit far-fetched but be done. in the subconscious mind of each in­ farther than that. In fact, it is reaching dividual such thoughts exist and may out farther than that, and we should Generally speaking, any youngster in the family will be tickled "literally later cause trouble relating to anti-; all familiarize ourselves better with its to death" to go on his first few fishing social behavior and anti-sportsman^ new aspect which directly and indi­ or hunting experiences with his dad. ship. rectly concerns itself more and more It is tremendously important for a Now to get back to our original dis-j with the human being himself. father, therefore, to arouse a spirit of cussion and put it in the form of a| For years we have been doing an companionship between himself and question. How can a father teach his excellent job in the conservational his son and include him on his sport­ son the true love of the outdoors and: field, to reiterate, in trying to prevent ing ventures at least a nominal number make of him the kind of future sports'! waste of any kind. In the human field of times each year in order that he man that the Commonwealth and the; we have been apprehending arsonists may have this feeling of pleasure. Not country, for that matter, needs? who periodically burn the forests, we doing so may make the son feel un­ First, and foremost, there must be have been apprehending dynamiters wanted and cause him to receive tre­ that definite spirit of companionship be­ who wilfully killed fish, we have been mendous psychological shock which in tween father and son which will enable apprehending poachers who have shot later years may make him exactly the each experience to begin in the right game out of season; in other words we have been trying to prevent wrong­ doers from doing wrong anywhere in the field of nature. Our program of preventive measures has been espe­ cially successful and at the present time we are looking forward to an era in which we expect greater caution, too, among all careless individuals. However, we must do better, more adequate work along the line of estab­ lishing correct attitudes among those of our coming generation who in future years will inherit the outdoors and who will spend much of their time in our forests, parks, and along our streams and lakes. It is definitely a fact that we learn by imitation; in other words we learn through the experiences of our en­ vironment. It is also an established fact that we learn most of what we keep with us in the line of character and moral integrity in our lives through those innumerable teachings which come incidentally and coinci- We must teach our children in such a way that when they venture into the outdoors we dentally from, the family, The family shall be sale in the knowledge that what they do will be right for conservation and themselves. n PENNSYLVANIA ANG£E% rnanner. The father should evidence a A lunch which both of them can share, 3. Because correct teaching within broadmindedness and permit a sense man to man, is a wonderful way by the family unit is the best preventive of equality to exist between himself which a child gains the type of ego medicine that we can ever provide in and his son. Most of the teaching recognition that any happy and healthy the conservational field. If the child about the outdoors should also be of youngster needs. Every father is a learns correctly from youth because of ists the incidental type. When questions hero in his son's eyes. The more time satisfying experiences with his father be­ are asked, they should be answered he spends on his boy in friendly com­ or elders within the family, he is much at in the most interesting possible man­ panionship, the greater hero he will be. less apt to be any type of a problem iro- ner. When the son misses observing Every boy needs this element of hero to the conservationist in later years. °th something particularly interesting or worship in his youth but too often few Preventive medicine is not so much the Worthwhile his attention should be of us care to provide situations for this right when we punish the wrongdoer son called to it. If it is an unusual for our children though in its essence for doing wrong but in going further -iul specimen of wildlife, a bird, animal, or at the time they are youngsters it is to the situation in which we provide ^ay the like, the observation can be made the best thing that we could ever pro­ adequate opportunities to interest ays too, with often emphasis placed on the vide for them, for wholesome spiritual more youngsters in doing right. ^f conservational aspect. How better can and emotional growth. Let's conserve our human resource, nd- the son learn this association of wild- I can remember my early days as then, by providing adequate, whole­ ' j life to conservation measures? In this a boy. Having been fortunate enough some and emotionally satisfying ex­ *ke manner, by precept or example rather to have the type of a father who pro­ periences for our children in nature so , than by command can the idea not vided my brother and me with this that they may grow with the correct on- °nly of conservation but love of the significant experience, I can see in attitudes to continue the work which outdoors be installed. retrospect how badly it is needed by so many concerned people have already When the boy begins to learn how every boy. Childhood days are the begun. For it is imperative that we jet- to fish he should be permitted to learn days when the greatest amount is of our generation not only leave the erS by himself after the first simple ex- learned because it is all so new and heritage of excellent natural resources me Planations or instructions are given. it is important to learn it correctly, among our wildlife, and excellent hat ylost of the time his immediate learn- with wholesome and optimistic atti­ means of conservation foV our land, ltlg by observation of his father or tudes towards life. In later life im­ but that we also leave among our chil­ but others will be sufficient to get him pressions are not so vivid because the dren the correct knowledge and at­ in- Parted. The worst possible thing that world no longer is so large, so new, titudes which will have them knowing iay ^father could do is to continually tell so amazing, and probably for too many how to get the best out of their lives iti- |}*s son what to do. Tell him where to who have already set a rigid pattern in happiness and enjoyment of living, an- jjsh, tell him what bait to use, tell him of living, not nearly so interesting. besides continuing that which we pow to throw in line, tell him when Now, why, we might ask ourselves passed on to them. It is important for lis- to yank the line. This repeated telling should we provide this type of recrea­ us to individually teach them in our f s aild criticism is the quickest way in tional learning for our children: families all those simple elements of his taking him not only disinterested but 1. Because through this warm hu­ good wholesome living that are so ac ind tually antagonistic towards anything man companionship we provide our badly needed so that when they ven­ rtS'l i^ich even resembles the outdoors. children with the affection that all ture into the treasure chest of the the ^ e see, therefore, a second way here, human beings need to become happy outdoors we shall be safe in the | ,D.y which a child can be led to a dis- adults. knowledge that what they will do will ke *ke of the outdoors. 2. Because we teach them something be right. ^e. In his fishing endeavors with his son which can't be as readily taught else­ In closing we must take on a few ye "lere should be some attempt at where, nor under as exceptionally added words of warning. Society is ^t ^king it more than just a journey. wholesome conditions. full of problem cases now, many of them would not have existed if they would have had more satisfying human emotional experiences as between par­ ent and child. It is environment in all its ramifications which may cause emo­ tional shocks in life resulting in anti­ social action. It is up to us all there­ fore, to provide wholesome environ­ ments for our children in order to in­ sure against this. What then, could be more whole­ some than the outdoors, properly pre­ sented?

Cut Carp for Catfish Bait A catfish bait that is becoming increasing­ ly popular is the so-called cut or chunk bait. It is made by filleting carp, cutting the fillets into strips two to three inches long and about an inch wide. The carp strips are put into a glass jar and let stand two or three days in cool weather or a few hours in hot weather. Catfish find this bait irresistible in any earn point of decomposition, from slightly "sour" e Sv,V «ns by association with others is pleasanter and more worthwhile than that which re- to just short of dead ripe. v "Its from continual direction. a ^LY- 1950 Summer Resort By Don Winters

ISHERMEN familiar with the hard The two most popular lakes in this Ffished, popular resort lakes of West­ section as tourist spots, are Canadohta ern Pennsylvania, realize that we deal and Conneaut. Cabins and cottages are with a mighty temperamental breed of filled throughout the season, and the bass. Unlike his more gullible brothers bass in these waters are fished over of the wilderness areas, our bass have daily from the season's start until acquired big city ways. He learns early Labor Day. The bulk of the fishermen in life that it pays to keep his big working these lakes with live bait and mouth shut a good part of the time plug seem to be middle of the day (especially between Decoration and anglers. Mid-morning until supper Labor days), and that a diving board time, a steady parade of lures pass offers just as fine protection and shade through all fishable pockets and chan­ as the more conventional tree top or nels. Needless to say, results are under water stump. He also learns usually very poor at this time, and that pretty girls in bathing suits can usually by five or six o'clock in the churn up quite a fuss in the water, but afternoon the angler is low in spirits are to be trusted a lot further than the and long on sunburn, so he winds 'er quiet characters that sit for hours out up for the day. He usually quits a bit over fairly deep water in a row boat, too soon. and gently raise and lower toothsome As the sun begins to set and the minnows and soft shell crabs alongside shadows begin to lengthen, a change the weed beds. As he gets along in comes over the resort lake. Bathers years he may also discover the fact begin to leave the beach and the diving A big resort lake bass. St: that the first two or three toboggans boards, and motor boats that have black and glassy, and occupied by > ^ that come careening down the skidway roared all day long up and down the of the popular water slide every day plenty of feeding bass. Fishermen;' ^ deep channels are suddenly stilled, and should work lures slowly, with fre- ^ are apt to dislodge quite a few choice a temporary quiet descends on even crustaceans and water bugs from the quent stops and pauses in the retrieve. the most lively of these resorts. Let's The boat or canoe should be no closer vj shaking piling. He grows fat and sassy go fishing! in this hepped up element, contemp­ than easy casting distance to the shore j tuous of ordinary fishing tactics, and As the twilight begins to deepen, the line or weed bed edge. Work such' ^ usually a little cocky and careless. But ever present frogs start their nightly spots S-L-O-W-L-Y, and carefully, but tg. by changing our own fishing technique chorus and the best hour of the day is be ready, just when you least expect' jj( slightly, we can beat these summer re­ at hand for the bass fisherman. But it, the placid surface will erupt like the, ai) sort bass at their own game and put time is short, soon the frogs will be bay at Bikini, and you'll be a mighty ^ drowned out by the music of the dance busy boy for the next few minutes. Str them in the frying pan just about as : easy as we do their shy back country band on the pavilion across the lake, The Deacon calls this surface teasingi to] brothers. and the motor boat boys will have twilight angling, "heart failure fish' QXl rested a bit and once more will rip the ing," and advises the chap with the t channels of the lake apart with their weak ticker not to expose himself to) 0ri spotlight-equipped cruisers, so let's get many of these smashing surface strikeS'{ ^ ( busy! The surface strike at twilight is a thrillj fQ]. This hour of twilight fishing gener­ never to be forgotten. The plug or fij' tin ally calls for top water lures, either on rod lure works its way back slowly Cg the casting rod or the longer fly rod. across the dark water, you hear strain?; an, Bass move into the shallows at this of music from someone's radio in 3 t0c time of day, and shore lines and pad nearby cottage, your mind stray? ha, and weed clumps should be worked briefly from the business at hand e^, thoroughly. The popular medium sized maybe you're wondering if the insui" i surface plugs in dark colors are fine ance game will pick up, or if the—'' Va for this work, as well as large cork and WHAMMO! The heck with every j to hair fly rod bugs. Both bait and fly thing, brother! You're fast to one o' Hig rods take fish readily and there is little those big, hefty summer resort basS' at and he doesn't want to leave! & fisl preference. My younger brother, the e ground covering, dead serious Deacon, planned on staying on for the whol tyg swears by a jet black surface noise season and it's up to you to change hi- "tbi, maker of the Jitter-Bug or Injured mind, so get at it! t |V?a. Minnow type, while Bill Jones, a fish­ This wonderful twilight hour is| J ing side kick of mine, is partial to an worth the rest of the day, as far a5 ten out size, home made deer hair bass taking fish in resort waters, the ne#' bu< bug, roughly about as big as a yearling best time in my estimation, is early if Boi black duck! Both these boys take bass the morning before the camps and cot'hoc in numbers during this magic twilight tages have come to life. At this time i! to hour, so use the method that suits you is possible to fish a lot of the close tf-'Mt best. water, near the swimming areas, etC'Paj The water is generally at its calmest Diving boards and pilings may produCUtt; (Turn to page 24) Deacon fyid his resort lake Bigmouth. stage at this time of day, unruffled, 1 6 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE' flashlight in the other. Del lifted hard until his rod was bent almost Nibbles In The Night By William Boyd double and in the beam of the flash­ light I saw the head of a big eel at the end of Del's leader. f T WAS so dark one couldn't see his Carl and I escaped this predicament * hand in front of his face. Doubt­ by employing underhand casts and had After a half dozen attempts I suc­ less the thick-foliaged trees with their the satisfaction of hearing our bait hit ceeded in getting the net under the over-hanging branches had something the water, but it was Del who had the eel's tail and lifted until his squirming to do with the density of the darkness, first action. length was in the fine-meshed net. I clamped the net shut under the ring f^lso, there was no moon, and we were "I have a strike!" he exclaimed 111 a valley close to the foothills of a to keep the eel from working out of it, about a minute after he had loosened and walked ashore, Del following be­ fountain. his hook from the foliage. We heard The thick muck of the stream's shore cause his hook was in the landing net the splashing and knew he had hooked with the eel. ^as so deep and its suction so great his fish, whatever it was. £ne thought of quicksands in spite of "What in heck are we going to do "One of you fellows with a flashlight with him?" inquired Del. We were himself. We sank in muck to our knees give me a little illumination, will you?" and when we lifted a foot to take ashore now and the beam of the flash­ Del asked. Carl was standing closest light revealed a snakelike creature as another forward step the pull of the to him so he turned on his light and thick black muck almost separated us thick as one's wrist. rom our hip-length boots even though directed it toward Del. "I have a burlap sack in the back hey were fastened securely to our "It's a 'cattie,' " explained Del. And of my car," I advised Del. "If you belts. then, as Carl's light strayed from him want to take this eel home with you for a moment, "holy mackerel, he go back to the car and get that sack." , It was an eerie experience, made stung me!" howled Del. He had closed Meanwhile I had cut Del's leader at °ubly so by other contributing fac- his hand on the needle-sharp side fins the place where it protruded from my °rs. A big turtle, alarmed at our ad­ of the catfish and suffered a painful landing net and had wrapped a bit of vance, slid from the shore into the sting. string around the top of the net, se­ ater near us with a splash that was We shouted all sorts of useless di­ curely confining the eel. tartling. In the woods through which rections to Del while laughing at his e In a remarkably short while Del was i had come to reach the stream a discomfort. He took it good-naturedly or back with the burlap sack and we ji se on all-night forage tramped when he discovered his catch was a e i stuck the net down into the sack and „ ?y ly, and one naturally thought of good-sized "cattie" and succeeded in Wljd animals. untied the string, permitting the eel to getting it into his creel without further slide out of the net into the sack. Then \ knew the stream which we had damage to himself. we quickly closed the open end of the pited for a bit pf night fishing but It was Del's turn to laugh a few sack and tied it with the string which had miscalculated in the darkness minutes later when Bill, losing his bal­ had first been used on the net. d We were downstream a short dis- ance as he made a cast in which his jhce from where I usually crossed. weight was shifted to one foot, causing "My mother-in-law will enjoy that e e eel," said Del. "She says there are no a J the water was deeper than above it to sink suddenly into the muddy d fish like eels for eating, and this one i much swifter. I wasn't any too creek bottom, and making him stick ^PPy about the whole thing but I is certainly large enough to satisfy her s his hand into the water to his shoulder appetite." C d as Z heard Del utter an under- to keep from falling into the stream. he 'damn!" as water splashed over It was a still, warm night and what n By now our eyes were more ac­ ° £ boot top. customed to the darkness and we had mosquitos there were we discouraged from feeding on us by liberal applica­ ^arl, and Del, and Bill and I were gotten our bearings so we could fish tions to our faces, necks, and hands of a fhe expedition. The employment of with more confidence. At about the c °uple of the men made it difficult same time the catfish began feeding in a rather vile-smelling "bug dope." tim flm to get away often f°r day- earnest and all four of us were catch­ (Turn to page 18) Ca 1 sning, so we planned night sport. ing fish. UM and * had fished this creek before It was Del, somewhat uncomfortable We knew had bass in iL Catnsh from the wet foot he had suffered t0o ** > 1 had' Were numerous and the stream when he shipped water while negotiat­ ey i?u tne appearances of being an ing the stream, who relieved the one for eels monotony of the catfish catching. Wv, Ue two of u - ' \\ra , s had flashlights", it "Boy, oh boy!" he ejaculated, "I've di c t0 e ® ult to determine just where really tied into something. This isn't a ' high? ' al^ough we had planned our 'cattie,' or if it is it certainly is the ' at i°perations for a rather deep pool great grandfather of all catfish in this l;fish% d of the stream- We had to creek. Golly, I can scarcely move 1 ^est m ^e east snore because the him!" I thi J, embankment was a steep one "Don't let him throw you," advised Wa+ Y grown with underbrush to the Bill, and Carl offered a bit of advice e s ed e S 'i,ii §°^- that wasn't in the least helpful to the . Oilul] an=«dJ T-De> l made the mistake of at- busy Del. :?beUshih g overnand casts, not realizing "Bring that net of yours, will you ' ^oth i, WePe S0 close behind them, Boyd?" Del called to me. "I know 'hoov Un§ their nightcrawler-baited darn well I can't get this, whatever it i'to ^S ,on the undergrowth. They had is, out of the water. I'm praying now '^ith+il6 ashore and follow their lines that he doesn't break my leader, for Kttt- ,eir hands until they located the he sure is tearing around." ftta hZf* Pushes to which they were By this time I had reached Del's side with my net in one hand and a Old covered bridge near our night-fishing spot. Fly Fishing For Black Bass

By Don Shiner ease in handling the bug, however, any level line in the above size will work VER CATCH bronze-backs using satisfactorily. The line is required to E a fly rod and surface bug? If you float and unless it does rest on the sur­ have, you already know of this delight­ face, the bug can not be manipulated ful sport and regard it as a productive properly nor can the line be picked way of creeling bass. To those anglers up readily for another cast, or hook who have not touched upon this bug set efficiently in a striking bass. There­ game, they are missing one of the most fore some sort of line dressing should pleasing games and are not deriving be used frequently. Ordinary car si- the full pleasure which angling our monize or wax will work satisfactorily fresh water streams in Pennsylvania Fly fishing for bass often produces some ex* if no other dressing is available or if ceptionally fine specimens. This bass was caugh'i have to offer. by chance the dressing material has by William (Bill) Levan of Nescopeck, measur- Fly fishing for bass is a game to be been one of those items which invari­ ing nearly twenty inches. 1, compared to dry fly angling for trout. ably are forgotten. 1< Using surface bugs, the angler is able side of the lures themselves, and it cart a Either a single action or an auto­ be seen that outside of it being coarse! to see the bronze battlers rise to the matic reel can be used. An automatic n lure and greedily strike with determi­ tackle, it is identically the same a^ quickly takes up the slack line be­ il nation. It is gaining momentum each used for the aristocratic trout. g tween long and short casts and helps year and will eventually rank on the There is a wide variety of floating h level with the ever popular casting when battling an energetic bronze- bug lures, some representing crippled tl rod and plug lures. back. However, either type reel can minnows, frogs, mice, large beetles, a It is quite natural for the trout dry be used equally well. moths and, of course, the ever populaf P fly enthusiast to follow this bug game Leaders are another important fac­ and famed popping bugs. All are gooo since they are very closely related. The tor in bugging. Bass are not as con­ lures and a variety of each should hi tl equipment is primarily the same, how­ scious or shy of lines as are trout, but carried. This does not mean stocking ti ever, the bugs are larger and more air a leader 7*/> feet in length or longer oneself with such a host of bug lure-'; t\ resistant, hence, heavier equipment is erases any suspicion the bass may ac­ that it causes round shoulders to carr^ C( desirable. quire that the line and bug are con­ them, but one or two in each type i| fc A rod, split bamboo preferred by the various colors is sufficient. Bass ar4 pi nected. These leaders should be of far less selective in their feeding al majority, should be 9 or 9^ feet in the tapered variety, tapering to about y> length and around the neighborhood are trout, and most any edible creatur^ IX. These, as in dry fly angling, should b- of 5 ounces. This rod, of course, re­ which they can master is placed off ri quires a line to bring out its power, sink beneath the water to remove any their menu. The one most important 1 iin and size D or C level, or HDH, HCH, tell tale shadow which appears with factor in the success of lures is tha b, HCG tapered line is quite satisfactory. a floating leader. each should be fished naturally. WheA O] A tapered line seems to add greater This constitutes the equipment, out- using a mouse lure, fish it like a liv? swimming mouse, not like a butterflj thrashing around on the water. k Remember that 70% of the wate'i ti- of a lake does not contain any fisj se Also one place where fish are at on| it season of the year, at one day, or 3] one water temperature may have non* P< of the same fish when time and condi' t tion changes. As an example, bass V' io the spring and early summer, whef Hi c the temperature of the water is aroun ' cl 65°, will invariably be found in sha»' ta low water, close to the shore lin^ st around weed beds, water lilies an

•^LY- 1950 So that's how our idea to mix hunt-; ing and fishing began. We called if Hunting For Your Fishing "exploring." Your neighborhood has its pet fish­ By Jack Anderson murmuring, gurgling only at some ing holes, where everybody goes tdj chance spurt across a jutting stone, we angle, year after year, the best fishing ID you ever fish in a stream which baited our hooks. Then, our first eager spots that because of pressure, yield D was more of a problem to get a casts . . . few heavy catches. It's become a habit line into, than a fish out of? It's an to head to these places, the same as How thrilled we were at the quick, adventure that faced an unconven­ heading for your favorite evening tional angler who likes to mix hunting savage tugs! In our excitement we hangout. with his fishing. pulled too soon and missed our first Also near your neighborhood, We'll be telling you about that prob­ several fish. Finally my buddy dragged quietly runs some forgotten stream* lem, later on. But first, let's tell you in a fat, wriggling bluegill—eatin' size, And there lies the pond which nobody* how this hunting-fishing game began. the dark kind with deep red sides and including owner, pays any attention' Seems that during boyhood, fishing big black head. Or how about the feeder stream in eastern Pennsylvania was in a Before his battle was over, I set the which is too small for fishing? Or thai slump. Trout were stocked, but in hook into a whopping sucker ... a stretch of stream or lake that's too faf trickles, and fingerlings the size of fourteen incher, which, then, was a from a good road or too brushy? pencil stubs were dumped into open prized specimen. Why, our chatter Think . . . and you'll recall some streams. Perkiomen Creek ice dams raised the heads of those grazing Hol­ place that comes into our classification that came as regular as canal locks steins, so that their neck-bells shattered of Forgotten Places. from Hosensack to Green Lane were the quiet of that lazy summer's day! That's the idea of combining Hunt- split by floods, with tons of the fish The chatter should have frightened ing and Fishing. You fish those For­ feeding crows in the marshes and the fish, too; .but there we stood, laugh­ gotten Places. meadows of Perkiomen Valley. And Remember how we asked at the be­ ing, full of "We-e-es!" and "Boy-s-s!" jobs were scarce and people had time ginning: Did you ever fish a streant to dawdle along creek banks. and getting strikes as fast as our lines which was more of a problem to get i People then looked for meat for the struck water. line into than a fish out of? wife and kiddies. Well, get back into your own straw Well, let me tell you about a cloud)' My buddy and I were in that age hat days, take off your shoes and stock­ spring day in the Poconos. when sunfish had lost their thrill and ings and put a cornhusk cigarette on Ever feel spring coming in the Pc we looked for something different. your lips—then you'll get the gay, sat­ conos? . . . May be a cold day, sharf "How comes nobody ever fishes isfied feeling we had, that entire after­ as wolves' teeth even underneath down through there?" my buddy asked noon. In that meadow stretch we mackinaw or jacket. You haven'f one day, and pointed over a deep- caught horned chubs (dace, I believe heard peepers yet; snow still lies it grassed meadow where Holsteins con­ they're correctly called), shiners, red- hemlock gullies and atop Big Pocono tentedly fed, to a dark lazy stream that fins, grass pike, suckers, bluegills, There isn't a single glitter of green, nof looped itself around willows and tough punkinseeds, and despite sunlight and a solitary robin. Suddenly, out of no-; grass tufts and vanished, to our boy­ clear water, two catfish. where, you hear a wind, caughing fl hood hearts mysteriously, into a thick woodland. "I dunno," was my slow, thoughtful reply, "guess everyone thinks it's too small up here. They catch all kinds of fish five miles down." Then an idea touched fire to my boy­ hood enthusiasm. "Let's fish it," I suggested. One thing about kids—many things of the world are still new, still thrilling. If we adults could look forward to something different each day, how much more content, aggressively alert, we'd be. Back then, we were ready to step into a new adventure. Hurriedly we stepped into heavy boots, rigged poles, shouldered creels and strapped on worm cans. It is a pleasant memory, the sun slanting warm against our faces, the winds warm and heavy with rich meadow smells with that faint damp­ ness edging in from the creek. A day of leisure before us; a day to enjoy! We didn't know what kind of fish to expect—if any. We stepped into the creek together, at a very brushy spot, where brush and briars hugged the banks and the water cut so sharply a great brown gash of earth glared un­ derneath the sod. With the water lowly Hunt for your fish—here's the reward.

10 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE1! tall evergreens and cracking through Pole-stage hardwoods. Then the wind is in. But it isn't sharp, cutting, raw. It isn't winter. In a single, magical, Wonderful breath, it's spring. A breath that warms your heart, brings the old sap leaping into your legs, makes you Want to go fishing. It was that kind of day that I crossed an orchard, that, if human, would have "ad hair to its knees, and started fish- lng a feeder to a popular Pocono stream. As usual when fishing tiny mountain streams, where you tangle constantly with laurel, rhododendron, scrub oak, and assorted brush, I carried a tele­ scope rod, and for bait, a can of "gar­ den hackle." This stream was a spring run, and I followed it 15 feet without being able |° get a line between the long, over­ lapping grasses. It ran narrow, but "eep and fast. You saw deer wakes in the grasses. At the crossing point of °ne of these wakes, I made my first cast. A lunker like this is a real prize. So quick was response, that it star­ red me. The trout snagged the worm too small . . . and then my first big from the top and whisked it under the sure as shootin'. Like the time a pal of surprise, a 10-inch brownie, which, I banks, where I set the hook and pulled mine caught a two-foot watersnake on swiftly reasoned, had moved up from out a fat-bellied native, a deep-red fel­ a minnow lure. Or the time two of us the parent stream. caught a huge snapping turtle on a fly low almost black on top. Guess he'd rod. have made the six inch mark, I dunno That brownie, pals, is the moral of • • • but after wetting my fingers, I this yarn: I snagged five brownies that One of our most unusual experiences nudged him back to his home appar- afternoon, nice, fat fellows, the kind was while exploring a swampy stretch eWly unhurt but much wiser. Then, with red spots and orange bellies and of a Bucks County stream. A heavy grinning at the sport ahead, I rebaited lots of scrap. Fishing, all afternoon, thunderstorm broke early in the day and worked my way through a sumac was entertaining, and the biggest prob­ and afterward, we found ourselves fish­ chaster to another appealing hole. lem was not finding fish, but finding a ing in a swiftly-rising, mud-choked This hole produced two natives, both clean spot to drop in a line. stream. We were fishing with fly rods You find that kind of afternoon, and minnows, hoping for pickerel. Our when you mix hunting with your fish­ hopes were sinking when I suddenly ing. got an idea and left the minnow settle And you also find the kind of after­ to the bottom for a short time while I noon we found in a swamp above the ate a sandwich. Pinchot Trail near White Haven, on Suddenly my line moved through Hayes Creek. Know of that swamp, the water, slowly at first, but with Pocono fans? I invite you to try it. gathering speed, until finally there Two of us spent a cold, rainy afternoon were heavy tugs on the rod. I set the on hands and knees in rhododendron hook into a good-sized fish, and about as thick as jungle foliage. We caught three minutes later, landed the first of no fish, but left a good slice of religion many fat, fighting eels. in that swamp. Believe me, catching eels with fly Why don't you try this idea of "ex­ rod is sport . . . try it sometime. After ploring"? the sport, you can have the eels. I've If you do, here's a sample equipment read about their fine taste, but give me list: A short rod, perhaps a telescope trout, perch, or catfish, any time. if brush is exceedingly thick; a creel; Remember, early in the article I said worm can strapped to the belt; an as­ something about getting back into the sortment of flies both wet and dry; a corn husk cigarette days . . . some­ few fly rod bass and pickerel lures; and thing about that old, gay feeling, that hip boots or waders. Try to carry as youthful yearning for the unusual. large variety of baits as possible, be­ Well, I think this exploring game will cause almost any specie of fish may be give you something of this old, lost encountered. feeling. A combination of Hunting and And in fishing, change lures and Fishing is something a little new, a methods often, because sometimes little different. I think you'll get satis­ you'll be surprised at the nice fish you faction from it—perhaps some fish— can drag from Forgotten Places. perhaps disappointment. The se came from a so-called "mud-hole." You'll run into the unexpected, as Try it, and see,

J ULY— 1950 U FISH MANAGEMENT GADGETS By E. F. WESTLAKE, JR. Assistant Aquatic Biologist Pennsylvania Fish Commission

The pictures on these two pages are presented to better acquaint many interested anglers of Pennsylvania with the important and eve| day tools used by the Fish Commission's biologists and others at State hatcheries in their earnest efforts to help raise and stock more in our streams.

Above—For determining depths and light penetration in lakes. Sounding leads and calibrated chain, turbidity scale and disc.

Above—Used in lake bottom studies. Dredge for obtaining bottom samples and sieves for separating bottom-dwelling organisms. Mes­ senger (top) slides down chain and trips dredge.

Below—Gill Net. Made of linen or nylon and usually weighted so they stand up like a fence on the bottom. Fish run into meshes and Above—Portable resistance thermometer. Bulb (upper right) is are caught by the head. Set in both deep and shallow water. lowered to any water level and temperature is recorded electrically in the boat. Above—Water analysis equipment. Chemistry set (left), pH Kit Above—Measuring, weighing, and counting fish. Measuring board, bright) and water sampler (below). scales, field notebook, hand tally (above notebook) and envelopes for fish scales.

Ahove fu —For plankton studies. Folding plankton net (below ), centri- Above—Marking and tagging fishes. Fish tags and shears for fin I se (upper right) and microscope (upper left). clipping.

Below—Seine. Equipped with bags or pockets In the center, seines Below—Trap Net. Usually set in shallow water. The "lead" mav be re used for shallow water fishing. as long as 200 feet. Fish follow this lead into the trap. • Hidden Trout Brooks By Dick Fortney Fishing Streams How well do you know the brooks, N THE mountains and the valleys of lines thick with evergreens, and twist­ creeks, and rivers in which you fish? ing currents. Do you know where to look for good I the state of Pennsylvania are liter­ fishing spots in riffles, in swift glides, ally hundreds of miles of little trout Time and again I have fished this and in the quiet pools? brooks that are ignored by the vast stretch of stream, never failing to catch anywhere from a dozen to a score or Beginning with the next issue, majority of anglers. While the larger, PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER will present a better known streams are fished day more of trout. series of three articles analyzing the after "day by an army of sportsmen The stream is capable of surprises common characteristics of streams, from April 15 through July 31, these too. One afternoon, near the end of the and their significance for the angler. little hidden brooks babble on their stretch I like to fish, I let the current The series has been written ex­ way, disturbed only by anglers who carry my dry fly over a riffle and down clusively for PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER by have learned the secret of their charm. into a fairly deep pocket while I tucked a veteran writer and former editor of Little trout brooks are not for meat my rod under my arm and lighted a the magazine, Dick Fortney. fishermen, for while an occasional good cigarette. Your reading of them will enrich fish may be caught in their pools, by When I shifted my rod back to my your fishing knowledge and your en­ far the most of the trout they shelter right hand, there was a violent reac­ joyment of the sport. are within an inch or two of the legal tion, and I netted a fat brown trout 15 limit. inches long. How he got into that little Their charm lies, then, not in the size stream posed an interesting question. restricted in the trout brook. They of the fish they produce, but rather in Tackle is an important item for the have no large holes in which to hide, their beauty, the angling problems angler who would try his hand at trout and there are none of the long, deep they present, and the fact that because brook fishing. Because the fish he will swifts found in the bigger streams. So the trout in them run small, the action catch are small, the kind of equipment they are apt to roam all over the is faster. he uses on a large creek or river is en­ stream. tirely out of place. What sport could Personally, we don't recommend The brook angler never dare forget there be in catching a trout seven or them for bait fishing, for the chance of that fact. He cannot afford to overlook eight inches long with a nine-foot rod injuring or killing undersized trout is a single bit of the stream he is fishing. and a big streamer fly? too great. But the angler who uses a One day the trout will be feeding in wet or dry fly can fish in the knowl­ A rod that weighs three or four the shallowest riffles. Another time edge that it is easy for him to return ounces is ideal for the trout brook— they will be concentrated in the pools- unwanted fish to the stream unharmed. for with so delicate a piece of equip­ Or they may shift from riffle to pool, or There is a stretch of trout brook not ment a seven-inch trout is able to put vice versa, during the course of a on a splendid show. A small trout on couple of hours. far from my home that has a partic­ a light rod, as a matter of fact, actually ular appeal. It is roughly a mile and a Not only must the angler fish every gives the angler a greater thrill than a possible bit of water as he progresses quarter in length, running through a considerably heavier trout on stouter narrow, wooded valley. It twists and along the brook, but he also must do tackle. his fishing with the utmost care. There turns and offers a great variety of The reel, line, and leader should water—deep pockets, flat pools, riffles, is no second chance for a rising trout match the rod. in a small brook. A sloppy, careless —and as great a variety of hazards It goes without saying that a heavy such as overhanging vegetation, shore- cast of the fly will scare the daylights reel spoils all the pleasure of fishing out of him. So will the rumble of an with a light-weight rod. angler who tramps heavily along an V On a trout brook there is no need for earthen bank or who goes crashing long-distance casts, therefore no need over the stones in the stream bed. for a heavy line. And by the same token, the leader Brook fishing is an art—more diffi­ should be long and fine. Remember, cult than any other kind of trout fish­ the trout brook angler works on small ing. It's not uncommon for a man to water! get down on his knees and to cast from The variety of flies used depends, as that position, either to keep the trout usual, on the season of the year, the from seeing him or to get his fly under type of water, and the mood of the the overhanging branches of a tree- trout. But there is one thing that can He also may have to master the trick be said: A greater variety of patterns of casting left-handed or with the han­ and sizes of flies can be used in tiny dle of the rod in his right hand and the brooks than produce results on larger tip extending far to his left as he makes waters. The reason is that the trout, his false casts and sends the lure out being small and "uneducated," strike over the water. more freely. The brook angler has to pay strict On my own pet trout brook the bi- attention to stream currents, for often visible Royal Coachman, in Size 14, is he has to rely on the stream itself to a never-failing lure. carry his fly into some difficult spot One major problem in trout angling where he figures a fish is in waiting. is present to only a minor degree in the He stays out of the water as much aS trout brooks. That is the problem of possible to avoid disturbing the fish-^ where the trout will be found at any and because a trout brook usually of' Rig up a short, light rod for small brook given time. fers few opportunities for travel alon$ fishing. It will be easier to handle, and it will make the fish ffel heavier. Movements of the fish are definitely its shores, he has to develop to the nth

14 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE# degree the art of moving quietly through pools and riffles. Old-timers in the sport of trout brook angling travel light—and that adds to their pleasure. Obviously, there is rarely need for a landing net or a creel, so they can be left in the car. Other accessories—boxes of flies, and so on—can be reduced too. Patience and endurance are other qualities which the trout brook angler must possess. The best of these streams are not easy to reach. My favorite brook in­ volves half an hour of walking. I know another that is even tougher. A big creek has to be waded first (there is no road in to the brook), and then the angler has to hike a mile or more along the lower reaches of the brook before he finds fishable water. And if a road does get to the trout brook it usually has a rough, dirt surface. Those factors are all to the good. In this day and age most anglers won't go to a lot of fuss to get to trout water. The patience factor also is important. The veteran brook fisherman selects the day and the brook, then fishes it Open water like this doesn't occur very often in a small trout brook, and when it does slowly and quietly. He puffs on his the angler must use a cautious approach and handle his tackle with delicacy. Pipe, scans the riffles and pools from well back, and plans his quiet invasion. instead covers the water thoroughly as sport on streams where civilization has He circles far back to avoid causing he goes. not yet marched in, where the compe­ bank vibrations and he does his casting tition from other anglers is less keen, as quietly as he possibly can. And, above all, he isn't worried in the least over the prospect that he but where nature is no less beautiful He catches a fish, then sits down and and the fish no less active than on the r likely will have no fish to take home to ests the pool for a while before he bigger waters where the majority of show to his friends. casts again. He curbs a natural tend­ his brothers spend their fishing hours. ency to hurry on to the next pool, and He's fishing for the pure joy of the

$25 Cost of Illegal Fishing Three Philadelphians pleaded guilty to fishing without a license and were fined $25 and costs recently by Magistrate Thomes E. Costello at a hearing at Park Guard Central Headquarters, 44th St. and Parkside Ave., Philadelphia. The men fined were Edward Ditizio, 834 Winton St.; Leemond Huff, 1108 German- town Ave., and Samuel Edwards, 1005 Brown Place. Ditizio and Huff were charged with illegally fishing in League Island Park Lake, while Edwards fished without a license in the Schuylkill. Fish Warden Horace A. Pyle, Coatesville brought the prosecutions.

Care of Nightcrawlers Nightcrawlers or "dew worms," the grand- daddy of all our angleworms, are easy to catch but hard for some fishermen to keep for long periods. With a little care night­ crawlers, so easy to catch in the wet spring months, may be held over in perfect condi­ tion for late summer fishing. Place a tight wooden box or tub in a cool place, preferably a basement. Fill the tub with dry florist's moss (inexpensive and ob­ tainable at most greenhouses), throw in a handful of dry cornmeal or oatmeal, dump in a gallon or two of nightcrawlers, and your Here's a good pool in a small brook-but the angler at the left .has to .kMw.|Jf» ^^J1/ worm problems are solved for the summer. ttackle to get a fly under that overhanging tree—the very spot the trout are likely to be found. 15 JULY—-1950 PENNSYLVANIA REPTILES ^AMPHIBIANS

(Edited and approved by M. Graham Netting, Curator of Herpetology, Carnegie Museum)

No. 16 . . . Salamanders

SEAL SALAMANDER (Desmognathus monticola) . . . Maximum NORTHERN DUSKY SALAMANDER (Desmognathus fuscus fuscus) . . . length 5'/4 inches; brown with heavy mottlings above of cream, yel­ Maximum length 514 inches; most common salamander in Pennsyl­ lowish or reddish spots margined with black scallops; resembles Dusky vania; extremely variable in pattern, coloration and size; old specimens Salamander but is stouter, more powerful and more aquatic; frequents often uniform dark brown or gray; young specimens yellow-brown, red- mountain streams and waterfalls; eggs are attached to the under surface brown or gray-brown with lighter blotches on back; occurs through­ of stones; found in Pennsylvania only in these counties: Allegheny, out the State in moist or wet habitat . . . along streams, in wet leaves, Armstrong, Bedford, Clearfield, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset and in mud; 12 to 26 eggs deposited in moist cavities near water from June Westmoreland. to August.

v»r^Js^-" * 4 H TS it V LONG-TAILED SALAMANDER (Eurycea longicauda longicauda) . . . NORTHERN TWO-LINED SALAMANDER (Eurycea bislineata bisline- Maximum length G»4 inches; strikingly marked black and yellow with ata) . . . Maximum length 4'/» inches; ranges from yellow to dark black "herring-bone" pattern on the sides of the tail; adult's tail brown in color; gets its name from two dark lines, one on each side comprises 60 per cent of total length; adults are terrestrial and of the body, running from head to tail; look for it under stones along nocturnal, found under logs and stones in woods and in springs and stream borders, in leaf mold and under woodland stones; in late spring, caves; first eggs ever found were in Montgomery County, Penna., Janu­ 12 to 36 eggs are laid on the under surface of a stone in running water; ary 2, 1943, attached to rocks and boards in an old mine. occurs throughout the State, having been collected in 55 counties.

PIEDMONT RED SALAMANDER (Pseudotriton montanus montanus) . . . Maximum length 7 inches; also called Baird's Red Salamander; ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN SALAMANDER (Desmognathus ochrophaeuS similar to Northern Red Salamander, but is distinguished by the few ochrophaeus) . . . Maximum length 4 inches; back varies in color from scattered black spots on its duller red body; has not been found in bright red or yellow to dull brown or black; usually a row of dark Pennsylvania since 1849 when the original Specimen was obtained dots along center of back; much like Dusky Salamander, but color on near Carlisle in Cumberland County; look for it in or near muddy back will help to distinguish it; restricted more or less to mountainous springs and streams; report any specimens found to Carnegie Mu­ areas; has been collected in 36 northern and western counties in Penn­ seum, Pittsburgh; above photo courtesy of S. C. Bishop, University of sylvania; clusters of 11 to 14 eggs laid under stones or logs on wet Rochester. hillsides. dear life with the rod practically doubled up with the weight of the pike. Pete ex­ pertly dipped the net under the fish and Fishing Isn't Catching Fish scooped it into the boat. It was then that I forgot all rules of where I bought up every known plug, hook, By Al Wolgast quiet fishing and yelped like an Indian on line and sinkers, and I soon had a pro­ the warpath, until the entire lake seemed Fishing wasn't my sport. With the ex­ fessional tackle box that was second to only to echo with my cry of joy. My body ception of a little sun and cat fishing when a few. And why not, I was on my way to seemed to be on fire, my heart beat rapidly. a youngster, I never seemed to get interested becoming a fisherman. I discovered then that besides the cool in hobbling along some thorny path to a From the region of Pymatuning Dam, I breeze of the wind upon my face, fishing lonely river bank, and waiting for hours was initiated to Lake Erie fishing, and from meant also the glorious victory of a fine Until a bite came along, in the meantime there to river fishing and stream fishing. catch. nursing mosquito bites, the only kind of a Not satisfied with this beautiful pike, I bite I usually got. These friends of mine worked overtime to make sure that I enjoyed all the fishing continued to troll after a spell of relaxation As the years went by, and I broke away and bingo, managed to nail two more fine from the sport of boxing in the squared I could last summer, and while my catches weren't too much to boast about, I must walleyes, both over nineteen inches long. ring, I began to perk up a wee bit of interest I give credit for these catches to Thomas tell you about the big one that didn't get when a number of my friends began to stop Schaller, one of the finest fishermen in away. Yes, it happened to me, in my first by my home, and very proudly showed off Mercer County, a man who knows where their various catches of bass, crappies, trout, year of fishing. the big fish are, and to my other friends who Pike, muskies and even carp. Last July, about nine in the morning, at eased up on their fishing to give me pointers, I began to wonder, maybe there was some­ the Pymatuning Dam above Jamestown, I thus enabling me to wind up with a day thing to this fishing, for I knew that we hooked a fighting 30-inch, eight pound that any fisherman would be proud of. bere in Mercer County are quite fortunate walleye that had me quivering with ex­ And while on the subject of pike, I might in. having the not too far Pymatuning Lake citement. In our boat were Pete McGrana­ add that George Winger, a member of our located between the States of Pennsylvania han of Sharon and Bob Trommer of Cleve­ party, managed to catch a walleye that and Ohio-Mercer and Crawford Counties, land, Ohio, both of whom receive credit for topped the eight pounder I caught. His catch and in having a number of well stocked trout helping me catch this beauty. was recorded two weeks later, all at Pyma­ streams in the Lackawannack Creek, Little I used a casting rod with a U-20 flatfish tuning, which speaks well for the stocking Neshannock Creek, Pine Run, Wolf Creek frog and trolled the line out about seventy of pike by the Fish Commission. and Mill Creek, all within a short auto ride feet, when the walleye struck. Being new Yes, those were excellent catches, and the m the County of Mercer. to the sport, I had assumed I only picked only ones I made all summer long, but I We also have the Shenango River which up a snag, when McGranahan yelped at felt that I had a successful season, not be­ 's well known for its fighting muskies, us to reel in, while Trommer stopped the cause of the large catch, but because I dis­ Usually caught around the Slackwater Bridge motor. Oh, the excitement, our good friend covered fishing, and that even though I above Sharpsville, and Big Bend above Ham­ Pete hollering for me to reel, and with me may go on for years and not make as good burg, and for the tremendous catfish that yelling for him to grab the pole, I felt that a catch as I did last summer, I made the are caught, not to mention the hefty bass and I could never boat the pike that seemed to wonderful discovery that catching fish was beftier carp. Virtually a fisherman's paradise me the size of a young whale. thrilling, but that fishing was not just catch­ Within my backyard, and I, not interested, as ing fish. yet. After ten minutes of heaving and hauling, I managed to bring the fighting beauty to Finally last summer, a group of sportsmen the side of the boat, where the pike gained Snapping Turtle is Predator who love their fishing, George L. Winger, a sudden burst of strength and zoomed Eugene McGranahan of Sharon, and Thomas under the boat. I whirled around the bow The unsavory reputation of the snapping Schaller of Sharpsville, persuaded me to buy of the now rocking boat and hung on for turtle as a predator has been found by sci­ a fishing license, and invited me to come entific research to be entirely justified, the a l°ng to Pymatuning Dam for an evening of Wildlife Management Institute reports. cr appie fishing. I went along so as not to These vile-tempered reptiles were found by offend my trio of friends, and practically in the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research ^o time at all we all were in a boat at the Unit, headed by Dr. Howard Mendall, to take •Pymatuning Dam above Jamestown. full-grown birds as well as ducklings. Well, like a bolt out of the clear blue sky, Staff members of the Maine Unit last something struck me right in the region of summer carried out an experimental trap­ tr »e heart. Here was I, a rank beginner, ping program during July on a few marshes amateurishly holding a casting rod over the which were known to contain both snapping boat side and gazing up into the clear turtles and broods of ducklings. A total of s ky, when I discovered right then and there 35 turtles, ranging in weight from five to 41 w hat fishing really meant. I knew then that pounds, was caught and their digestive tracts fishing wasn't catching fish, that it meant preserved for analysis during the winter in a cool breeze on my face, a beautiful sky the unit laboratory. Three of the specimens a bove me, good friends beside me who felt contained no food in the stomach or intes­ 38 I did. It meant moments of relaxation, tines, but of the 32 remaining turtles 13, or Restful and peaceful hours in a boat, and 37 per cent contained remains of birds, pri­ e ° ep contentment. I felt like a new man, marily ducks and pied-billed grebes. The all the cares of the world vanished, it was digestive tracts of most of the turtles con­ like heaven, and I knew then what I had tained remains of only one bird; but one 30- Ce en missing all these years. pound glutton had eaten two downy-grebes, * discovered in that one evening, that one full-grown grebe, one full-grown gold- ^though all fishermen don't object to catch- eneye duck, and one adult ring-necked duck. lng fish now and then, it really didn't matter Remains of at least ten ducks, four of which too much, if they didn't they would be back were over half-grown young or adults, were 'be next day, or next week, but back they identified in the study. ^ould be, enjoying fishing in such a way Research conducted to date has been of a that only their hearts can explain. preliminary nature, but, as a result of re­ My catch consisted of only two small sults obtained, a more detailed investigation £rappies that evening, but I had caught a is planned for the coming season by the 'ar greater catch. I found fishing and I Thirty inch, eight pound Walleye caught hy Al Wolgast of Farrell at Pymatuning Lake last Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, |eU in love immediately with it. The next July. It took a flat-fish plug and thirty minutes Dr. Mendall reports. two days found me over at the sports shop to conquer the prize. 17 JULY—1950 the milk if he wanted his thirst quenched, set his fishing rod on the Nibbles in the Night shore with the request that Del keep an eye on it while he was gone, ap­ What's New (From page 7) parently not realizing Del couldn't possibly see the rod in the thick dark­ Reviewed by Hugh Johnson ness. It couldn't have ben more than ten Our entire quartet was catching fish. minutes later when we heard Bill Most of our strikes came from hungry, tearing through the underbrush on the in Fishing Books night-feeding catfish but we caught a opposite side of the creek, the beam of half dozen eels which were so difficult his flashlight describing erratic circles The brookie, squaretail, Salvelinus fontin- to handle in the darkness none of us in front of him. alis, speckled trout, red-spot, native, or was much thrilled when he hooked "Ye gods!" he exclaimed breath­ whatever you choose to call him, gets the into one. lessly as he reached the water's edge, complete treatment in a new book pub­ lished within the past few months entitled The agile and slippery eels usually "that blasted bull chased me all the way across the meadow!" The Eastern Brook Trout by Bob Elliot made a mess of our tackle when we (W. W. Norton & Co., New York, N. Y., managed to drag them ashore and, It developed that Bill had decided to $5.00). even though we covered the wet palms take a short cut on the way back with the thermos bottles and had crossed a Bob Elliot is connected with the Maine of our hands with sand before attempt­ Development Commission, and for a fact ing to deposit them in our burlap sack pasture field instead of following the the terrific emphasis on Maine squaretail and remove the hook, each of us had creek as we had done in making our fishing in this book might lead us to the a tough struggle before he got his eel way to our fishing place. Unknown to opinion that publicity-minded Maine was in the sack. him the farmer through whose place subsidizing the work—except that we know the creek passed at this particular lo­ better. We know that Maine is the natural Bill and Carl made the mistake of cation had turned his herd of cattle out home of the brookie, that that is where just holding eels against their persons and to pasture in the night, and Bill had about everybody heads who wants to fish for as a result had their jackets smeared stumbled into the midst of the herd brookies on the grand scale—in terms of with a slime that they later found on his return trip. size, quantity, scrappiness, and relative state could scarcely be removed from the of wildness. The brookie is stocked in streams garments. Bill insisted that a bull had chased and lakes of other states, of course, includ­ him and we had no reason to doubt his Del, Bill, and I caught some good- ing Pennsylvania, but Maine is the real word until about a half hour later stamping ground of this famous fish so Bob sized rock bass during the evening's when the farmer, probably wondering Elliot is hardly to be criticized for focusing fishing, and it was Bill's good fortune about the commotion in his herd of on the great Maine squaretail waters in this to get the only black bass caught by cattle, made his way to the creek interesting study of his favorite fish and the us that night. It was a 14-inch fish carrying a lantern. He called to us favorite of a million odd other fishermen. which struck a hellgrammite that Bill from the opposite shore and asked how Starting with the history and identification had on his hook. we were making out. features of the brookie, the author covers the This hellgrammite was the only one "We are doing all right," replied field of where to locate the fish; how to work we had. Indeed, Bill didn't know it him; the best flies to use,, streamers, wets, Bill, "but that vicious bull of yours and dries; bait fishing; trolling; tackle; best was in his bait box until he reached almost got me a few minutes ago." ways to cook the fish; and winds up with, in for a worm and felt it there. It had "Bull?" replied the farmer in a information, specific to the point of naming been left in his bait can from the day puzzled sort of way. "I don't have no streams and ponds and their exact locations, before when he had been bass fishing, bull. Them there cattle are all cows, as to where brook trout can be found in and evidently clung to the inside of the and darn tame, too." Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa­ bait box when he dumped his hell- chusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsyl­ grammites into a larger can after re­ Bill certainly took a ribbing from us vania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and a few other turning home from the previous fish­ the remainder of the evening, and states, and in Canada and the maritime ing trip. begged us in a shame-faced sort of provinces. This "directory" of squaretail way not to tell his wife. waters will be of real value to anyone A couple of us fished with two hooks "Gosh, there'd be no living with her planning a fishing trip into brook trout on our leaders and during one period territory. A particularly commendable feature when catfish were especially active if she learned I was chased through a meadow by a couple harmless bossies," about the book is that it doesn't wander from Carl twice caught two of them simul­ the subject. Brown trout, rainbows, lakers, taneously. They were nice fish, too, he pleaded. "Don't for heaven's sake and the others are left out, and the thorough­ which made our chunky companion give me away." ness with which Bob Elliot concentrates quite happy. single-mindedly on his subject might well make The Eastern Brook Trout the definitive We had brought with us a couple Fertilizer Will Control Weeds work on the subject. I would like to have thermos bottles of cool chocolate milk The use of poisons to control weeds in had included more material on the natural but had forgotten to bring them with farm ponds can be very dangerous, the Fish history and feeding habits of the brookie, us to the place where we were fishing. and Wildlife Service reports. Effective con­ or at least to have had what there is in the Probably all of us were thirsty, but it trol of many weeds, however, can be ob­ book set up as more of a unit, but that is a was Bill who spoke first of the choco­ tained by spreading regular commercial fer­ minor fault and is a matter of personal late milk in the car. tilizer on the water early in the spring be­ preference only. "Golly, wouldn't a swig of that cool fore the weeds start growing. This results The chapter called "Fishing in Comfort" chocolate milk taste good!" called Bill in the growth of millions of microscopic is exactly what anyone who has fished in to the rest of us. plants and animals—which color the water Maine or New Hampshire in the summer and kill the weeds by shading them. "Sure would," replied Del, "we'll months would expect it to be—an essay on black flies, deer flies, and no-see-ums and detail you to go to the car and get the what measures a man can take to avoid thermos bottles." A little care now will preserve unused being eaten alive by them. It's a good "You are elected, Bill," chimed in lines for future use. Fly lines should not be chapter. And a good book, usefully dressed Carl, and Bill, realizing the assignment left on the reel during the months they are up with strikingly attractive kodachromes was his and that he would have to get not being used. in color, and sixteen pages of photographs.

18 PENNSYLVANIA A NGLEE 6. Outboard motor operation does not in­ fluence fishing success. It appears to worry Outboards Worry Anglers More than Fish the fishermen much, but the fish not at all. The experiments were conducted under Often bandied about lakes and fishing spots others a good deal more tedious, the follow­ Karl F. Lagler and Albert S. Hazzard of the throughout the country in the summertime ing conclusions were drawn regarding out­ J University of Michigan's Department of s the complaint by fishermen and sports­ board motors and their effect on fish life Zoology, who worked in cooperation with men that outboard motorboats cause so much and fishing: the Michigan Department of Conservation disturbance as to spoil fishing success and 1. The operation of outboard motors has and the Outboard Boating Club of America. harm fish life. no significant effect on bluegill production, In order to settle this question once and nor does motor operation keep bluegills from Silk or nylon lines should never be dressed for all, scientists at the University of Michi­ nesting. before being put away. If they have been gan through the cooperation of the Outboard 2. The operation of outboard motors in Boating Club of America, conducted hun­ usely solely in fresh water they need only shallow waters has little, if any, effect on the be dried completely. dreds of experiments last summer with out­ nesting habits or on the production of large- board motors operating under varying con­ mouth bass. ditions on fishing waters. The results were Do not leave the rod in a metal case during 3. The general effects of motor use on released March 6 at the North American the winter months. It should be kept in a various environmental factors which make Wildlife Conference in San Francisco—and dry atmosphere and, if possible, hung free fish grow is negligible. they of the brick wall where dampness is usually prove that outboard motorboats ap­ 4. Ordinary outboard motor use does not present during wet weather. A good coating parently worry the fishermen more than they bar sunfish and bass from locating their of a high quality polishing wax will do much concern the fish! nests. to prevent dampness. In the majority of tests conducted, it was 5. Outboard motor operation does not in­ 'ound that outboards have no effect at all crease the mortality rate of advanced fry either on fish life or fishing success. In the in any waters except at depths so shallow Congratulating the fellow who bags over tew cases where some effect was found, it that motors would not normally be run in his limit is like praising a guy that picks was so small as to be insignificant. them. pockets. Ever since motorboats made their first ap­ pearance on the fishing scene, a certain amount of criticism has been leveled at them. Among the complaints, it was charged that Governor Duff Lands Nice Shad at Conowingo 'he action of outboard motors retards fish Production, keeps fish from nesting, causes the death of newly hatched fry, prevents lr>sect life from propagating, and causes so much interference as to spoil angling success. Now, however, the heated debates will be settled. The experiments and clinical studies made last summer prove that the fisher­ man's complaints and suspicions are un­ founded. It is interesting to note how some of the exPeriments were carried on. Six ponds were used as a laboratory. All stocked with a known number of fish, some ponds were Subjected to outboard motor operation, some Ponds never had an outboard in their waters. rom various comparisons and systematic observations, results were gathered concern- *g the problem "outboards versus fish." While the experiments at Wolf Lake Hatchery were focused on the effect of out­ boards on the fishes themselves—their nest- n§> propagation, and production—an investi­ gation was carried on at Fish Lake, in south­ ern Michigan, to determine whether actual angling success was affected by the outboard. This study was one of the most enjoyable 0r the experimenters (all graduate students ** the University of Michigan). For 66 days "eir job was to fish for six hours a day. n the first series of 22 days, the men still- shed from the same stations every day, in *he second series of 22 days, they shifted Governor James H. Duff displays a fine string of shad which he helped catch on the Positions each day doing still fishing and Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam on Friday, June 16. >£«g casting. In the third series of 22 days, In company with C. A. French, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish Com­ 6 positions were varied even more. Then mission, the Governor was on the river in the wee hours of the morning and proof of very other day, a motorboat driven by a their success is reflected in the photo above. In the photo left to right, Gov. Duff, Geo. horsepower outboard motor was operated W. Collet and Mr. French. n the lake. It passed each fisherman every Governor Duff, an enthusiastic fisherman, is not only a strong advocate for fish-ways a« hour. On the alternate days no motors which would re-establish the natural ascension of shad into the Susquehanna each ^ere used at all. year, but is constantly active and battling for them. t^ach fisherman kept a record of the length, The Pennsylvania Legislative Committee set up by the 1946 Session headed by Repre­ ^Pecies, and the time of his catch for each sentative George Shoemaker have been busy in its survey and study for feasible fish-ways sh taken. The final analysis proved that over the Conowingo, Safe Harbor and Holtwood Hydraulic Dams. The Committee will thre effect of outboards on fishing success report to the 1951 Session. ^as not at all detrimental. Gov. Duff is hopeful that a plan for fish-ways can be devised which would bring this After numerous other experiments, some fine shad fishing back to the Susquehanna watershed for the sport and recreation of the them just as enjoyable as the fishing one, fishermen of Pennsylvania. J tLY_ 1950 19 day's limit of ten trout, then 10,000,000 another. If, however, we consider in­ trout would have to be stocked. Ten troduction -as something more funda­ Ecological Sense of Nonsense million eight inch trout at thirty cents mental than this, then there is little is $3,000,000.00. general argument about it. Many fish­ (From page 3) It is obvious that propagation can­ ermen live too few years to consider not be the total answer to improved the problem of introduction. We know fishing. It is a necessary part of it and that certain kinds of fish occur at cer­ cannot be discontinued, but it has been tain places, and so far as we are con­ estimated that perhaps 5 out of every cerned, they have always been there (brooks, browns, and rainbows) were and might continue to be there after stocked into Spring Creek, Centre 10 trout caught from our streams are native fish; and if that is the case, our we have given up the art and sport of County. Of these 50.8% were recov­ angling. ered and creeled by the fishermen. Of streams must be protected and im­ the tagged trout recovered in 1939 proved in order that they can raise Much more fault is found with the more than 40.0% were caught the the trout. second point—propagation, than with opening day of the season. 76.0)% of In considering Introduction and Pro­ the first. Most of us are too inexperi­ the total number of tagged brook trout pagation as the first two of four points enced to know anything about the recovered were caught on the first day. leading to improved fishing, we find problems and scientific details of rais­ Catches after six weeks were negli­ little fault with the first. There are ing fish in hatcheries. In Pennsylvania gible, and only ten of the tagged trout times of course when fishermen and a good job is being done, and it makes were caught in 1940 and one in 1941. clubs complain that they should have little difference whether one measures There was no evidence that any brown trout in a stream which is the production in pounds, tons, or mil­ planted brook trout survived the first stocked too frequently with brooks, lions; we are getting the fish. Of season. The method of determining or that rainbows will not stay where course we might want more of them recovery was by creel census and quite they are put and within several weeks but this involves added cost. Not only understandably a few fish might have have run out of that stream into the cost of each ounce of fish produced been caught that were not recorded. must be considered, but also the cost Assuming however that the methods of acquisition of suitable sites and their used were the most reliable at the John Heddon Shows Skill maintenance. The fisherman's most moment, it is quite alarming that only consistent complaint is not with the half of the stocked fish were recovered. propagation of fish but rather with the The average length stocked and tagged stocking. Disregarding the complaints for the experiment was about eight that not enough fish are stocked and inches although some were as small as looking rather at when and how, there seven inches and a few as large as are still points of controversy. Al- I eighteen inches. If Carhart's average though the experts talk only about cost of thirty cents per eight inch trout propagation as a means to improve­ is considered substantially correct, ment, I think it only right that stock- then each trout recovered in this ex­ ing be intimately linked with this ! periment was a sixty cent fish; or if second consideration. We need to know you choose, hold the price at thirty considerably more about stocking than cents per trout and assume about we know at the present time, and to 1,000 trout at thirty cents each were learn we must experiment. Experi- lost. So far as the return on the fisher­ mentation under controlled conditions [ man's dollar invested in stocking is is research, and here may be the focal j concerned, any policy permitting the point around which we must concen- creeling by fishermen of the greatest trate our efforts of the immediate number of stocked trout is from an economic point of view at least the future. Unfortunately there is no way most desirable. Other experiments to hurry the research except by em- I show similar results, and the fisherman ploying more men to do the job, and would have to be like the ostrich to good research men, skilled in fisheries think the price of fishing is cheap. work, are not easy to find. In spite of In 1933 Eben W. Cobb in similar ex­ the fact that we know that only about half of the trout stocked ever reach periments reported a 31.0% recovery Catching two sailfish on two strikes is in Connecticut. In 1938 Earl Hoover the fisherman's creel, we do not know about the same as a major league ballplayer why this is true. Of course some die j and M. S. Johnson reported a 70.0% slamming two home runs in two trips to the return of brook trout in New Hamp­ plate, however, John Heddon recently a natural death; some are lost to preda­ shire in three weeks. In 1941 David turned the trick at Acapulco, Mexico, on a tors, etc., but this is not the entire Shetter and Albert Hazzard reported sporty "6/9" "Pal" rod. answer. We must learn how, if pos­ recoveries varying from 2.0% to 58.4% In anglers' parliance, this means a 6 ounce sible, to make the return 90% or better for brook trout, 0.6% to 61.9% for tip, 5 feet in length, together with a 27 in order to get a decent economic re- rainbows, and 2.0% to 19.2% for brown pound test line and since these sailfish turn on our investment in propagation. trout in Michigan trout streams. It weighed in the neighborhood of 125 pounds This will also improve fishing in so far would certainly appear to be true that each, skill played a major part in their as creeled fish is one of the measures the science of raising trout is far ahead capture. of good fishing. We must learn more of the science of stocking or of stream John comes by his angling prowess quite of the environmental influences to naturally as he is the third generation mem­ requirements for trout survival. If in ber of a famous fishing family and president which trout are exposed in our streams ; Pennsylvania 500,000 fishermen were of James Heddon's Sons, Dowagiac, Michigan. —a field of investigation which might to catch just one trout per season, a His grandfather, James Heddon, founded the well be called aquatic ecology. It is j million would have to be stocked; and company by whittling out America's first amazing what little we know about if each fisherman would catch one topwater casting bait in his kitchen more streams and their control. We in the than a half century ago. United States are far behind England |

20 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER and even Russia in this respect, and with typical American gusto we should Streamside Life deplore this situation and see that it is corrected. In addition to stream know-how, The Blue Flag and Sensitive Fern which must be acquired by competent wien by research methods, the indi­ vidual fisherman and the clubs can By Robert Leo Smith contribute to increasing the per cent Along the streamside, on shores of lakes returns from stocking. Too often we and ponds and in other marshy places, the encourage, plead, and if possible, force angler may find during late spring and the stocking of fish into water which summer a large blue flower growing among even by our own limited standards is the ferns and grass. By its form he will unsuitable for stocking. Examples of recognize it as an iris, although the flower, such streams might well be those in the blue flag, differs from the familiar gar­ which the water temperatures are too den iris. The blooms are smaller, more high for trout, polluted streams, small slender, more graceful. The upright petals streams in which trout can only sur- or "standards" are violet blue and the Vl purple sepals or "falls" are yellow at the ve a short time before they literally base and veined with a deeper purple over starve to death, bathtub streams in white. The flowers are held above the which trout find no protection, either surrounding leaves by tall, round, leafy from their natural enemies or the stems. fisherman. All of these and many The erect, narrow, sword-like leaves are others might be sufficient to stop the parallel veined and slightly curved. These stocking of certain water, and yet we arise from fleshy, horizontal rhizomes cov­ as individuals or as groups selfishly ered with dense fiberous roots that cling encourage their stocking. tenaciously to the soil. Where unhampered by competing plants the blue flag grows rank To improve fishing is a big and diffi­ and spreads rapidly, but it does not form cult job. It will take the combined pure stands. e fforts of the expert and the experi­ Often associated with the blue flag is the menter as well as the fisherman. We sensitive fern, named from its habit of wilt­ ^st exercise some patience, but that ing quickly when cut or touched by frost. through the thick vegetation. They are stiff, Patience should not be a willingness The fronds of the sensitive fern are stiffer branched stalks covered with brown, spore- to do nothing. We must re-evaluate and coarser in appearance than those of bearing structures that look much like beads. °Ur own standards of what makes good other ferns yet they arch gracefully. They From this characteristic the sensitive fern Water into which trout and other fish are broad and triangular in shape and range has earned another name, the beadfern. from a yellowish to a blue green in color. While the sterile fronds may be very sensi­ should be stocked. If we have a poor tive to cold the persistent fertile fronds stand stream that is being stocked, let us The clumps of sterile fronds appear in e spring along with the blue flag but it is not up through the winter and often last in a ~ honest enough to request that it be until fall that the fertile fronds push up battered condition for over 2 years. taken from the approved list. We must be vigilant against pollution and stream destruction. We must move to can be knotted around the shank of Protect the natural fish foods in our Fly Fishing for Black Bass hook so the bug does not slip up or Resent streams, and if possible, stop down the leader. This trick is not the removal of all food which the fish (From page 9) always successful, but I have had con­ must have to survive. Remember that siderable success on days when the ** the stream itself is to produce its bass were ordinarily uncooperative. I share of the trout caught, everything around in the water. While the pan do not hesitate in suggesting that at that we can do to improve the stream fish is struggling for freedom, invari­ times it be used. Often a large sun fish lmproves the fishing. ably the bug has been pulled under specimen is caught this way and is a Iu a succeeding article some time water and darts about haphazardly. worthy prize by itself. Often a bass spies the "bug darting *iil be devoted to talking about pro­ Indeed, fly fishing for bass is a jection and stream improvement as around under water and is immediately aroused into action. Often the bass pleasing and delightful sport, however, ^e remaining two methods of im­ if we wish this wonderful sport to con­ proving our fishing. strikes at the bug being jerked by the sunfish, and if the angler feels any sud­ tinue through the coming years, we den pull, chances are a bass has struck need to become sportsmen and rather than coming home with a heavy creel Ashing, What Tackle and When the fly. After landing the bass and sunnie, the sunnie or both can be re­ of bass, release many of the smaller The above is the title of a fine pocket ones so that they are ready again to 0 leased and neither are seldom harmed ^ klet published by the South Bend Bait during the event. give you some acrobatic blood tingling °nvpany and contains valuable information sport again tomorrow. or fishermen. The booklet can be obtained This method is well worth the con­ ee A bronze battler caught and in your tf of charge by addressing a request to sideration of every bass angler, espe­ J** South Bend Bait Company, South Bend, creel is dead forever, however, if he is itld cially at the times when the bass fish­ iana. ing seems to be "off" and they refuse released, he is a battler awaiting your bugs fished on the surface. return. Rather than tie in an extra piece of Eels in America and Europe leave their leader for the small wet fly, I generally All fly lines, tapered or level, silk or *reams and swim to the warm Atlantic place a leader along the shank of the nylon, have several coats of finish that must Raters north of the Equator. There they be protected. If left on the reel for any Woduce their young and die. The young bug hook and tie the bug at the time *ls swim back to the same homes which of construction over leader and shank length of time, they take a set and lose a lfte'r parents left. of hook simultaneously. The leader great deal of their usefulness. J JXJLY-. 21 COLUMBIA COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA FISH LAW VIOLATIONS Hartman, Bruce, R. D. 5, Blooms- CASES SETTLED DURING THE MONTH OF MAY 1950 burg, Pa. Two undersized trout ... 20.00 CRAWFORD COUNTY ALLEGHENY COUNTY BRADFORD COUNTY Crawford, George W., R. D. 1, Town- Balog, Joseph, 118 Morgan St., Lahland, Jack, 610 S. Main St., ville, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 Brackenridge, Pa. Violation of the Athens, Pa. Fishing without a li­ Haskell, H. H., 215 W. Main St., Titus- Rules and Regulations $ 20.00 cense 25.00 ville, Pa. One undersized trout ... 10.00 Celedonia, Mack, 344 Broadway, BUCKS COUNTY Kiskadden, William, Hartstown, Pa. McKees Rocks, Pa. One pike in Two frogs in closed season 20.00 closed season 10.00 Sedlak, Charles, R. F. D. 1, Boyles- Chariton, James, Bairdford, Pa. Viola­ town, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 DAUPHIN COUNTY tion of the Rules and Regulations 20.00 BUTLER COUNTY Baker, Martin W., 4th St., Harris- Deel, Harry E., Curtesville, Pa. Fish­ burg, Pa. Fishing in Huntsdale ing in nursery waters 100.00 Weitzel, Melvin L., 309 Mitchell Ave., Hatchery 100.00 Dutkowsky, John, 1412 Faulsey Way, Butler, Pa. One pike in closed Daniels, James, 645 S. 4th St., Steel- Pittsburgh, Pa. Exceeding creel season 10.00 ton, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 limit 30.00 Shenfield, Albert L., Royalton, Pa. CAMBRIA COUNTY Flowers, J. F., 159 45th St., Pittsburgh, Operating motor boat without a Pa. Violation of the Rules and Cerwensky, Earl, Box 147, Portage, license 10.00 Regulations 20.00 Pa. One undersized trout 20.00 Hockman, Howard, Jr., 1704 Ridge Engelbach, Karl, 721 Clark St., ERIE COUNTY Ave., Coraopolis, Pa. Fishing in Johnstown, Pa. One undersized Milewski, Peter, 322 Wallace St., nursery waters 100.00 trout 10.00 Erie, Pa. Unlawful removal of fish Lewis, Elmer, Box 198, Bunola, Pa. Gearhard, John H., 1048 3rd Ave., from nets 100.00 Fishing without a license 25.00 Brackenridge, Pa. Violation of the Meyers, Joseph M., R. D. 3, Elizabeth, Rules and Regulations 20.00 FAYETTE COUNTY Pa. One pike in closed season 10.00 Gross, Don J., 1221 Bedford St., Gillam, James, Lamont, Pa. Viola­ Mooney, James, R. D. 3, Elizabeth, Pa. Johnstown, Pa. Fishing and tres­ tion of the Rules and Regulations 20.00 One pike in closed season 10.00 passing on State Hatcheries and Marshall, George, R. D. 1, E. Mills- Orris, William G., 443 Lexington Premises 100.00 boro, Pa. Rods not under immediate Court, Pittsburgh 23, Pa. One Kiel, Harry L., Washington Ave., control 20.00 undersized trout 10.00 Portage, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 30.00 Richard, Charles F., Richard Rd., Kiel, Thomas, Washington Ave., Port­ FOREST COUNTY Wexford, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 10.00 age, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 30.00 Bennett, George, Marienville, Pa. Walsh, August H., 1851 Main St., McClelland, Clifford L., 400 Bay St., One undersized trout 10.00 Pittsburgh 15, Pa. Violation of the Johnstown, Pa. Fishing and tres­ Rules and Regulations 20.00 passing on State Hatcherie pre­ FRANKLIN COUNTY mises 100.00 ARMSTRONG COUNTY Baker, Lennis C, R. D. 1, Waynes­ Singer, Fred S., 3218 6th Ave., boro, Pa. Rods not under immediate Beech, John C, 510 Hawthorne Ave., Altoona, Pa. One undersized trout 10.00 control 20.001 Kittanning, Pa. Exceeding creel Wantiez, Forest, Dunlo, Pa. Four Beam, Harold E., 729 S. 4th St., limit 20.00 undersized trout 40.00 Chambersburg, Pa. One bass in Hawk, Daniel, R. D. 1, Mahoning, Pa. closed season 10.00' Rods not under immediate control 20.00 CENTRE COUNTY Boggs, Preston L., Fannettsburg, Pa. Hawk, Daniel, R. D. 1, Mahoning, Pa. Rickert, Franklin R., Orvistown, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Exceeding creel limit 10.00 One undersized trout 10.00 Cramer, Roy C, 222 W. King St., Hawk, Daniel, R. D. 1, Mahoning, Pa. Rothrock, Frances E., Phillipsburg, Chambersburg, Pa. Exceeding creel Interference with an officer 100.00 Pa. Violation of the Rules and limit 10.00 Mohney, Donald, R. D. 1, Mahoning, Regulations 20.00 Fleagle, Donald H., Fannettsburg, Pa. Pa. Rods not under immediate con­ Smead, Richard E., 225 W. Lamb St., Illegal device 20.00 trol 20.00 Bellefonte, Pa. Fishing without a Koons, Ralph, R. D. 4, Waynesboro, Mohney, Donald, R. D. 1, Mahoning, license 25.00 Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Pa. Exceeding creel limit 10.00 Thompson, Norma M., 532 S. Market McCollough, Charles, S. Fayette St., Perkinson, Lawrence, 1129 Wilson St., Selinsgrove, Pa. Fishing with­ Mercersburg, Pa. Fishing without Ave., Kittanning, Pa. Exceeding out a license 25.00 a license 25.01 creel limit 20.00 Thompson, Norman D., 532 S. Market Morganthall, Walter, R. D. 4, Waynes­ St., Selinsgrove, Pa. Fishing with­ boro, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 BEAVER COUNTY out a license 25.00 Yeager, Clyde F., R. D. 4, Waynes­ Schramm, George H., 2106 8th Ave., boro, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Beaver Falls, Pa. Exceeding creel CLEARFIELD COUNTY GREENE COUNTY limit 100.00 Ballock, Joe, 803 Florence St., Phillipsburg, Pa. Four undersized Butler, Sam, Jefferson, Pa. Exceed­ BEDFORD COUNTY trout 40.00 ing creel limit 10.00 Kiel, Paul J., Box 17, Manns Choice, Burns, Joseph R., Osceola Mills, Pa. Pa. Exceeding creel limit 30.00 Three undersized trout 30.00 HUNTINGDON COUNTY Rineard, Joseph Jr., Saxton, Pa. Viola­ Kephart, Danny, 715 Hale St., Osceola Dr. M. D. Campbell, Mapleton Depot, tion of the Rules and Regulations 20.00 Mills, Pa. Attempting to seine min­ Pa. Two undersized trout 20.0" nows from Mashannon Branch ... 20.00 Nicholson, Arthur, R. D. 1, Aitch, Pa. BERKS COUNTY Two undersized trout 20.0" Keller, Richard I., R. D. 1, Stony CLINTON COUNTY INDIANA COUNTY Creek Mills, Pa. Fishing without a Hiller, Elmer, North Bend, Pa. One license 25.00 undersized trout in restricted area 20.00 Brink, Edward E., Altman, Pa. Illegal Peters, Mrs. Catherine E., R. D. 1, device 20.00 BLAIR COUNTY Lock Haven, Pa. Fishing without Cunkleman, Walter O., R. F. D. 2, Hockenberry, Paul E., 217 Bell Ave., a license • 25.00 Blairsville, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Altoona, Pa. Interfering with an Rauch, Lester, 328 Huron Ave., Domenick, Edwin P., 26 Beach St., officer ,..,..*...... ,..,...,....,,. J00.0Q Renovo, Pa. Exceeding; creel limi^ J.0.00 Homer City, Pa. Illegal device .... 20.00 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE** Fulton, Eobert 0.. R. F. D. 1, Homer NORTHAMPTON COUNTY Pa. Drawing down dam without City, Pa. Purchasing license while Wallers, Earl E., R. D. 2, Nazareth, permit . 100.00 license was revoked 25.00 Pa. Exceeding creel limit 10.00 Swartz, Victor, 146 W. 2nd St., Frack- Howard, William A., R. D. 2, Blairs- ville, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 ville, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY SNYDER COUNTY Lyons, John D., R. F. D. 3, Blairs- Zigler, Clarence, Herndon, Pa. Failure ville, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 to display motor boat license plates 5.00 Hockenberry, John W., R. D. 2, Windows, Thomas I., R. F. D. 2, McAlisterville, Pa. Operating motor Homer City, Pa. Illegal device .... 20.00 PERRY COUNTY boat without a license 25.00 Clouser, Paul R., 6th St., Newport, Kerstetter, Albert, Port Trevorton, LACKAWANNA COUNTY Pa. Using Explosives 100.00 Pa. Operating motor boat without Fuller, Joseph, 141 Dean St., Archa- Flickinger, Frank E., 140 S. 4th St., displaying license plates 5.00 bald, Pa. Fishing in closed stream 20.00 Newport, Pa. Using Explosives ... 100.00 Newman, Elmer F., R. D. 1, Port Geedy, William G., Newport, Pa. Trevorton, Pa. Operating motor boat LANCASTER'COUNTY Using Explosives 100.00 without a license 25.00 Cook, Charles, 613 Walnut St., Swartz, Charles W., New Bloomfield, Reinard, Geo. F., R. D. 1, Port Columbia, Pa. Fishing in closed Pa. One black bass in closed season 10.00 Trevorton, Pa. Operating motor waters 20.00 boat without displaying license PHILADELPHIA COUNTY Elville, Ralph, 649 E. Madison St., plates 5.00 Lancaster, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 Lehman, Edward H, 5801 Warrington Sprenkle, Albert, R. D. 1, Port Lockhart, Ervin, 634 E. Walnut St., Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. Violation of Trevorton, Pa. Operating motor Lancaster, Pa. Illegal device 10.00 the Rules and Regulations 20.00 boat without a license 25.00 McKenna, John, 437 E. Elkhart St., Woodling, William R., Port Trevorton, LAWRENCE COUNTY Philadelphia, Pa. Fishing without Pa. Operating motor boat without a license 25.00 Jones, Donald E., 841 Beckford St., a license 25.00 Reid, George A., 241 E. Tusculum St., New Castle, Pa. One pike in closed SOMERSET COUNTY season 10-00 Philadelphia, Pa. Fishing without a ' Pavkovich, Michael, Box 227, W. license 25.00 Durst,. Henry, R. F. D. 3, Somerset, Pa. Using explosives 100.00 Pittsburg, Pa. Fishing without a SCHUYLKILL COUNTY license 25.00 Mostoller, George, Listie, Pa. Viola­ ^olff, Albert E., 1236 E. Washington Leonard, James R., Box 123 Cressona, tion of the Rules and Regulations 20.00 St., New Castle, Pa. One pike in closed season 10.00

LEHIGH COUNTY filler, William, 1617 Utica St., Allentown, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 20.00 Sc hell, Rewellyn, 1042y2 Spring Garden St., Allentown, Pa. Exceed­ ing creel limit 20.00

LUZERNE COUNTY Banas, Edward V., 620 Locust St., Hazleton, Pa. Two undersized trout 20.00 J°nes, Walter F., R. D. 1, Wap- wallopen, Pa. One undersized trout 10.00 Kasian, Ted, 246 Front St., Nanti- coke, Pa. Fishing in closed stream 20.00 R°daczeski, John S., 114 Pikes Peak, Nanticoke, Pa. Three pike perch in closed season 30.00 kubach, Basel, 11 Thomas Lane, Kingston, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 10.00

LYCOMING COUNTY Hil\> Clayton E., Marsh Hill, Pa. Fishing without a license 25.00 Wouse, W. Dorland, 1522 Walnut St., "illiamsport, Pa. One undersized trout 10.00

MONTGOMERY COUNTY D urdin, Governor, 603 Lincoln Ave., Pottstown, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 McMillan, Joseph, 49 Evans Ave., Lacey Park, Pa. Fishing without a Illegal Trout at Fisherman's Paradise Proves Costly ncense 25.00 Charles Swanson and Dominick Puleo and his wife of Spangler, Pa., while visiting the fish hatchery on the property of Fisherman's Paradise in Centre County were observed M ONROE COUNTY feeding the fish. To see the big fellows rise to the surface for the offered bread was too Berger, Harold, Kresgeville, Pa. Ex­ much for the visitors. Using a treble hook baited with bread they had caught three fish, ceeding creel limit 20.00 becoming alarmed when a hatchery attendant sensing a violation approached them. ^resge, John, Bartonsville, Pa. Ex­ Hurriedly boarding their auto, the men and woman sped away with the attendant in ceeding creel limit 30.00 pursuit. In their flight they threw the fish from the car. 6^nandex> Eugene, Canadensis, Pa. The next morning fish wardens recovered the trout, partly devoured by animals, as •"ishing on Sunday without permis­ illustrated in the above photo, together with other evidence which led to their identity. sion of landowner 25.00 Arrested and returned to Centre County where in default of fine and costs, the two men Shaffer, Harold, Analomink, Pa. Vio­ were remanded to the Centre County jail for 100 days each. Several days later both lation of the Rules and Regulations 20.00 succeeded in paying the fines and were released.

({ JULY-1950 33 TlOGA COUNTY ; acre farms flowed into rivers; today the same amount will be lost from the land for­ Mattison, Thomas L., Westfield, Pa. Summer Resort Bass ever. It will cover spawning ground of One undersized trout 10.00 fishes, clog reservoirs behind multimillion VENANGO COUNTY dollar dams, and raise river beds between {From page 6) costly levees. Since the Engineers do not Davis, Leslie, Riverside Drive, Oil know how to attack it, they try to ignore it City, Pa. Seven undersized trout .. 70.00 or to use it for obtaining higher appropria­ WASHINGTON COUNTY tions. When a reservoir fills, a new dam must be built; when navigation channels Hines, Lucille, 1059 Merilda St., bass at this time, in fact maybe the same ones that stay right in these hot clog, they must be dredged; when floods oc­ Donora, Pa. Exceeding creel limit 30.00 cur, caused by the same mismanagement of Novak, Zig, 236 N. Jefferson St., spots while the beach is in full swing the soil that causes siltation, levees must be Canonsburg, Pa. Exceeding creel later in the day. True, waters of this built higher. Except for this, all the Engi­ limit 10.00 type will definitely lack the eye appeal neers can do is dredge and straighten river WAYNE COUNTY of wilderness lake and river, but they channels and rush the silt load out to sea usually hold fish of greater size, and in as quickly as possible. Lillie, Ward, R. D. 1, Waymart, Pa. Fishing in White Oak Pond 100.00 greater numbers than the average fish­ Such a program has foreseeable limita- erman realizes. If you happen to live tions. Levees and dams can be built only WESTMORELAND COUNTY near a popular lake resort of fair size, so high. There are limits both to the num­ Lint, Roy, Bradenville, Pa. Illegal don't pass it up, fish it carefully a few ber of suitable damsites and to the taxpayers' device 20.00 times, if the fish are there you'll soon burden. Eventually, the public will realize Palmer, Paul, Box 59, Bradenville, know it and will benefit accordingly. what the Engineers seldom admit publicly— Pa. Illegal device 20.00 You may find that fishing for these out that the real management of rivers begins in Wonderling, May, 748 Fourth St., the headwaters and on the hilltops, that silt size, educated bullies adds quite a zest can be defeated only by keeping it in the! New Kensington, Pa. Unnaturalized to your local angling pleasure. foreign-born resident fishing 20.00 form of soil through good land management. The present alarming rate of siltation of WYOMING COUNTY reservoirs calls for a prompt reappraisal of Nemesis of the Dam Builders our river development program; for forcing Balavage, Albert, R. D. 2, Tunk- closer cooperation between the Engineers and hannock, Pa. Illegal device 20.00 The Army Engineers and the Bureau of the Soil Conservation and Forest Services—- Cary, Charles, Center Moreland, Pa. Reclamation, in their high-dam-building both of which are more than willing to meet Illegal device 20.00 programs, appear sometimes to win more the Engineers halfway; or for placing the clear-cut victories on the floors of Congress civil functions of the Army Engineers under YORK COUNTY than most armies ever won on the field of a department which sees conservation as more Burgard, Horace, 47 N. West St., battle. No project is too big for the Engi­ than a river segmented by dams and con­ York, Pa. Operating motor boat neers to tackle. Yet, they have one enemy stricted by levees. without displaying license plates .. 10.00 which they have been unable to defeat and Dull, Donald, Emigsville, Pa. Exceed­ which must eventually lead to drastic modifi­ ing creel limit 10.00 cation of future river programs, the Wild­ Fly lines are best stored by coiling loosely, Hoffman, John O., Box 252, Dills- life Management Institute believes. In spite on a newspaper or a similar dry base. I* burg, Pa. Operating motor boat of their mechanical genius, despite their hung on pegs (wooden), large wide coils, without displaying license plates .. 10.00 recognized ability to move mountains and are preferred. The coils should be wea Smith, Dallas E., Craley, Pa. Operat­ change the courses of rivers, the Engineers spread so that they do not overlap. ing motor boat without displaying have not been able to conquer silt. license plates 10.00 Silt is more than mud. It is the displaced, Stern, Kenneth, R. D. 1, Woodbine, rich top soil of thousands of American farms, Two Japanese, just found on a desert Pa. Illegal device 20.00 grazing lands, and watersheds. Yesterday, island, said they did not know the war m the top soil equivalent to that on 200 forty- over. Who does? OUT OF STATE Sager, Oliver S., 16 James St., Meriden, Conn. Fishing without a license 25.00 Ganoudis, Charles, 2603 Monroe St., Wilmington, Del. Fishing without a license 25.00 Harmon, Ernest N. Jr., 578 W. Holy- wood St., Detroit, Mich. Fishing without a license 25.00 Evans, Charles, 3 Main St., Haver- straw, N. Y. Fishing without a li­ cense 25.00 Leasure, James C, U.S.S.N.K., Perry D.D.R. 883, C/o. Fleet P. O., New York, N. Y. Fishing without a li­ cense 25.00 Lewis, William, Wellsburg, N. Y. Operating motor boat without a license 10.00 Syersak, Mike, 5 Broadway, Masury, Ohio. Violation of the Rules and Regulations 20.00

Fly lines may be cleaned with a 25 per cent solution of ethyl alcohol and water and then dried with a soft cloth. It is not advisable to grease fly lines that have to be Everyone wants in the act at Catawissa Creek on opening day, May 14, after the creek was stored. * stocked by the Fish Commission and the Shenandoah Fish and Game Association.

24 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLE# I 1 PENNSYLVANIA'S a it ;t " ANTIPOLLUTION PROGRESS WlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliillllllllUIIIIIIIIII^ s Polluted Waters Can Be Cleaned Industrial Plants Cooperating Cleanup of pollution of wastes from in­ Polluted streams can be cleaned if the be perhaps the most modern and finest in­ dustrial establishments has reached enor­ People who live along them are determined stallation of its kind to be found anywhere mous proportions in the Philadelphia area to do it, reminds the National Wildlife Fed- in the world. The Delaware River runs under the Clean Streams program. Abate­ eration. Most striking example of this is what through or along the States of Delaware, ment of industrial pollution is looked upon ^as happened to the Schuylkill River in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York as keeping pace with the outstanding prog­ Pennsylvania which has its source in the and similar treatment is projected for this ress being made by municipalities in pro­ m°untainous regions where lie the anthra- stream. Some of it is already underway. viding sewage treatment works. Philadelphia Clte coal deposits and, flowing south, joins Pennsylvania and the other states involved alone is engaged in a $50 million sewerage ^e Delaware in the city limits of Philadel­ are determined that their streams and their program which is listed for completion in phia. Three years ago it was black as ink, waters are going to be cleaned. What they 1953. Contracts amounting to about $25 "lied with hundreds of thousands of tons of are doing can, and must be done by the other million of that sum have already been coal dust. These deposits of fine coal were states of the Union if the increased popula­ completed or are under way. rapidly choking the stream bed. When the tions of the future are to have an assurance The report covers the area of the Phila­ r ains came and the snow melted, the waters of pure water for domestic and industrial delphia District comprising Philadelphia, °verflowed the banks, bringing destruction uses. Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware 0 Property and lives. Pennsylvania was los- counties. It shows that since the inaugura­ In § one of its fine streams. There were other tion of the present Clean Streams program w ater courses in the state which were in Six More Plans Approved waste treatment systems installed and under about the same critical situation. Public construction at industrial establishments in­ Permits approving plans for sewerage in­ sentiment was aroused. True it is that in volve an expenditure of more than $25 mil­ 93 stallations have been issued to six additional ? the legislature of the Keystone State lion dollars. In a number of instances of municipalities and one state institution by Passed the Pure Streams Act, but there the larger industrial plants additional treat­ er the Sanitary Water Board. With the is­ * e some exemptions pending the discovery ment must be provided to meet the require­ suance of the permits the applicants are au­ 2* methods to eliminate silt and coal dust. ments of the Sanitary Water Board for the thorized to proceed with construction. iQea came the war and practically all agita- cleanup of the streams. In these cases The latest permits have gone to Clearfield, "°n Was stopped. There were a few, how- studies are being made to establish the best ever intercepting sewers and sewage treatment > who never lost sight of the program and methods through which this can be at­ atn works; Whitehall, Allegheny Co., sewers; ong these were Judge Grover C. Ladner tained. Cost of systems at some of the a Upper Moreland Township, Montgomery ^d Governor James H. Duff, at the time, industrial plants have hit the million dollar e Co., sewers; Pittsburgh, sanitary and com­ •£ Attorney General of the state. Led by mark and will considerably exceed that fig­ es bined sewers; Lackawanna Township, Lacka­ fi e two men the drive to purify the ure to complete the required installations str wanna Co., sewers; Trainer, Delaware Co., eams was intensified. The Attorney Gen- to provide the necessary degree of treat­ sewers; Mont Alto Sanatorium, Quincy <*al became Governor and the Judge was ment. ^ade president of the Schuylkill River Val- Township, Franklin Co., additions to sewage The $25 million figure does not include the ey Restoration Association. The Governor treatment works. cost of treatment systems installed by many aPpointed Admiral Milo F. Draemel, retired, The Board also issued on order to Devon industrial establishments before the present 0 the Department of Forests and Waters Drainage Association, Devon, Chester Co., cleanup program got under way. The treat­ nd g him the green light to clean up the requiring the abatement of the discharge of ave ment systems installed, under construction lver. After less than three years the Schuyl- sewage or submit plans for the complete and to be built, also do not account for the , runs green again practically to the very treatment of the sewage of the association. amount of pollution abatement which has °rders of Philadelphia. No more coal dust or The drainage is to tributaries of Little Darby been accomplished. The majority of indus­ ulm is permitted to be deposited in the Creek. trial plants discharge their wastes to muni­ ream. Industries have had to build treat- cipal sewers under arrangements with the , er>t plants for their waste, great desilting municipality and in those cases the munici­ asins have been provided along the banks Loyalsock as Recreation Area pality is responsible for the treatment. here the coal dust is either dumped or mped in, dams have been constructed and Loyalsock Creek, which flows through According to the district report there are , ar»y other engineering installations have Sullivan and Lycoming counties and flows approximately 600 establishments which pro­ int"- Placed which have changed the black into the West Branch of the Susquehanna duce polluting wastes or are potential pol­ * into pure, clean water, as if by magic. River, has been designated by the Sanitary luters. Of that number 346 are handling i 0ve the city of Norristown, the work has Water Board for rehabilitation and will not their wastes in accordance with the require­ ^n carried on by the state and about issue permits to any coal mining operation ments of the Board and the remaining 254 >000,000 have been spent or obligated. from which acid mine waters will discharge are under orders from the Board to abate to that stream. This policy was established pollution of the streams. Of the latter at>ri *s a triree-way project with the city following investigations of the condition of number 108 concerns are listed as being Q the federal government, the other part- the stream and upon the fact that it is in a major polluters, 39 of which are now build­ r recreational area and recognized as one of ing treatment works and 18 others have 0^ s in the clean-up campaign. The Corps the leading trout streams. abated. The remaining are in the process c, Engineers is charged with maintaining the j artnel and its part has moved along slowly. This is the second instance in which the of preparing plans, are arranging to connect „ the present omnibus appropriation bill, Board has set aside a stream for rehabilita­ with municipal sewers or are proceeding in some other manner toward abatement. , re is provided two and a half million dol- tion so that it can be devoted to recreational JT s to dredge out the coal silt below Norris- purposes. The first case was that of Emigh A total of 146 cases are listed as produc­ Set "F ^our million was the figure originally Run, tributary of Moshannon Creek in Boggs ing comparatively smaller amounts of pollu­ i tor this work and a determined effort is and Morris townships, Clearfield Co. The tion. Of this number seven have treatment f; ng made to up the appropriation to this Morrisdale dam in that stream, Mas been systems under construction, 74 have abated taken over by the Morris Fish and Game pollution and the remaining are preparing Th ne Protective Association and is being devel­ plans, arranging to discharge to municipal a City Qf Philadelphia is now installing sewers or are proceeding otherwise toward Wage oped for public recreation including fishing B0n treatment program that is costing and bathing. abatement of the pollution. u'°°0,000 and, when completed in 1953, will Alfarata

By ALBERT LAWRENCE GUYER

I have listened to the classic tale NOW, we have laws within our land Of lovely Alfarata; I'm sure we all endorse them; Who used to roam o'er hill and Then why not make a sharp demand Along the Juniata. That Our Executives enforce them. m& Or in her birchen-bark canoe And make rivers free once more Would glide upon its waters; From all contamination; An everlasting tribute to So that its waters pass before All Indian sons and daughters. A strict examination.

And likewise have I given ear The little fishes then would feel To Doctor Cort's effusion; At home, within your waters But woe is me I greatly fear The noble trout, the bass, the eel My mind is in confusion. And all their sons and daughters. I can't conceive of anyone Thy banks will then become a place Much less sweet Alfarata Of healthful recreation; As ever really having fun For folks of every creed or race Along the Juniata. From any land or Nation.

Industrial plant and city sewer Then lovers too will seek thy banks Oh! murky little river; Oh, lovely little river Have made the waters so impure, No matter what their place or rank It makes our nostrils quiver. In limousine or flivver. Though poets rave about this stream And while thy waters seek the sea In a manner that is zealous; Oh, lovely Juniata Its breath would wreck a buzzard's dream The waves will purer, cleaner be Or make a polecat zealous. For the sake of Alfarata.

Along thy rubbish littered banks No Indian maid is straying; And paleface maids decline with thanks On thy shores to go a-maying. While Legislatures come and go And free men still are voting; Thy waters keep their constant flow On which dead fish are floating.

_„ ^ ven&Sjj/fj&S^!