MILADY GOES A-TROUTING-AND THE TROUT LOSES OFFICIAL STATE JULY, 1934 PUBLICATION VN G LE R* Vol. 3 No. 7

PUBLISHED MONTHLY Want Good Fishing? by the OBEY THE LAW Pennsylvania Board of Fish Commissioners

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S3 E3H COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS Five cents a copy •*• 50 cents a year OLIVER M. DEIBLER Commissioner of Fisheries

ataa £3 £3 83 Members of Board OLIVER M. DEIBLER, Chairman ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor Greensburg South Office Bldg , Harrisburg, Pa. JOHN HAMBERGER Erie

DAN R. SCHNABEL E3KE3 Johnstown LESLIE W. SEYLAR McConnellsburg

NOTE EDGAR W. NICHOLSON Philadelphia Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee KENNETH A. REID either by check or money order payable to the Connellsville Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not ac­ ROY SMULL ceptable. Maekeyville 4 GEORGE E. GILCHRIST PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribu­ Lake Como tions and photos of catches from its readers. Proper eredit will be given to contributors. H. R. STACKHOUSE Secretary to Board All contributions returned if accompanied by first class postage. C. R. BULLER Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries Pleasant Mount

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IMPORTANT—The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address

Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 1

Perhaps an outstanding factor in this It is my conviction that fishing as a increase in fishing interest has been sport offers the maximum in returns on more available time for the average health and contentment. It is an ideal person to indulge in outdoor sports. recreation. Shortening of the working week and re­ ducing the number of working hours a ^ANGLER/ day has made possible for many in­ THE "SPLASH" dividuals, even in the larger cities, an FISHERMAN JULY, 1934 opportunity to fish or hunt. And it is significant that many good fishing *S a rule you'll find fishermen to be a waters are easily accessible from most II mighty considerate group. Sports­ VOL. 3 No. 7 Pennsylvania cities. The automobile manship is a characteristic of the ang­ undoubtedly has also been a factor in ling fraternity that can't be denied. attracting our people to streams and But, just as in any sport, now and then lakes. Within two hours drive of one of those fellows who doesn't give a Scranton, for instance, are some of the hang for the feelings of other fishermen EDITORIAL finest warm water lakes and ponds in on the stream does his share and more Pennsylvania. To enjoy an evening's in spoiling the day's sport. I refer to fishing on one of these lakes, and even­ the angler who splashes through the ing fishing is highly effective for bass water, edges in on another man who has or piekerel, it would not be necessary to carefully worked his way into a promis­ leave Scranton before four o'clock in ing pool, and sees to it effectively that FISHING IS A SOUND the afternoon. Good roads in many trout are frightened so that the man INVESTMENT IN HEALTH sections of the Commonwealth have cut ahead of him has little if any chance driving time considerably, and made the of taking a fish. IME and again we hear the expres­ automobile just that much more effec­ T sion "it is not all of fishing to tive as a method of transportation to fish." Seemingly contradictory at first fishing waters. Fortunately these anglers are not ex­ glance, this quotation assumes the pro­ ceptionally numerous. Unfortunately, portions of a really weighty argument what they lack in number they more for the gentle creed of that patron saint than make up for in noise. It is an un­ of angling, Izaak Walton. There is re Pishing is essentially restful. Cer­ written code of the angling fraternity laxation in fishing second to no other tain features of the sport make it so. that the other fellow merits considera­ outdoor sport. The clean air along a It takes thoughts away from the exact­ tion but for the "splash" fisherman, no fishing stream and the beauty of the ing cares of business. In casting, there code exists save his own. He doesn't go stream itself provide an atmosphere that is always that anticipation of a strike; home with a sportsmanlike catch, and he assures complete rest for the man or in still-fishing, waiting for the instant generally manages to place the other woman who indulges in angling. It is when a bass starts its run to the accom­ fellow in a similar position. a noteworthy fact that men high in paniment of a whirring reel and rod tip public life, professional men and busi­ swishing to the surface, or the slower, ness men who want to relax after a more methodical biting of a sucker or A sporting chance is all the average strenuous day in an office, and others catfish. An atmosphere of calm along fisherman asks and certainly this is who engage in intense mental work find fishing waters is the greatest tonic in within his rights. When he is on the ideal recreation in fishing. the world for frayed nerves and ex­ stream he likes to think things over. If hausted vitality. the fish aren't just hitting right, he doesn't show his temper by lashing the water with vicious casts, and swearing Healthful pastime is one of the out­ at everything in general. Summing it standing needs in modern American The people of Pennsylvania are for­ all up, consideration is the formula for life. Competitive sports provide an out­ tunate in having available for outdoor happy days astream. Just figure that let for this phase of human life in the sports a vast network of streams and there's a big stream with plenty of room larger cities. Wherever available, how­ millions of acres of game cover where for everyone if each fisherman shows ever, outdoor sports hold an appeal that they can fish and hunt. Pollution, it is real angling courtesy. Good sports­ is irresistible to millions of Americans. true, has greatly curtailed our fishing manship will mean happier fishing trips The desire to fish and hunt is an inher­ areas. Thousands of miles of water­ for our anglers. ent instinct that has come down through ways that should provide angling are the ages. Certainly these two oldest unfit for fish life, but there are still sports in the history of mankind are many of our streams, such as the North drawing many additional thousands of Branch of the Susquehanna, that are Pennsylvania men and women to our ideal havens for our anglers during waters and hunting covers each year. their days astream. Commissioner of Fisheries. a PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER LIFE OF THE INLAND WATERS DESTROYERS OF FISH

MIDSUMMER sun is reflected from the A water of the reed-fringed flat and to all appearances, life along the shoreline of a central Pennsylvania bass stream has been driven into hiding by the intense heat. Weeks have passed since the last heavy rain storm lashed the buttonwoods border­ ing the stream and sent a wall of brown red water through the flat from the tribu­ tary streams. Drought conditions have been recorded in the pools and riffles by gradually receding levels. In more than one tiny pocket left by the receding waters minnows and other small fish have been trapped and died. Of fish life's greatest destroyers, drought ranks first. But drought is aided in the destruction of life in the inland waters by natural enemies that give no quarter. Fang, scale and feather are leagued against the fishes of stream and lake. Fish-Eating Birds Of the creatures that prey on fish, birds perhaps are the least harmful as a group in Pennsylvania waters. While individually a great blue heron may destroy many fish during its summer visit, this bird is com­ paratively rare. The American osprey or fish hawk is in a similar category, and although the smaller green heron or shikepoke is more THE WATERSNAKE, ARCH ENEMY TO FISH LIFE abundant, its food consists chiefly of toads, frogs, lizards, and occasional minnows have built their nest. Wheeling gracefully ish white, the breast feathers being slightly found along the shorelines. above the flat, the male bird presents a splotched with brown. The upper portions In a lightning-blasted tree stub a short picture of rhythm and power in flight. Its of its body and head and the pinion feathers distance from the stream, a pair of ospreys breast, head, neck and lower parts are gray- of the wings are dusky brown. A dusky stripe ocrurs on each side of the head. As it circles above the stream, the sun accentu­ ates the striking gray-white of its under- plumage. Suddenly its rhythm of flight is broken and the osprey drops like a plumet toward the water. So great is the force of its fall that it is submerged beneath the surface, to rise an instant later with a large sucker in its claws. In the clear water of the flat, many fish are targets for its unerring plunge for prey. Frequently, fish that swim in schools near the surface, such as the sunfish and yellow perch, are taken. More serious in their inroads on inland water fishes are the belted kingfishers. These small, crested birds, not much larger in body than the robin, predominantly blue and white in color and having long sharp bills, stage their forays from branches of trees or stubs overhanging the stream. King­ fishers during the summer take heavy toll of fish life. Darkness veils the activities of the blue heron. At the approach of dusk, a great, long-legged bird with slender arching neck stirs from the rushes where it has lain con­ cealed during the day. Of the feathered predators, the plumed blue heron is perhaps most accomplished. Its rapier-like bill flashes at a passing fish with such deadly accuracy that the quarry seldom eludes it. In stilt­ like featherless legs, it stands motionless in the shallows of the flat during most of the night. It is a beautifully plumaged bird. DRAWING BY GEORGE GRAY The top of its head and cheeks are white, UNMATCHED IN VORACITY, THE SNAPPING TURTLE PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER :t the sides of the crown and occipital crest was swimming wildly about, a large piece of snapper, the reptile's head flashes from be­ black. The neck is light purplish gray in flesh missing from its side. When finally neath the shell with almost unbelievable ra­ color, while the throat line is streaked with caught, the shape of the bite left no doubt pidity. Struck from beneath, the fish is black, white and rusty. The upper parts are that a snapper had taken advantage of the given no warning. So powerful are the jaws predominantly slaty blue, the wing feathers sucker's misfortune and procured for itself propelled by the elastic neck of the turtle deepening to black on the outer edges. The one good bite of fish." that they crunch life from its victim in an plumes of the bird are colored pearl gray in instant. It is grimly purposeful, this T When the shadows from the buttonwoods most part, whi e the under parts are chiefly lengthen over the stream, the big snapping creature, and from the time it leaves hiber­ black streaked with white. Its bill and the turtle slides from the shallow ledge to seek nation in the ispring until it again enters iris of the eye are of yellowish tint, and its food. Its passage through the lanes of a dormant state in autumn, it looms as a the legs are blackish. the weed beds seems like the movement of constant menace to life of the inland waters. There is a certain glamour in the flight a bulky shadow in the darkening stream. From a fisherman's viewpoint it has one of an osprey or the statuesque poise of a Claw-armed legs propel it smooth'y through redeeming feature. The meat makes savory blue heron that undoubtedly adds to the the water, and just where the weed bed soup. charm of fishing and their rarity removes verges into open water of the flat, the The snapping turtle has competition from both birds from serious consideration as de­ snapper sinks quietly to the bottom. another reptile destroyer in its evening for­ stroyers of fish. On the alert for food, it resembles perhaps aging. Near a tangled mass of brush in the upper section of the flat, a V-shaped riffle Arch Enemies of Fish more than anything else a moss-grown rock. Its first prey is a graceful chub foraging near spreads over the water. At the apex of the From the shoreline of this fishing stream the weeds. As the fish swims over the (Continued on Page 13) come two arch enemies of fish life. Lurking in the silt and mud beneath an overhanging bank is a giant snapping turtle. This armored reptile, all of 40 pounds in weight and two feet long, might well be termed the outstanding foe to fish life in the inland waters. Even small ducks are not excluded from its diet if an opportunity to pull one beneath the surface is presented. Insatiab'e in appetite and crafty in its fish­ ing methods, it is a foe to be reckoned with even by the active and aggressive bass. There is something repulsive in the ap­ pearance of the big snapper. Its upper shell, or carapace is coarsely serrated on the rear margin. In young specimens, three keels on the upper shell present a rough appear­ ance, but the big reptile beneath the bank has a somewhat smooth protective covering. Clinging to it is green slime and silt that serve to conceal it admirably when seeking its prey on the bed of the stream. The head is large, and armed with powerful hooked jaws. Its long tail has two rows of scales on the under-surface and a row of flat tubercles above. The under-shell, known as the plastron, is comparatively small and roughly oval in shape. Aquatic by nature, it seldom leaves the stream save in the in­ stance of the female when she deposits her eggs. Just how much fish life the snapping turtle may destroy in a season is a matter of conjecture. It is known that one cap­ tive turtle of this species consumed from three to five pounds of fish a day, covering a period of one week. Paul L. Swanson of Wesley, who has made an intensive study of the habits of this vora­ cious reptile, writes: "The female hunts for a suitable place in which to lay her eggs during June or July. These eggs measure about an inch in di­ ameter, are spherical in shape and white in color. The female burrows in the sand or soil until she is fairly well covered. After depositing the eggs she crawls away, and dirt falling off her back into the depression usually leaves the eggs covered. Most au­ thorities place the number of eggs at 20 or 30, but a large specimen caught in Minnesota by David Swanson and donated to Carnegie Museum contained 64 eggs. "One day I discovered a sucker over a foot long which had made the fatal mistake of thrusting its head into a paint can. Its pectoral fins were on> the inside, and the lip of the can prevented the fish from ever being able to release itself. This sucker NOT PRETTY TO LOOK AT, THESE SALAMANDERS 'I PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

THIS WATERSNAKE WANTED FLIES Gus Palmgren of Lanse, while fish­ ing dry fly on Spring Creek early in June, set the tiny feathered lure into what he believed was a monster trout. The battle that followed, according to Special Warden Dave Dahlgren of Philipsburg, served to make his belief a conviction. But when the supposed granddaddy of all the big brownies of Spring Creek was landed, disappointment was his lot. Glancing into the landing net he saw a three-foot watersnake. The snake, according to the report, had almost swallowed the cahill fly.

ORGANIZE BEDFORD COUNTY FEDERATION OF SPORTSMEN On May 7, 1934, the officers and interested members of nine Bedford County sports­ men's elubs met in the Odd Fellows Hall at Saxton, to organize the Bedford County Fed­ eration of Sportsmen. The Bedford County organization is a direct unit of the Pennsyl­ vania Federation of Sportsmen. The meeting was presided over by Merle Merritts, of Altoona, vice-chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen, who H. C. SMITH OF MONESSEN SHOWS THE TROUT IN HIS with Robert Henderson, of Huntingdon, CREEL TO TWO BOY ANGLERS ON ROARING RUN, were the principal speakers of the evening. WESTMORELAND COUNTY The plan of organization, the principles and purposes of the organization were outlined by Mr. Merritts, while Mr. Henderson ex­ plained in a most interesting manner, "Why great activity on the part of these bottom It Does Not Pay to Be a Poor Sportsman." THE CARP PROBLEM IN THE feeders. The officers of the county organization EARLY 90'S The article from the early report of the consist of a chairman and a secretary-treas­ Board follows: urer, who are chosen by delegates elected "The German carp has been so long do­ from each club. At this meeting, however, mesticated in North European waters that the delegates had not as yet been named, its original habitat is somewhat obscured, so a temporary chairman and a temporary although it is supposed to have been central secretary-treasurer were chosen to serve Asia. When it was introduced into Europe until the regular officers could be elected by is in doubt, but it is known with absolute the delegates of the various clubs. Other certainty that it was regarded as an im­ temporary officers were: Harry A. Eichel- portant food fish and was extensively cul­ herger, Saxton, and W. H. Ritchey, Wolfs- tivated in Austria as early as 1227, and one burg, chairman and secretary-treasurer, re­ celebrated establishment with large, exten­ spectively. sive ponds now in existence near the town The officers of the clubs were requested When was the German carp introduced to of Wittingau, Bohemia, can be traced back to have a regularly elected delegate attend Pennsylvania waters? Time and again that to the year 1367. These ponds today cover a meeting to be held a short time later for question crops up with fishermen and the an area of more than 20,000 acres, and the following interesting facts taken from the the purpose of electing a permanent chair­ proceeds amount to over £00,000 pounds of Report of the State Commissioners of Fish­ carp annually. man and a permanent secretary-treasurer. eries for 1892-93-94 throws some light on the This meeting was held Friday evening, May "The fish is supposed also to have been matter. That the introduction of this fish, introduced into Upper Lusoatia, Saxony, 25th, in the Smith Vocational High School which today has not only many enemies auditorium at Yellow Creek. At this time, Silesia, Bavaria, and Poland in the begin­ among our fishermen but friends as well, ning of the fourteenth century, and in Eng­ Mr. Eichelberger was again honored by being was accidental in large part is borne out by elected regular chairman while Carl Walter, land in 1504. Now, nearly every river and the following article. lake in Europe teems with them. Even the Fishertown, was named as regular secretary- 1 treasurer. A careful study of the carp and its habits Black and Caspian seas contain great num­ The nine clubs represented by the Bed­ in recent years has tended to reduce to con­ bers of carp. ford County Federation of Sportsmen are as siderable degree the belief that it is a major "In Germany the carp are cultivated with follows: Rainsburg Game and Fish Protec­ menace to food and game fish of our inland as much care and industry as any domestic tive Association, Rainsburg; Raystown Rod waters. Destructive though it is to vegeta­ animal or fowl. Indeed, there are some and Gun Club, Wolfsburg; Home Rod and tion and small aquatic organisms, its young Germans to whom the fish is the chief Gun Club, Yellow Creek; Six Mile Run provide a valuable source of forage for game source of revenue, and to others among the Sportsmen's Association, Six Mile Run; fish in the waters it frequents. Insofar as most important. Besides the great carp Broad Top Game, Fish and Forestry Asso­ spawn-destroying is concerned, the sunfish, ponds just mentioned land owners with hun­ ciation, Broad Top; Woodvale Rod and Gun bass and rock bass are amply capable of dreds of acres devoted to this purpose are Club, Wood; Hopewell Rod and Gun Club, protecting their nests from even large carp, not uncommon. By the Germans, Austrians Hopewell; Bedford County Game Protective while suckers, wall-eyed pike, pickerel and and Russian Poles the carp is not looked Association, Fishertown; Saxton Sports­ yellow perch deposit, their eggs and leave upon as a wild fish but as a creature as men's Association, Saxton. them when low water temperatures hamper much domesticated as cows, sheep or fowl. PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

its, will in a few years practically extermin­ ate all the valuable food and game fishes despite the efforts of the various fish com­ TOM MOSIER SCORES missions. WITH THE DRY FLY "While perhaps the views of those who an­ Tom Mosier, Centre County game athematize the German carp may be as wide protector, who aroused plenty of com­ of the mark as those of its admirers, there ment by his unusual experience on is strong ground for believing it is not al­ Bald Eagle Creek last year by having together a desirable flsh to be given the a brownie jump into his landing net, freedom of the public waters. returned to the scene of his unusual "Just when or by wmom the German carp experience recently and scored a de­ was introduced into this country is not cisive victory fop the dry fly. known. The first generally accredited im­ Fishing one of these jaunty feath­ porter is a Mr. Poffe, a Californian, who, ered lures tied on a No. 12 hook, Tom somewhere prior to 1870, brought a few scale landed a 20-inch brown trout on Bald carp to his ponds in Sonoma, where they Eagle Creek that tipped the scales at increased so rapidly that he went into the four pounds. business of supplying them to the markets. A little later it was reported that there were carp captured occasionally in the Hud­ son and Delaware Rivers, but it is generally warmer waters of the Commonwealth abound believed they were gold fish which had es­ in this fish, they have for the most part be­ caped from private ponds and multiplied in come so through escaping from these these rivers. In the autumn of 1876 the private ponds. It is certainly a fact that United States Pish Commission made its the Delaware River Is full of carp of an first attempt to import this flsh, but the ef­ enormous size and recently a few fishermen fort was a failure, as all the specimens died on that river have devoted themselves al­ (luring the voyage in consequence of furious most entirely to their capture." storms which prevailed. A second and suc­ cessful attempt was made in the spring of CAPTURES WATERSNAKE ON 1877, and 345 leather, mirror and scale carp BARBLESS DRY FLY were placed in ponds at Washington. There were plenty of witnesses in the tak­ "Some of the progeny of these were sent ing of a watersnake by way of a dry fly at to the Pennsylvania Commissioners, who the Spring Creek trout farm and stream THREE BROWN TROUT, LARGEST distributed the greater number to farmers, improvement project recently. Kenneth A. 22 INCHES, CAUGHT IN YELLOW a few only being deposited in public streams. Reid, Board member, who made the unusual BREECHES. CUMBERLAND If, as is generally believed, nearly all the COUNTY, BY McCLAY GIBSON, catch, writes: CARLISLE "Incidentally on Saturday an incident oc­ curred while I was instructing at the ladies pool that might be of interest to your "Among most Americans the flsh is not FLY-FISHING WINS readers. At least it made a tremendous im­ regarded with much favor, but the Germans ANOTHER CONVERT pression on the dozen or so spectators. and those of some other European countries While Instructing one of the ladies, some­ consider it a fine table flsh, ranking with The brown trout of Ball Greek, in Wayne County, are directly responsi­ one called my attention to a large water- the very best, particularly the leather carp, snake asleep on a log that projects above although, the mirror carp is not far behind ble for the conversion of Willard Ap­ pleman, Bloomsburg angler, to fly fish­ the water on the far side of the pool at a in the number of its admirers. Among the distance from 55 to 60 feet. As no one had few Americans who were enthusiastic con­ ing; according to Warden Myron Shoe­ maker of Laceyville. a gun I undertook to catch the snake by cerning the carp was Professor Baird. Many casting over him with a fly and hooking years ago he believed the day would come In company with Bill Corey, of Bloomsburg, Willard was on Ball him. The first cast fell about two feet when it would play an important part in short and hooked a trout. The next cast our commercial food fishes. He attached Creek recently when the brownies were cutting up high jinks with flies. went about two feet over the log where I much importance to its introduction and be­ couldn't see it and in attempting to hook lieved it would "supply an oft experienced Corey was fly fishing, with Appleman looking on, when the rise started. In the snake found I had another trout on it want of a fish for the South, representing which I had to force over the log a few the more northern trout, and at the same a brief time, he had creeled two fine brown trout. That was just too much feet from the snake and land before I time a species capable of being cultivated in could continue the attack. On the third Ponds.' for Willard, who had never cast a fly before. cast the fly dropped just a few inches be­ "It is to be feared that there are today yond the snake with the leader resting on not many who would be willing to voice Pro­ Corey promptly complied with Ap- pleman's request that he be permitted its body and a quick twitch of the rod set fessor Baird's enthusiasm. On the contrary, the hook in the snake's neck and I dragged Utterly ignoring whatever merits there may to cast a fly with the former's rod. The first cast was made with the line him back through the pool, landed and be attached to the carp, it is quite certain killed him. He had one nice brook trout in that the majority of anglers are more apt to slapping the water and fly and leader striking a big rock above the pool. his stomach which accounted for the peace­ execrate the man who first introduced the ful sleep and he no doubt would have ac­ flsh quite as heartily as they might Benedict The fly then dropped lightly and nat­ urally to the water where a 22-inch counted for many more if he had not been Arnold, or the misguided men who orginally killed. I have done the same thing on a imported the English sparrow. In fact, there brownie struck it. The ensuing bat­ tle provided enough thrills to last any number of occasions but never before a large are few fishes more heartily anathematized gallery as in this case." by American anglers. They fail to see a single fisherman a week. It terminated with redeeming feature in the creature, and Corey holding the rod and Appleman charge it with many,bad qualities, the most wading into the stream to grasp the PLAN TRAP SHOOT serious among which is the allegation that big trout under the gills. When The Bedford County Game Protective it is a more inveterate spawn eater than weighed, the brownie tipped the scales Association will hold a trap shoot at Oster- the eel. The fecundity of the fish is so great at 3 pounds, 3 ounces. burg, Pa., on Saturday, August 4th. The that it is overrunning all the rivers and And Willard Appleman is now an shooting, which will be held in conjunction streams of the country, and its enemies enthusiastic convert to the fly fishing with a general picnic, will begin at 9:00 claim that since it does not take the hook method. A.M. and last until 6:30 P.M. Everyone readily on account of its spawn eating hab­ invited. S PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER ARTIFICIAL FLIES FOR TROUT AND BASS By Kenneth A. Reid Member Board of Fish Commissioners

ROBABLY no topic of trout fishing has heavily dressed so that they are about half point of the hook, they will soon mat down P been so much discussed as the subject of way between, a good wet and a good dry fly. and become waterlogged. Every time a fly flies. The patterns and types are legion and They can be materially improved by trim­ is picked off the water on the back cast, the there are almost as many different opinions ming out about half of the wings and con­ friction of the water tends to bend these and theories held by those who use them siderable of the hackle. Perhaps you have hackle hairs backward, and the air resist­ as there are patterns. Much of the written had the experience of catching a number of ance during casting is in the same direction. information on the subject has been more trout on the same wet fly until a good deal If they are tied at a backward slant, they misleading and confusing than otherwise, will soon mat against the body and sink the and in this brief treatise we will endeavor fly. On the other hand, if good stiff hackles to give a few simple facts that may tend to are used and they slant a little forward unravel some of the confusion regarding rather than backward, they will not readily flics and their use. become waterlogged. Figures 1, 5 and 7 will Often on the stream when trout have risen illustrate correctly tied hackles, while fig­ readily to our fly, we have been hailed by ures 3 and 4 show a poorly tied "dry fly," brother anglers with, "Hey, brother, what which is dry only in the name that the man­ fly are you using?" A perfectly natural ufacturer puts on his package, and only as question, but most of the inquirers place long as it stays in that package and out of entirely too much importance to that one the water. consideration. Almost invariably they think Another factor that is apparently poorly that all they need is that identical pattern understood by many fly tiers is the relation of fly to achieve the same success, when as to the size and weight of the hook to the a matter of fact there are a number of buoyancy of the supporting dressing. I have other factors, several of them more import­ seen many otherwise excellent dry flies ant, that enter into the solution of their that were ruined by being tied on a hook problem. Nine times out of ten we could that was entirely too large or of too heavy change to a different pattern without affect­ wire gauge to float properly. Even if the ing the result. The form (well or poorly dressing will support it on the surface, a tied), the size of the fly, and the way it is heavy hook makes a fly alight too heavily cast and fished on the water, are all more on the water. A dry fly cast should end important than the particular pattern of dry three or four feet above the surface from fly. Of course, there are exceptions when where the fly should float down to the sur­ trout become very selective and when pat­ face like a thistledown. terns seems to assume greater importance, To be most effective, a dry fly should float but these cases are the exception, not the high on the water, supported by its hackles rule. Too often the trouble lies in unsuited and tail, not by its body and wings. A good or poorly balanced tackle or lack of ability stiff tail is an important aid to buoyancy. to cast and fish it properly, or both. Without a tail, many otherwise well tied We are often greatly amused when fish­ flies will "sit down in the water." Figure ing a strange stream to be informed that 3 illustrates a poorly tied dry fly in which to take trout on that particular stream a the hackles are soft, and slanting backward, particular pattern must be used. Such con­ the tail is too short, and the hook entirely victions are formed, as a result of some out­ too large and heavy for the dressing. Fig­ standing success achieved by an expert ure 4 is a head-on view of the same fly angler who happened to be using the pattern showing irregular winding of the hackle. in question; whereupon all the other fisher­ Such a fly is bound to ride on its side in­ men on the stream adopted the same fly and stead of upright, if it floats at all. never took the trouble to find out if other For fishing large streams and heavy water, patterns might not prove equally effective the fan wing fly has some very distinct ad­ if fished with the same confidence. vantages. When properly tied, it floats high But in spite of the foregoing, the fly is and the large wings give it excellent visi­ an important factor in successful fishing. bility to the angler on swift runs and in Particularly in the case of dry flies, most of poor light conditions. A truly tied fan wing the commercial articles leave much to be de­ f\a.n is a joy to use, but a poorly tied one is an sired. A good dry fly is a totally different abomination—and unfortunately the major­ article from a good wet fly, and there is of the dressing was chewed off, and found ity of the commercial variety are in the no such thing as a combination wet and dry that it became increasingly attractive to the latter category. fly. Of course you can catch some trout fish the more bedraggled its appearance. The Tying a fan wing requires more exacting on a bedraggled dry fly that has become reason was because its bedraggled form care than any other type of fly. The wings waterlogged, buttyou would do much better more closely resembled the form of the must be carefully selected and matched so when the trout are striking underwater flies underwater insect on which the trout were that the curvature of each feather is the if you put on a sparsely tied wet fly that feeding, of which a nymph is a more correct same, and they must be tied in a true line made no pretense at floating. Conversely, imitation. with the shank of the hook. If they are a wet fly, if it deserves the name, is impos­ In tying dry flies, many tiers make the cocked at an angle to the hook shank, or if sible for satisfactory dry fly fishing. error of depending on quantity of hackle they are not matched for size and curva­ Many dry flies are only half dry and very for buoyancy, rather than quality. If the ture, they will spin and twist a fine leader poor floaters, and most wet flies are too hackles are soft and slant back toward the in casting, ride on their side and do all man- PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 7

ner of undesirable things. While they are not a pleasant thing to cast on a fly rod, out imparting artificial motion by the rod. most effective, particularly toward evening, and one misses the thrill of the smashing In bass fishing, the effectiveness of the lures they are not a fly for either a careless fly surface strike a bass makes on a floating is largely dependent on the action imparted tier or a careless angler. They should be lure. Of course, bass floating lures are not to them by the rod. After resting on the cast somewhat slower than the usual fly as pleasant to east as a dainty trout dry surface a few seconds—when a bass will and they must be carried in a container of fly because of their greater bulk and weight, sometimes take it-—it should be retrieved sufficient depth so that they will not be but some of them cast very well and they with an irregular swimming movement im­ are decidedly more pleasant to cast than a parted by short twitches of the rod top. crushed or mussed up. They also have the spinner or any underwater lure. The pull disadvantage of being rather fragile and are It is generally advisable to swim it a yard or of the water on the lift and the hit at the two, stop, and then continue the retrieve. Be often spoiled by the capture of one good fish end of the back east that one gets with a that is hooked so he can chew the fly. versatile in your fishing of the lure, at least until you discover the particular movement The bi-visible is one of the most popular that the bass prefer at that particular time. of dry flies. The wisp of white hackle at the head gives it visibility second only to Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a side and the fan wing, and it floats very well. Also top view of a hair frog that has proven par­ it has the advantage of being able to stand ticularly attractive to large bass, both small a lot of punishment, for when it becomes and large mouth and in both rivers and watersoaked, it can be dried and fluffed back lakes. When it is drawn on the surface into shape by drawing backward through with short twitches, the legs kick in a most the fingers and a handkerchief. Most of lifelike manner, and a sharp jerk will cause the commercial bi-visibles are palmer tied— it to blow sizeable bubbles. It exemplifies hackles tied the whole length of the body— what is desirable in bass surface lures: the but Figure 5, sometimes called a "semi-visi­ greatest fuss on the water for the size of ble," casts better and floats well enough. the lure. Tied on a number 2 hook, it casts Incidentally, the sparser the hackles to at­ very well. tain the necessary buoyancy, the more ef­ Figure 14 illustrates another bucktail cre­ fective. ation that is also quite effective. Tied on a Figure 7 illustrates an effective dry fly number 4 hook of light gauge, it casts better with a hair or feather spray for wings. than the hair frog, and takes good bass when They float well and have good visibility. they seem to be wary of other lures. A Figure 8 illustrates the spider type fly, with combination of a few lures of this general long, sparse hackles tied on a very small type with a few spinners and bucktails for hook, usually size 18. Figure 9 illustrates those occasions when for reasons known a wet fly with sparse dressing, as it should only to themselves, bass refuse to come to be, while Figure 10 illustrates the "shameful, the surface, will equip the fly rod angler for naked nymph." Figure 11 illustrates a buck- some real sport with bass. tail or streamer with jungle cock shoulders. It really represents a minnow rather than We might mention that the bass fly rod a fly of any variety. In all three of these should weigh at least five ounces, and pref­ latter "flies," the hooks should be heavier erably between 5% and 6 ounces and 9% than in the dry flies, for they are intended feet long for the best casting of lures. The to be fished beneath the surface. line for such a rod will likely be a D level We have always strongly advocated the or an HCH double taper. Leaders are us­ dry fly, because we believe that until an ually 4*/2 feet, but we prefer them 7% or angler has really mastered dry fly fishing, 9 feet. he has not derived the greatest measure of The lures shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14 sport that is open to him on our streams. are not available commercially. They are Even when fish are not rising, the day is tied by my fishing partner Joe Messinger, not quite so blank when you cast a dainty and he has more orders than he can handle. fly upstream and watch it bob jauntily down the current with wings cocked and erect. There is a real pleasure in casting and watching a floating fly that is absent with the sunken variety. After all, the only CHALK UP ANOTHER really valid excuse for going fishing is be­ cause it is darn good fun, so you may as GIANT BROWNIE well get the most fun out of it. Incident­ To Spring Creek, one of the great­ ally, fewer fish are injured on a dry fly than spinner is delightfully lacking with these est trout streams on the eastern sea­ by any other form of fishing. But don't fuzzy surface lures. board, goes the distinction of yielding let anyone mislead you by telling you that There is a great variety of surface lures the runner-up brown trout taken this the dry fly is very pretty but not very ef­ for bass available, and we presume that all season in Pennsylvania. John Hobba, fective for catching fish. When properly of them will catch some fish. The bat wing a disabled war veteran, who makes his handled it is most attractive to the trout— type bass bugs with wood or cork bodies, home with his sister at Milesburg near and peculiarly so during the last two or and the feather minnows with wooden beads Bellefonte, had the distinction of land­ three hours of daylight. have proved their effectiveness for many ing it. Inj recent years, fly fishing has become in­ years. More recently, quite a variety of That brown trout in Spring Creek creasingly popular for bass as well as trout. bucktail creations have made their appear­ are exceptionally well-fed is demon­ While the spinner and bucktail, spinner and ance, so that there is ample to choose from. strated by the following measurements pork rind, and other underwater fly rod Fishing surface lures for bass has some and weight of Hobba's giant brownie. lures have been successfully used for many points in common with dry fly fishing for In length it measured 26% inches. Its years for bass, the effective floating lures trout and some points of distinct difference. girth was 16 inches, and weight, 7 and their use are not so well known. While In both cases the line should be well greased pounds, 15 ounces. Catching big trout bass will not always come up for the sur­ so that it will always float on the surface, is a habit with Hobba's family. Sev­ face lures, they usually will, and if you have and with bass, it is also advisable to grease eral nights before John made his never tried them, you have some sport ahead the leader. In dry fishing for trout, the catch, his brother Bob played a 20-inch of you that will make you wish you had fly should float naturally with the current brown trout to a finish. tried the method long ago. A spinner is without drag from line or leader and with­ X PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER THE LOYALSOCK, A TROUT STREAM By Hon. Charles Lose

MONG- the mountains of northern Penn­ the water is always cold and pure. Gen­ A sylvania, in a deep and somewhat nar­ erally each trout seeks the side stream or row valley there flows a stream whose branch where it was born and in which it Indian name, Lawisaquick, signifies Middle spent its trouting days. Only an impass­ Creek, called by the white man "Loyalsock." able dam or a complete change in the It is the middle one of three parallel creeks stream will prevent this. Sometimes a few (Muncy, Loyalsock, Lycoming) down which of the largest trout remain in the Loyalsock the Indians made frequent forays against throughout the summer. Then when the the white settlers to the south of them. If cool fall nights have lowered the tempera­ a chip flying from a woodsman's axe chanced ture of the water they seek the shallows to drop into the Loyalsock at the source of and build their spawning beds. The squirrel its main branch it would float in a south- hunter along the Loyalsock sometimes sees westernly direction for a distance of nearly several pairs of these great trout standing sixty miles before it reached the mouth of vigilant guard over the places where their the big stream; and since the Loyalsock offspring will be brought forth. But the descends rapidly, from its beginning far back rank and file of trout that have spent their in the mountains to its ending at the Sus­ winter and spring in the Loyalsock are not quehanna, the voyage would not be of long satisfied until they have settled themselves duration. In its journey the chip would in the cool waters of some tributaries where pass by the Haystacks and Buffalo Rock, their young may be brought forth and raised tall conical boulders in mid-stream, and by in smaller and less turbulent waters than Pilot Rock and Red Rock, feared by the those the Loyalsock offers. Even the small­ logging and rafting crews. It would hurry est branches of the tributaries have their down Cape Mill riffle where there is now no quota of spawning trout. Cape Mill, over Cove Dam where there is The Loyalsock has no fewer than a score no longer any dam, and through Crooked HON. CHARLES LOSE and a half of tributaries, a number of which Riffle, which the ice floods have made are large enough to be called creeks. If straight. It would, however, certainly have trout to push upstream in the spring of the these tributaries could be placed end to end had time to observe the beauties of the year. This movement begins as soon as the they would form a: stream that would reach mountainsides, and of the intersecting val­ snow water has stopped running and it from north to south across the State. In­ leys as it floated leisurely through such long continues until all of the trout have reached cluding the Loyalsock, these streams drain deep pools as the Ketchall, the Gulf, the the places where their fall spawning will be a mountain territory of more than five hun­ Mountain Hole, the Mud Pot and the Grass done. In the Loyalsock the trout begin to dred square miles. As in the case of the Plats. Never in Its long length does the move early in April. Old fishermen used Loyalsock, these tributaries have all felt the Loyalsock lose touch with the mountains. to say that the trout waited for the first heavy hand of the lumberman and many Always on one side or the other its current deep roll of thunder as their signal to start. of them have known splash dams and log washes boulders that frost and rain have At this time they leave the big deep pools drives and their aftermath. Still, even at loosened from the mountainside above. Some­ where they have spent the winter safe from the present day, there is not one among times these mountains crowd the stream so the dangers of ice floods and go up into them that does not contribute each fall its close that it must struggle with much clamor the riffles at the heads of the pools. At share of trout to the larger stream. When to force its way through. Again they draw first they ascend the riffles for only a short the November rains begin to fill the streams, back a few rods and make room for a sugar distance but later they will be found the trout that went forward in the spring bush, a little farm or a mountain hamlet. throughout the entire length of the riffle oc­ commence to fall back in search of bigger At one time in its history the lumbermen cupying some vantage point made by a big and deeper waters. The largest trout go vexed it sorely. They stripped the sides and boulder, a sunken log or a projecting root. first into the Loyalsock where they keep tops of its mountains of their pine and hem­ It is when the trout are in the riffles that company with the chub and suckers untii lock, built great splash dams to create arti­ they offer the angler the best sport. They the spring floods start them forward and ficial floods and sent the primeval forests are then always on the lookout for the upward again. Among the names of these hurrying down to the big mills at the mouth spinning minnow or the dancing fly and tributaries are such old and significant ones of the creek. There followed a period of when hooked in this swift water they make as Elk Creek and Big Bear Creek, Wolf Run forest fires, depleted water sources and a furious fight before they permit them­ and Panther Run, and Dry Run and Double shrunken tributaries until at times the selves to be landed. About the first of June Run. Loyalsock exposed its very vitals to the gaze when the volume of water in the Loyalsock If an angler set out to seek the source of of the passerby. But the Loyalsock is com­ begins to shrink and to grow too warm for Elk Creek he would find it in a pond around ing into its own again. The lumbermen their comfort, the trout leave the riffles for the shores of which the elk trod a century have moved on to new fields of destruction the cool springs in the bottom or on the and a quarter ago. If he started to explore and the bark peeler and the log driver are edge of the creek and for the mouths of Wolf Run it would lead him finally into a known only as memories. The deep black the tributaries where quantities of cold rocky mountain defile where the wolves held pools made by the discharge of their waters spring water are entering the main stream. forth in their day. If he left the Loyalsock are all that remain of the splash dams. Lying in large schools in this cool water, to ascend Dry Run he might walk the bed Nature is clothing the mountain tops and the trout feed only in the evening or at of the stream dry shod, for half a mile, to the valleys with a second growth of timber, night and they can be tempted by nothing where the stream sinks to reappear in big and the state foresters, from their high look­ but flies. On rare occasions when a fog is springs at the edge of the Loyalsock. It is outs, guard it against the devastating fires. on the water or the day is dark they may be a stream with a head but no mouth. In Again do buck, doe and fawn drink at its induced to break their rule and give the fly each of these streams the angler, as he goes edge, flshhawk and heron follow its winding fisherman some good sport. Almost invari­ forward, will finally come upon a waterfall course in, search of food, and pine and hem­ ably there comes a flood in June and the whose counterpart may be found in most lock see pictures of themselves in its placid trout take advantage of this high water to of these mountain streams. The waterfall pools. continue their journey to the head waters may be six feet high and it may be thirty, It is an instinct of the brook or speckled of the Loyalsock or up its tributaries where but always below it there is a deep dark PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 9

pool In which a big trout lurks. Catch this trout and another one takes its place in a few days. The water may come down the steep incline of the fall in a mad rush, or it may fall perpendicularly over a projecting floor of rock; but in neither case does it ap­ pear to offer an obstacle to the trout, for they are always found above the falls. In such a stream as Double Run the angler will find the hemlock trout, a dark colored trout, against whose steel-blue sides the row of scarlet spots fairly glow. It is a speckled trout that has taken its color" from the dark under the hemlock roots. Along such streams as Big Bear Creek the angler will find small swampy runs in which, if he cares to in­ vestigate, he will find many baby trout not yet capable of taking care of themselves in the larger and swifter streams. Each tribu­ tary of the Loyalsock has its tributaries and these have their own to the second and third generation. It is these little streams, in which smafl trout thrive and multiply, that make and will continue to make the Loyal- sock a Trout Stream. There were four well-known houses of en­ tertainment along the Loyalsock in the days when it and its tributaries held such an abundance of trout as to attract anglers from a distance. These places were Snyder's, NESSMUK (CHARLES LOSE) TRIES A TROUT POOL in a little village at the forks of the creek; Snell's, at the mouth of Elk Creek; Speak­ er's a big comfortable farm house on the low stone walls confined the approach to which permitted a clear back cast and the bank of the Loyalsock, opposite Hillsgrove, the picturesque old bridge and on these there landing of a trout without the aid of a net, and Wells', near the mouth of Big Bear was a nightly gathering, during the fishing and the size and fighting qualities of its Creek. At Snyder's, the angler had the season, of residents and non-resident fisher­ trout made the Loyalsock an ideal stream choice of the wild, rough, noisy East Branch, men. From there they could watch and pass for the fly fisherman. Some fly fishermen the smoother, quieter Little Sock, or the judgment on the work of a late fisherman of exceptional ability have been born and beautiful woodsy Lick Creek. Then after a in the long riffle above the bridge, or on one reared in humble homes along its banks. hard, and probably successful, day's fishing that was trying a few last casts at the foot They fished for trout from the time their the angler could spend a comfortable and of the riffle just under the bridge. For mothers first fitted them out with a bent pleasant evening in Snyder's lounging room years Wells' was at the headquarters, in pin, a piece of thread and a shoot from a where the local anglers from miles around the trout season, for city anglers from many would gather nightly to exchange unusual lilac bush, and they continued to fish until parts of the State. It was above and below rheumatism and old age cut them off from Ashing experiences. Two sisters presided at Wells' for a few miles in each direction that Snell's and they were tireless workers. They their heart's desire. They acquired, in time, the Loyalsock offered the finest fishing. Some great knowledge of the stream and of the seemed to welcome an angler's request for of these anglers continued their annual visit a daylight breakfast and they would wait trout, and much skill with the rod. Much to the water they loved until they became of their fishing tackle was often home-made, supper for him till the stars were shining. so old that they needed assistance in getting but always effective. There would be the They were famous cooks and their corn along and across the stream. These men, cakes, home cured ham and fried trout no doubt, prayed that when they died they rod with an ash butt, a middle joint of were good beyond compare. Their great might be permitted to go up to Wells' and hickory, and a whalebone tip. It would feather beds were so comfortable to the fish the Loyalsock instead of to a place of weigh more than three ounces to be sure, tired bodies of fishermen that some­ harps and angel wings. but it would be long enough to permit times a Gabriel's trumpet was required to casting against a stiff southwest wind. The rouse one in the morning. It took the Mo Wells, the proprietor of the place, was line was generally of horse hair twisted angler thirty minutes to go from Snell's to himself a fine fly fisherman, as well as an with the aid of two quills. It was without Hoagland's Branch where he found a stream ardent one. Almost every evening after he knots and had no tendency to kink or tangle. made up of a succession of low falls and round had seen to the comfort of his guests, he It was the original tapered line. The fur deep pools in which many fine trout waited took his fly rod and boat and drifted down of animals trapped or shot and the feathers for bait or fly. It is a rocky stream whose the pool that began at the bridge, and ended of birds and domestic fowls furnished ma­ sides are ground full of pot holes of all at Buffalo Rock, a half mile below. Much terials for the flies. A peacock's tail feather sizes and depths. The great open fireplace cold water flowed into this pool and in it was a prize for the fly maker and the end at Speaker's was one of its chief attractions. the trout collected when the hot days had of a squirrel's tail made a good hackle. The Around this in the cool spring evenings, tired come. Mo sometimes caught between dusk flies which were generally large ones, were anglers would gather after supper to tell of a and dark more and finer trout than some of usually carried in the hat band. In some big trout on Huskell's Riffle or at the Ketch- his guests had caught the entire day. On of the anglers' pockets there were always all. Outside the Loyalsock would keep up the railing of the Wells' front porch there materials out of which to construct a new fly a contented murmur, a whippoorwill would may still be seen the notches that mark the to meet the' hours' requirements and imitate sit on a fence post and fairly rend the air length of some of the largest trout caught a fresh hatch of flies. The city angler, with With its clamor, and a big owl would hoot in that part of the Loyalsock. A twenty- his shining outfit, not infrequently expressed its complaints from the woods behind the inch brook trout was not unusual in those pity for one of these local fishermen but barn. Speaker himself would sometimes days. when he saw the man wielding his long rod, join the party and tell of adventures in the handling a hooked trout, or exhibiting his lumber woods or on the rafting floods. In its long history as a trout stream the Loyalsock bred many skilful fishermen. catch of fish, he was likely to change his These were of two kinds; fly fishermen and attitude. At Wells', an old covered bridge spanned minnow fishermen. Its large volume of clear, I had several times, myself, examined with the Loyalsock and on its stringers boys often cold water, its swift riffles alternating with some amusement Old Tom's outfit where it lay to snare trout in the waters below. Two long, quiet pools, its wide gravelly beaches hung on some nails' inside his little sawmill. ID PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

The rod was in one piece and the reel was ways whirled smoothly and rapidly just ing that the Loyalsock was superior to all made from a big spool. Then one evening below the surface of the water and Uncle other trout streams, he would refer to the just as the sun dropped over the crest of Jim always saw the trout that rose to his day on which he caught between Sandy Cove Mountain to the west of the valley, bait. Seeing the trout rise to take the Bottom and Wells', a distance of three miles, I came upon Tom fishing at the head of his minnow no doubt added to the pleasure of fifteen trout whose combined weight was mill dam. At the instant the sun dis­ his sport just as it adds to the pleasure of twenty-three pounds. Each one of these appeared the trout began to rise, as Old the angler with the fly. When a trout has trout, he would declare, was possessed of Tom knew they would, and in the following taken a bait it immediately sinks to the bot­ fine fighting iqualities and was handsomely hour Tom ' gave me such an exhibition of tom and begins to swallow it. It is at this shaped and beautifully colored. Among them casting with his old rod, and of hooking point that patience is required, for until the he said there were three which together and landing trout, as I had seen before only trout has swallowed the minnow and started weighed a trifle more than nine pounds, a few times in my life. to move away there is no certainty of hook­ The first of these he caught early in the ing the fish securely. With the tip of his morning at Ted's Root where a steep riffle Another old fishing expert of the Loyal- long, sometimes stiff cane rod raised so runs into some deep water at the head of a sock, whom I sometimes stopped to watch, that the line was taut between the tip and long mill dam. This trout took the minnow could cast from the back of his horse. Just trout, Uncle Jim would stand and wait when the rod was extended and the line in front of his little farm house there was patiently for the proper moment to strike. stretched. This prevented his giving the flsh a strong deep riffle beloved of trout. Into enough line to make it certain that the this the fisherman would ride after supper His handling of a hooked trout was also a superior performance. The length of trout would be well hooked. But he did and while the old horse stood patiently In the best he could in the circumstances, and the middle of the stream the man would Uncle Jim's rod always contributed as much to the handling of a fish as it did to the when at last he pulled he decided that the cast over the swift water below him. A trout trout was securely hooked. The trout was that rose in such water would strike hard hooking of it. No matter how swift or how rough the water or how strong the trout, however, so big and strong thlit at first and be firmly hooked. Then the horse would Uncle Jim could do nothing more than fol­ he driven to the shore and the fish landed. Uncle Jim was always in control. Some­ times he followed the struggling trout and low it and it led him into some pretty deep The first time I watched this procedure I water. Finally he turned it and from that wondered how the fisherman could cast be­ sometimes he held it, but finally when it was completely exhausted, his long rod, to point he was master of the situation. It low him when the horse was headed the was still a hard fight, but in the end he other way, but I later found that the man which there was no reel attached, was quite likely to slide it upon the beach at some towed it out on a low, sandy beach where could cast equally well with either hand. point of vantage to which Uncle Jim had it lay completely tired out. The second large Uncle Jim was doubtless the best known all the time been directing the fish. A trout he hooked below a large boulder in the minnow fisherman of the Loyalsock. He had city angler who saw Uncle Jim start out swift water of the Mud, Pot Riffle. He had fished the stream for fifty years, and he one morning with his big rod, asked a by­ seen this trout rise to take a fly, and he knew it when its valley was thickly coated stander who the old chap with the corn­ knew just where it lay and something of in pine and hemlock, when the springs were stalk pole was. The bystander replied that its size. As his minnow came spinning past full and its waters remained cool through­ it was Uncle Jim, the best fisherman of the the boulder the trout took it with a rush out the year, and when the catching of a Loyalsock. The city angler seemed to doubt and then dropped down below the boulder three-pound speckled trout was not a rare the latter part of the statement but he had again. This time Uncle Jim had plenty of occurrence. Uncle Jim's knowledge of the his doubts completely removed when Uncle chance to wait and when he pulled he knew stream was both intimate and complete. He Jim returned that evening with more big that his minnow and hook were in the trout's throat. It was a rough, swift piece of water knew the bottom as well as the top and trout than the young angler had ever seen 1 Bides of every riffle and pool from the big before. Uncle Jim's big flsh seldom got in which to fight a big trout, but Uncle Jim rock in the East Branch where he had once away. They were hooked so firmly and had the advantage of a clear, level shore, caught seventy-five trout to the Cold Springs handled with such skill and precision that and of this he made the most, finally land­ forty miles below where one spring morn­ almost invariably they went finally into his ing the, big fish on a low, gravelly beach, just ing he had fought and conquered a four- creel. below the foot of the riffle. It was nearly pound brook trout. His knowledge of the dusk when he hooked the third big fish stream extended, of course, to the trout it Sometimes when Uncle Jim was contend­ contained. In a stream as large as the Loyalsock trout are capricious. They are quickly affected, favorably or unfavorably, for the fisherman, by a turn of the wind, a change in the sky, or a slight rise or fall of the stream. They frequent in numbers certain parts of the stream and shun other parts that appear equally favorab'e for them. They feed in a lively manner at one hour and not at all at another hour. All of these things were elementary knowl­ edge to Uncle Jim, who always had been a keen student of the water and fish if not of books. Let him catch and clean a trout and he would, with much certainty, tell you on which part of the riffles the trout were to be found, on what they were feeding and what sort of appetites they had. He was the one minnow fisherman of the Loyalsock to whom the local fisherman offered little advice or information. They knew that he knew without being told where and how he ought to fish. % Uncle Jim's skill as a minnow fisherman was in no way inferior to his knowledge of trout and trout waters. His way of using a spinning minnow as a lure for trout had come down from the time of good old Izaak Walton, but it was still an effective method, the most effective method when big trout YEARS AGO, BROOK TROUT AND NOT BROWNIES, were to be caught. Uncle Jim's minnow al­ PREDOMINATED IN THE LOYALSOCK PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 11

under the covered bridge at Wells.' A fly fisherman who was casting at this point had SCORE ANOTHER FOR Seth Says seen the fish rising but he had too little faith ED OLINGER Well sir, durned ef I in his light tackle to try conclusions with didn't listen into a hot a three-pound trout in such strong water. Just when we were scanning the fishing news horizon for a nice juicy argyment down to the Several men stood in the road at the end store t'other night. I of the bridge to watch Uncle Jim show the fish story, along comes George Zim­ merman, Secretary of the Lehigh reckon thar's more talk fly fisherman how the trick was done. When this year 'bout bass the trout took the minnow it dropped to the County Fish and Game Protective As­ sociation, with a pippin. Of course, flshin' in these parts bottom where it lay for several minutes be­ then in a long time. fore it started to move off. When Uncle Jim that is simply another way of saying that it concerns Ed Olinger whose We been a-ketchin' a pu'led, the trout did an unusual thing for most recent contribution in this line heap more bass in the crick then last year a speckled trout. It jumped out of the was right with the best. Writes an' some gol-wallopin' big fellers at thet. water again and again. But Uncle Jim had George: Anyhow, the boys started argyin' 'bout jest few misgivings and after a short, sharp "Ed Olinger, Allentown wire worker why a bass seems ter fight harder'n a pike. fight he landed the fish. It was nineteen Sam Jenners, he's a right smart hand at inches in length and weighed three and one- and a member of the Lehigh County Fish and Game Protective Association, skitterin' fer pike, an' figgers a big pike quarter pounds. This day's work showed ain't a mite behind a bass when it comes ter Uncle Jim's skill as a fisherman as well as insists that there has never been a fish story so tall that there isn't one that serappin'. Now then, Jerry Tims takes a the merits of Middle Creek as a trout shine to the bass an' it so happens he's on stream. is taller, citing an experience that he had last summer at Peck's Lake, his hand to stand up fer his pet. So thet's how In later years the small-mouth black bass favorite fishing haunts, as proof of his the argyment started. Most o' the boys jest shared the waters of the Loyalsock with claim that anglers do not stretch the figgered it was about a draw. the trout. The bass came from the Susque­ truth to the extent that skeptics as­ Come an' think about it, did ye ever take hanna into which they had been introduced sert. Olinger tells this one without a close look at a pike laid alongside a bass? late in the sixties. They left the river the 'bat of an eyelash!' hence it has Jest the way I look at it, I reckon the whole about the first of July of each year, after all the earmarks of veracity. answer's in the way they're built. Jerry their spawning season was over, and as­ "Anyway, he says he was fishing in Tims an' me sees eye ta eye when he says cended the creek in large numbers. They the lake and bye and bye, caught a the bass is way ahead o' the pike as a rarely penetrated the cold mountain tribu­ 24-inch pickerel, which in due course fighter. taries of the Loyalsock but were content to was hauled into the boat. In the pro­ Now then, the pike is built long an' racy. remain in the pools and the less rapid and cess of admiring his catch Olinger warmer water of the main stream. Here He ain't got the broad sides o' the bass to recognized the fish as the same one he help him fight agin the pull o' the line. His they chased minnows and leaped for insects had caught six years before when it until they became fat and their flesh al­ was only 12 inches long and was fins is soft, not spiky-braced like them o' the most as sweet as that of the trout. thrown back because of its small size. bass. He's more a twisty kind o' fighter than the bass. His jaws is soft an' right Toward the end of July, when he had " 'How do you happen to know that begun to tire somewhat of the trout, the this fish is the same one you caught often ef he twists about the top o' the water, fisherman took a lively interest in the bass. years ago?' inquired a friend. he'll pull loose o' the hook. Nature jest He would find them in the evening at the " 'By the finger prints, my boy; by ain't give him the flghtin' build o' the bass. foot of the pool or head of the riffle where, the finger prints,' answered Olinger, But jest don't git the idear thet a big pike with flies or a spinner, he would make a who, it should be explained, Is a native ain't a right good flghtin' fish. Ef ye snag killing among them. Sometimes with helgra- of Luxemburg, and had some experi­ Inter one o' them broad pike of maybe 22 mites, lampreys, or riffle chub and a heavier ence in police work in the old country." inches, ye'll have yer hands right full a- rod he would spend the day fishing some landin' him. long, deep, rocky pool and catching such a string of bass as would gladden the heart I jest got one big thing agin' a pike, an' of any fisherman. Occasionally he would CATCHES BIG TROUT ON thet's the slow way he takes the bait. Now anchor his boat in the middle of a deep WINGED HELGRAMITE then, a bass, when he hits starts a clippin' black pool where he knew some big ones One of the largest brown trout reported away fer fare-ye-well. There ain't no nib- lurked and wait until he got hold of one taken in Pike County waters last season was lin' bout the ol' feller generally. A pike, he's that tested his skill and the strength of his caught on a winged helgramite, or young some different. More'n once, down by the tackle. From the middle of August until the dragon fly, according to Warden Frank crick, I've had a pike kill maybe four min- Brink of Milford. James Valerschamp of middle of October the bass fishing was at its nies jest fer cussedness, an' then not git him. Bushkill, 15 years old, made the catch. His 1 best and few fishermen went home empty brown trout measured 22% inches in length Alebbe, every so often, bass !! kill bait fer handed. and weighed four pounds, six ounces. It was the sake o' killin' it, but pike is much more When the katy-dids began to shrill on the taken in the Big Bushkill Creek at Bushkill thet way, I figger. mountainside above the stream in the even­ bridge. Well now I'll be lettin' ye know 'bout how ing and an occasional frost to appear in Peck's Pond yielded a catch of 28 fine our fishin's goin' shortly. An' I sure wish the early morning, the bass started on their pickerel to L. F. Kemmerer, and son, and the boys a lot o' luck in their flshin' for leisurely journey down stream. For some F. A. Sehrecher, of Lehighton, R. D. No. 3. flght-ter-the-flnish bass. the journey ended in a deep pool or long mill dam where they spent the winter among the trout and suckers. But the greater part of this finny tribe pressed onward by easy BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS stages, halting below each mill dam or close HARRISBURG, PA. to some log cribbing to gorge themselves on the minnows collected there. The fisherman SUBSCRIPTION BLANK who found them in these places always Enclosed find fifty cents ($.50) for one year's subscription to PENN- caught the limit of strong, heavy bass in all SYLVANIA ANGLER. too short a time to suit him. Finally the bass reached their ultimate goal, the river, Name and here on their stored up fat they passed (Print Name) the winter in a state of semi-hibernation and the Loyalsock saw them no more until Street and Number the ruffed grouse had nested and brought forth her brood, and speckled trout were City seeking cold water. DAYS ASTREAM A Section Contributed by Readers of PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

of it along the water. The flowers of spring and summer add to the trip and the intimate Nature Along the Water acquaintenance with the edible varieties of plant life helps the larder at camp. Speci­ By N. R. Casillo mens and a notebook will soon acquaint one with the native forms of plants, and not infrequently a new specimen will spice an otherwise dull trip. Many of us look upon plants as so many weeds. "We give a pass­ ing glance to the rank growth, grotesque or interesting leaf and beautiful or curious flower and pass on. Little do we suspect that in many of those so-called "weeds" are contained ingredients that have been used for countless generations by ancient civi­ lizations or by uncouth, untutored savages, for the relief of sickness or injury. You can readily see that we unknowingly trample countless medicinal plants on every fishing holiday; then when the need for an emer­ gency remedy arises we know not where to turn. Of what use is gold to one who does not know its value? Many of the varieties of fish live in the ordinary river. An attempt to classify the various species and sub-species in the aver­ age stream will result in a surprise. Not unusual is it to have a specimen presented for the first time to old timers, and many are the fish that aside from some purely local name are unidentified in a community. BIRDS ARE ALWAYS MORE PLENTIFUL ALONG THE WATER. An example is the partly blind catfish found NEST AND YOUNG OF KINGBIRD in the caves about Conestoga River in Lan­ caster County. In this connection I am re­ minded of a trout stream in Forest County ANY are the types of fishermen. There practical outcome from an angling viewpoint. that has a long, smooth chute of granite M is the fellow who cares only for the fish The life along the stream consists of at the head of one of its pools. Whenever by the pound or who gloats over its over-all several classes. The stream itself is, of visited the pool never failed to yield some length. He does not see the beauty of color course, a matter of wonder and study. trout with tails and fins worn to shreds and or form of his catch no matter what it Vegetation in the water and along the banks often entirely missing. Those mutilated trout happens to be. Then there is the angler who presents an interesting and ever-varying told a story, as one can readily perceive. bewails his ill-luck for bMng out on a day picture. Stream life of fish, crustaceans, The natives living in the vicinity of the that the fish were not hitting and says that mollusks, reptiles and insects should be ob­ pool call them leaping trout because they he might as well have stayed at home. The served and mentally catalogued. Birds are have often been observed attempting to as­ dry fly purist may go and carefully place always more numerous along waterways than cend the chute. Likewise there must be a each cast and talk about a particularly long elsewhere so that the opportunity here is reason why a bass is called a trout in the or well-placed one; how he slid his fly practically limitless. Insects are studied not south, and why a bullhead in this state is under the leaning tree or dropped it be­ only for their zoology but to assist in ang­ called a horned pout in New England. tween the two rocks at the head of the pool. ling knowledge. In fact to the nature lover And there is yet another type who goes the water presents more of a practical op­ The muskrat, beaver, otter, mink and all forth expectant and anxious; who gives his portunity for education than all woods and mammals that live at the water's edge are quarry a chance and is never annoyed be­ land. seen as well as the upland ones that come cause one or more gets away. Who is a lover Little does it matter if the angler uses to cross or drink. One of my biggest thrills of the water and all of its surroundings, a cut po'e or expensive bamboo so long as was experienced while I was wading a trout and sees all that is in it and along the the true spirit is in his heart. You as a boy stream. In the midst of a cast I saw a stream; who cares not at all how few fish with your inexpensive outfit doubtlessly ex­ clump of ferns at the edge of the creek move he catches and does not load his creel even perienced joys that were not to be compared unnaturally. Suddenly a mink slithered into if he could. He thrills at the ethereal song with those of later years. view and slid oilily into the water. In less of the hermit thrush liquidly flowing from In bygone days, night fishing expeditions than a minute he reappeared at nearly the the cool depths of the forest; and smiles for bullheads were great events in my life. same spot hanging on to a trout larger good-naturedly when giving the right-of-way The call of whip-poor-wills, the booming than any I had caught. At my yell he re­ to an apparently indifferent mother skunk of bullfrogs, and the numerous, furtively leased the dead fish, threw a silent snarl leading her brood' along the banks in search mysterious sounds issuing from the dark in my direction and then disappeared into of the succulent icrayfish. cover of the banks surrounding the "pout" the undergrowth with his prey. The fisherman more than any other sports­ hole, all combined to make a mere experience Just a month ago we were making our man has opportunities to pursue the study a great adventure. And the path home way down Mill Creek in Elk County. George of several branches of science, not expertly, through the gloom of alders and pines never and Harry Short, my companions on that perhaps, but with enough zest to arouse his failed to produce a tingling spine. To me occasion, are inveterate dry fly enthusiasts interest and increase the enjoyment of his the memory of those night sounds are more who pursue their sport with the zeal of pastime. He has need to exercise his knowl­ vivid than the huge catches that we made. zealots. It was that hour of evening when edge of zoology, botany, geology and their Botany is a beautiful and useful study fishing is best, when Harry, who was fishing various ramifications, and not without a and the fisherman picks up much knowledge well ahead, suspended his beloved sport long PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 18 enough to cautiously retrace his steps in sounded, the doctor took out his scissors birth. Fortunately for the supply of flsh, order to inform us that beavers were work­ and trimmed the already small fly until there they are preyed upon by many birds and ing at a point downstream only thirty feet remained only a piece of the body barely animals, while even fish will destroy them. from where he had been standing. Quietly one-sixteenth of an inch long. We did When uncontrolled, however, these reptiles all three of us made our way to the spot the same and had immediate results with it. soon become so abundant as to constitute and watched two wild beavers going about One of the chief reasons why Nature is a serious menace to fish life. their work as unperturbed as you please. neglected by many as they wander down In Closing—The Salamander Here in my home state I observed some­ their favorite streams, is because they knew A repulsive-looking creature, grayish-black thing that I had never seen on my many so little about it. One need not be an ex­ in coloration, crawls from beneath a rock trips to the Northern wildernesses. And pert in all of the finer delineations of the on the stream bed at nightfall. As an enemy then to climax the evening, on our way back out-of-doors in order to get the most out to fish life, the status of this salamander, to camp we saw a deer and literally rubbed of it. Just an understanding attitude, a otherwise known as mud-puppy, water-dog, the nose (with my landing net), of a young pair of keen eyes and an alert mind is the hellbender, or creek alligator, is open to porcupine. Our creels for the day were equipment needed in order to derive the question. A spawn-eater? Certainly, if it light but our satisfaction was full. utmost from those things that are so vitally has the opportunity; but the wall-eyed pike, Birds and water are inseparable, and the a part of fishing. Remember that even pickerel, yellow perch and sucker, fishes that most exciting finds are nearly always made catching fish is a tiresome pastime if they deposit their eggs at random and then leave along a stream or in the near vicinity of are creeled too easily and often. Give a them, spawn in ear'y spring when the water one. Those that the careful observer is thought and a moment to your surround­ is still too cold for much activity on the part apt to encounter are too numerous to men­ ings in between. If "in between" is too long of these ugly denizens of the stream; the tion individually. Warblers, blackbirds, fly­ and infrequent, then so much the better, black bass, sunfish and rock bass spawn catchers, waders, thrushes, woodpeckers, for the day will not be spoiled by an empty during the time of the year when sala­ aquatic fowls and the nightjars are the or light creel. However, it might be well manders are active, but so vigorously do families that live close to the water, prob­ to add that the understanding one seldom these species defend their nests that it is ably because of the abundance of insect returns without, fish. questionable whether the salamander se­ life and cover. cures many of the eggs. On the other hand, The only time that I ever saw a singing specimens containing fish spawn have been hermit thrush at close range was while I DESTROYERS OF FISH found; more important, salamanders with was eating lunch along a woodland stream. (Continued from Page t) minnows, crawfish and stone, catfish in their Like a wraith it came out of its forest re­ V is a dull wedge-shaped head. Two glassy stomachs have been caught. While there is treat, alighted on an overhanging branch eyes are set well forward, not far from the reason to believe that these creatures are and poured forth its notes of liquid beauty. blunt snout of the creature. This water- scavengers to some extent, their inroads on I sat spellbound through the entire cantata. snake, over 40 inches in length, ranks as the supply of live forage in waters they fre­ On another occasion I was startled by the the outstanding enemy to fresh water fish quent and taking of flsh spawn, when an op­ mew of an alarmed grouse causing me to life, for numerically it is the most abundant portunity is presented, cause them to rank pause in my fishing and wait motionlessly. of fish predators on Pennsylvania streams, with other species destructive to fish. In a few minutes a female grouse emerged ponds and lakes. During the day, the snake In appearance, the salamander making its from the cover of some low-hanging hem­ has sunned itself on the surface of a great way over the bottom of the stream is locks, anxiously peered in all directions and rock. It has not, in fact, been active to grotesque. Its flat stubby head, small legs, then led her brood of ten to a sunny rock any extent for 24 hours, having just prior slightly bulging rounded body with rough for the noonday siesta. Then at the crack to that time consumed a large bullfrog folds in the skin, and long tail present an of a twig under one of my straining feet captured among the lily pads. While in the appearance immediately arousing a feeling pandemonium broke loose. In spite of the process of digestion, the reptile apparently of repulsion. It is a night feeder, and many fact that the youngsters were scarcely two lost its usual alertness, lapsing into a sort of its kind are taken by anglers stillflshing weeks old they could fly like young bullets. of coma. Now, its sinuous, graceful swim­ for eels or catfish. Bass fishermen using For a moment the air was filled with whirr­ ming indicates a rapidly returning appetite. live bait during the day also occasionally The golden brown markings stand out hook a salamander. Concerning it, David ing birds hurtling in all directions. During 1 this interval the mother fluttered and sharp y on the body of the snake, for re­ C. T. Swanson of Polk writes: dragged her wings in a most helpless manner cently its skin was shed and is now lying "That repulsive looking creature, the hell­ attempting to draw my attention from her in white, almost transparent folds, in a bender is a very common salamander in young. little eddy near shore. parts of the Allegheny and its tributaries. A few minutes after my apparent de­ Presently the V disappears from the sur­ While to many fishermen, the thing to do parture the mother anxiously strutted to face, and the watersnake directs its course when one is hooked is to cut the line and the edge of the undergrowth and summoned toward the lee side of a flat rock on the to many others he is a serious menace to her young with a number of low querulous stream bed. In the crevice beneath the rock fish and should be exterminated, to the calls. Almost instantly they emerged from a large stone catfish is cornered. The fangs nature lover he is an interesting specimen. "impossible" hiding places under leaves, bits of the snake fasten securely in this now He is not only the largest salamander in of wood and what-not. practically helpless prey, and in a short the western hemisphere, but his only near The fly fisherman tries to study the in­ time, the catfish is being dragged from the relative lives in Japan. This relative grows sect life of the stream he is fishing. He water. Both species of catfish, bullhead to a length of five feet or more and is con­ may do it intelligently or otherwise, depend­ and stone, are predominant.items in the fish sidered very palatable by the natives. As ing upon his knowledge of the subject; and diet of watersnakes in this stream. Per­ my brother Luther makes a study of snakes if he has even a fair imitation of the insect haps it is because they are captured more and amphibians, and as I am interested in in hatch and presents it skillfully, he will readily in their rocky lairs. So adept is ichthyology, we happen to become acquainted nine times out of ten outwit his wary quarry. this reptile In its fishing methods that many slightly with the hellbender and decided to Not so long ago we arrived at the newly more active species, including suckers, fall- find out for ourselves if he was an enemy opened Spring Creek Trout Raising Pro­ fish, and even on occasion, pickerel or bass to fish, therefore, to the fisherman. ject forty minutes before closing time. In are captured. "In three trips after hellbenders we limited the semi-darkness of a cloudy evening we Another important forage area for the ourselves to the Big Sandy in Venango hastily tied on our best flies and went to watersnake is the shoreline. Frogs, tadpoles County. Our first trip was to secure some it. Not one fish rose to our offers although and lizards from this portion of its range specimens for the Carnegie Museum Collec­ feeding trout were dimpling the water every­ add variety to its diet. Its audacity at times tion. On the trip we caught eight adult where. We feverishly changed fly after fly is amazing. A live net containing fish will specimens ranging from 16 inches to 20 but without success. Finally, Dr. J. I\ lure it to the attack even while a fisherman inches in length. One of these appeared to Blecher of Middletown, the entomologist in is standing close by. have been dead for some time. We had these our group managed to catch one of the The snake now engaged in swallowing specimens two days (alive) and In that time minute insects upon which the fish were the catfish is a female. In August she will they had regurgitated 35 crawfish. Our avidly feeding. He showed it to us and pre­ probably bring forth from 30 to 40 young. next trip was on June 25, We quit at 27, scribed our tiniest Black Gnat. It too proved Born alive, these young are active little ranging from 15 inches to 22 inches in length, useless. Twenty minutes before the siren creatures almost from the instant of their and from a rusty red to a dirty gray, al- II PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

most black, in color. No vegetable matter Run; brown trout, Frankstown Branch Yellow Breeches Creek, Mountain Creek ; pike was found in any of them. Three had Juniata River. perch, Susquehanna River; yellow perch, empty stomachs, all the rest had the re­ Bradford—trout, South Creek; pike perch, Fuller Lake, Susquehanna River, Carlisle mains of from one to five crawfish. Small North Branch Susquehanna River, Chemung Water House Dam on Conodoguinet Creek, stones were found in three specimens. One River; yellow perch. North Branch Susque­ Mountain Creek, Hairy Spring Hollow Run, had eaten a sucker about four inches in hanna River, Herrickville Rod & Gun Club Yellow Breeches Creek. length, another a shiner of about two inches. Pond, Lake Wesauking, Mountain Lake, Dauphin—pike perch, Susquehanna River; "The female hellbender lays her eggs Nephawin Lake, Barnes Dam on Strong yellow perch, Susquehanna River, Wildwood around the first of September in long bead­ Creek, Rockwell Pond, Sugar Creek. Rlakes- Lake, Swatara Creek. like strings, anywhere from 400 to 900 eggs. lee Pond, Beaver Meadow Pond, Cooks Pond. Delaware—yellow perch, Darby Creek, Rid­ I have used these eggs for bait and caught Muddy Pond, Stowell Pond, Sninfish Pond. ley Creek, Chester Creek, Kaolin Quarry fish on them. It might be of interest to know Bucks—pike perch, Delaware River, Nes- Hole; trout, Ridley Creek. that the male stands guard over these eggs, haminy Creek; yellow perch. Brock Creek, iJJfc—trout, Big Mill Creek, West Clarion and consumes quite a few of them, but as Delaware River, Queen Anns Creek. Tinicum Creek: ye'low perch. Game Refuge Pond, he is such a slow eater, many of them are Creek, East Swamp, Tohickon Creek, Three Ridgway Water Works Reservoir, Straight hatched out before he can consume all the Mile Run, Maple Beech Pond, Silver Lake. Creek Pond, Indian Run Pond, Black Swamp eggs." Butler—trout, Hogues or West Liberty Pond. The sluggish salamander completes the Run; pike perch, Wolf Creek; yellow perch. Erie—pike perch, Conneaut Creek, French list of natural enemies to fish that are out­ Breakneck Creek, Buhls Channel, Harmony Creek, West Branch French Creek; yellow standing in Pennsylvania inland waters. Junction Reservoir, Yellow Creek, Thorn perch, South Branch French Creek, West The mink and raccoon, animals that prey Creek, Wolf Creek. Branch French Creek, French Creek, Con­ on fish, may be ranked in a similar category Cambria—yellow perch, Shaft or Pennsyl­ neaut Creek, Lake LeBoeuf, Edinboro Lake, to that of fish-eating birds. During periods vania Coal and Coke Company Dam, North Lake Pleasant, Reunion Creek, Elk Creek. of low water, mink and 'coon may kill many Branch Little Conemaugh River, Little Cone- Fayette—trout, Laurel Run or Morgan trout in mountain streams. The former, maugh River, Clearfield Creek, St. Francis Run, Mountain Creek, Feiks Run; yellow however, is now comparatively scarce, while Lake, Newborough Dam, Davis Run or Dis- perch, Upper Star Junction Dam, Lower Star the raccoon ranks as a slight menace when hart Run, Chest Creek, Walters Dam on Junction Dam, Smock or Pittsburgh Dam compared to the watersnake. Beaverdam Run, Slarelick Creek, Dooman or Franklin Reservoir, Crabapple Dam, Lay- Of course, there are other destroyers, such Dam, Beaverdam Run. ton Reservoir, Cool Springs Dam or Lemont as the tiny but voracious water tiger, and Cameron—yellow perch, Bowers Pond, Dam on Red Stone Creek, Brownfleld Dam fungus, a fatal disease that attacks an Devling Pond. or Redstone Dam on Redstone Creek, Dun­ injury to the skin of a fish sustained when Carbon—trout, Buckwa Creek, Stoney bar Corporation Dam No. 1. water temperatures are high. In this rather Creek, Wild Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek, Forest—trout, West Hickory Creek; pike brief discussion, only fish predators com­ Fawn Run, Lesley Run, Hunter Creek or perch, Allegheny River; yellow perch, Alle­ monly observed by fishermen during their Yeagers Creek, Drake Creek, Pohopoco gheny River. trips astream have been considered, Creek; pike perch, Lizard Creek; yellow Franklin—trout, Carbaugh Run; yellow perch, Mahoning Creek, Kittaotiny Pond, perch, Back Creek, Conococheague Creek, TROUT, YELLOW PERCH AND Lizard Creek. Little Gap Ice Dam on Aqua- Conodoguinet Creek, Muddy Run, Indian PIKE PERCH DISTRIBUTED shicola Creek, Perryville Dam on Pohopoco Lake, East Branch Little Antietam Creek, IN MAY Creek, Harrity Dam on Pohopoco Creek, Goods Dam on East Branch Little Antietam Brook trout, from 7 to 11 inches in length, Tippet Swamp on Nesquehoning Creek, Lake Creek, West Branch Conococheague Creek. brown trout from 6 to 12 inches, rainbow Harmony. Fulton—yellow perch, Cove Creek, Licking trout, 11 and 12 inches, pike perch or wall­ Centre—trout, Spring Creek, Pleasant Gap Creek. eyed pike fry and yellow perch fry featured Stream, Logan Branch. Little or Black Mo- Greene—pike perch, Enslow Fork, South distribution of fish from the Commission's shannon Creek; pike perch, Bald Eagle Fork of Dunkard Fork of Wheeling Creek, hatcheries during May. Brownies stocked Creek; yellow perch, Bald Eagle Creek, Kep- Dunkard Fork, North Fork of Dunkard Fork numbered 40,356; brook trout, 19,656; rain­ harts Dam. Sinking Creek. Rotes Mill Dam. of Wheeling Creek, Wheeling Creek, Penn­ bow trout, 1,325; pike-perch fry, 25,125,780; Chester—trout. Valley Creek ; yellow perch. sylvania Fork of Fish Creek, South Fork of and yellow perch fry, 297,278.650. Over Blue Quarry Hole. Bradford Hills Pond, Ten Mile Creek; yellow perch, Dunkard 70,000 lake trout fingerlings were also re­ Buck Run, East Branch Brandywine Creek, Creek, Muddy Creek, Wheeling Creek, North leased. Brandywine Creek. Fork Dunkard Fork Wheeling Creek, South The following waters were stocked in the Clarion—trout. Coleman Run. Reyner Run. Fork Wheeling Fork, Enslow Fork Dunkard various counties: Little Toby Creek. I'iney Creek; pike perch, Fork Creek, Brown Fork Creek, Pennsylvania Adams—pike perch, Conewago Creek; Red Bank Creek, Allegheny River; yellow Fork of Fish Creek, Whitley Creek, South yellow perch, South Branch Conewago Creek, perch. Red Bank Creek, Al'egheny River, Fork of Ten Mile Creek. Bermudian Creek. Clarion River, Paint Creek, Licking Creek. Huntingdon—pike perch, Juniata Valley Allegheny—pike perch, Allegheny River; Clearfield—trout, Gifford Run. Curry Run; Country Club Dam on Juniata River, Juniata yellow perch, Allegheny River. pike perch, Sandy Lick Creek, Little Clear­ River, Penn Central Dam on Raystown Armstrong—pike perch, Allegheny River; field Creek; yellow perch, Little Clearfield Branch Juniata River, Raystown Branch yellow perch, Allegheny River, Craig Run, Creek, Chest Creek, Berwinsdale Lake, Juniata River, Aughwick Creek, Sideling Hill Buffalo Creek. Kneedlers Dam, Sandy Lick Creek, Beaver Creek, Frankstown Branch of Juniata River, Beaver—pike perch, North Fork Little Run, Tannery Dam, Helveta Dam; pike Penn Central Dam on Frankstown Branch Beaver River, Brush Creek, Little Beaver perch, Chest Creek. Juniata River; yellow perch, Juniata River, River; yellow perch, North Fork Little Clmton—trout, Swamp Branch Big Run, Penn Central Dam on Raystown Branch Beaver River, Brush Creek, Little Beaver Middle Branch Big Run, Long Run, Backer Juniata River, Standing Stone Creek, River. Run; pike perch, Bald Eagle Creek, Pine Whipple Dam on Laurel Run, Aughwick Bedford—pike perch, Lake Gordon, Rays- Creek; yellow perch, Pine Creek, Bald Eagle Creek, Sideling Hill Creek, Frankstown town Branch of Juniata River, Brush Creek, Creek, Bald Eagle Canal. Branch Juniata River, Shaver Creek, Penn Dunnings Creek, Bobs Creek; yellow perch, Columbia—pike perch, North Branch Sus­ Central Dam on Frankstown Branch Juniata Lake Gordon, Raystown Branch of Juniata quehanna River; yellow perch, North Branch River. River, Brush Creek, Dunnings Creek, Wills Susquehanna River, Huntingdon Creek, Green Indiana—yellow perch, Cush Cushion Creek, Bobs Creek, Woodbury Dam on Yellow Creek, Roaring Creek. Creek, Little Mahoning Creek, Muddy Creek, Creek, Thomas W. Coon Lake. Crawford—trout, Stewart Run; pike Yellow Creek. Berks—yellow perch, Ontelaunce Lake on perch, French Creek, Oil Creek, Lake Cana- Jefferson—brown trout, Manner Run; pike Maiden Creek. dohta, Conneaut Lake, Crooked Creek; perch, Red Bank Creek; yellow perch, Blair—pike perch, Williamsburg Dam on yellow perch, Oil Creek, Sugar Lake, Cusse- Strouse Dam, Elnora Dam, Reeds Dam, Frankstown Branch Juniata River, Franks- wago Creek, Clear Lake, Lake Canadohta, Little Sandy Creek, Sandy Lick Creek, Brook- town Branch of Juniata River, Williamsburg French Creek, Conneautee Creek, Conneaut ville Water Supply Dam, Red Bank Creek, Dam on Frankstown Branch Juniata River, Lake, Conneaut Creek, Crooked Creek. Falls Creek Borough Storage Dam, North Frankstown Branch of Juniata River, Brush Cumberland—trout, Letort Springs Run, Fork Creek. PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 1-.

Juniata—trout, Horse Valley Creek; pike 3, Skippack Creek, Northeast Branch Per- Pond, Carr Lake, Tuscarora Lake, East Lake, perch, Tuscarnm Cree'-. Juniata River, kiomen or Branch Creek, Towanencin Creek, Beaver Pond, Alford Pond on Martin Creek, Pomeroys D.\m on Tusc-jrora Creek, Lost Macoby Creek, Manatawney Creek, Gulf Mill Round Pond, Stearns Lake, Fox Pond, Bigsby Creek: yello.v perch, <'jcolamus Creek, Creek, Pennypack Creek. Pond, Arrowhead Lake, Big Elk Lake, Ely Pomeroys D»m - a Tusci.tora Creek, Juniata Montour—pike perch, North Branch Sus­ Lake, Laurel Lake, Quaker Lake, Butler River, Tuscaroiu Creek, Lust Creek, Licking quehanna River, Chillisquaque Creek; yellow Lake. Crerk and E.i.st Licking Creek. perch, North Branch Susquehanna River, Ma­ Tioga—trout, Pine Creek. Lackawanna—trout, Pond Creek, West honing Creek, Chillisquaque Creek. Union—trout, Sand Spring Run; pike Branch Wallenpaupack, Lehigh River, Roar- Northampton—trout, Saucon Creek ; pike perch, Penns Creek, Buffalo Creek, Turtle ':.?: Brook, Crystal Lake; yellow perch, Hand­ perch, Delaware River; yellow perch, Jaca- Creek, White Deer Hole Creek, Little Buffalo some Lake, Windfall Pond, Mud Pond, Lake bus Creek, Hokendauqua Creek, Delaware Creek; yellow perch, Buffalo Creek, Little t heridan, Baylor or Finn Pond, Crystal Lake, River. Buffalo Creek, Turtle Creek, White Deer Newton Lake, Heart Lake, Chapman Lake, Northumberland—pike perch, Chillisquaque Hole Creek, Penns Creek, Millmont Dam on Moosic Lake, Mountain Lake, Ford Pond, Creek, Warrior Run ; yellow perch, Warrior Penns Creek, Laurel Park Dam on Penns Deer Lake, Sickler Pond, Johnson Lake, Run, Chillisquaque Creek, Mahantango Creek, Pennsylvania Power and Light Com­ Lower Klondyke Lake, West End Lake. Creek. pany Dam on Penns Creek. Lancaster—pike perch, Holtwood Dam on Perry—pike perch, Susquehanna River, Venango—trout, Panther or Prather Creek, Susquehanna River, Safe Harbor Dam, Cono- Cocolamus Creek, Juniata River, Buffalo Hemlock Creek, Little or North Sandy Creek, wingo Dam, Octoraro Creek, Muddy Creek; Creek; yellow perch, Shermans Creek, Sus­ Middle Branch Sugar Creek, Horse Creek, yellow perch, Hammer Creek, Little Cones- quehanna River, Cocolamus Creek, Buffalo Little Serubgrass Creek, Pithole Creek; pike toga Creek, West Branch Octoraro Creek, Creek, Little Buffalo Creek, Pennsylvania perch, Allegheny River, French Creek; Stovers Dam, Octoraro Creek, Conestoga Power and Light Company Dam on Shermans yellow perch, Polk State Sanatorium Dam, Creek. Creek, Juniata River. Lake Creek, Allegheny River, French Creek. Lawrence—trout, Hottenbaugh Creek; Philadelphia—yellow perch, League Island Warren—trout, Caldwell Creek; pike yellow perch, North Fork Little Beaver Lake, Chamoniux Lake. perch, Conewango Creek, Brokenstraw Creek, Creek, Neshannock Creek, Carbon Quarry Pike—trout, Sanvantine Creek, Middle Allegheny River; yellow perch, Columbus Pool, Cement Dam on Big Run, Clarks Pond, Bushkill Creek, Little Bushkill Creek, Ray- Pond, Allegheny River, Conewango Creek, Hottenbaugh Creek, Shenango River. mondskill Creek; pike perch, Lake Wallen­ Brokenstraw Creek, Penn Avenue Dam on Lebanon—pike perch, Little Swatara; paupack, Delaware River; yellow perch, Conewango Creek, North Warren Dam on yellow perch, Little Swatara, Conewago Minisink Lake, White Deer Lake, Little Mud Conewango Creek, Bear Lake. Creek, Swatara Creek. Pond, Bruce Lake or Roots Pond, Fairview Lehigh—trout, Little Lehigh River. Lake or Big Pond, Lake Wallenpaupack, Big Washington—pike perch, Buffalo Creek, Luzerne—trout, Philips Creek. Arnold Walker Lake, Greeley Lake, Shohola Falls Ten Mile Creek; yellow perch, Ten Mile Creek, Maple Creek, Meadow Run, Lehigh Dam, Twin Lakes, Westcolang Lake, Big Creek, Buffalo Creek, Willow Beach Lake, River, Harveys Lake; pike perch, North Tink Lake, View Lake, Panther Lake, Cross Fork Creek, Laughlot Mill Dam, Aunt Branch Susquehanna River, Harveys Lake; Welcome Lake, Sawkill Pond, Mud Pond, St. Clara Fork of Middle King Creek, Kings yellow perch, North Branch Susquehanna Delaware River, Lake Taminent, Forest Creek. River, Harveys Lake, Mud Pond, Nuangola Lake, Pecks Pond, Promise Land Pond. Wayne—trout, Shad Pond Creek, Crooked Lake, Sugar Notch Dam, Cummings Pond, Potter—trout, Kettle Creek, Pine Creek; Creek, East Branch Starrucca Creek, South Browns Pond, Ice Lake on Wrights Creek, yellow perch, Rose Lake. Branch Equinunk Creek, South Branch Cal­ White Haven Dam on Lehigh River, Penn Schuylkill—trout, Kombs Creek, Beaver kins Creek, West Branch Lackawaxen River, Lake on Wrights Creek, Ider Pond, Moun­ Creek; pike perch, Lizard Creek; yellow Lackawaxen River, Butternut Creek, West tain Springs Ice Company Dam No. 1 on perch, Suckers Pond, Lizard Creek, New Branch Wallenpaupack Creek, Wallenpau­ Bowmans Creek, Three-Cornered Lake, Philadelphia Dam, Kauffman Dam on Stony pack Creek; pike perch, Lake Wallenpau­ North Pond, Harveyville Dam on Hunting­ Creek, Deep Creek, Manatango Creek, Old pack, Delaware River; yellow perch, Star­ don Creek, Paper Mill Dam on Huntingdon Union Canal, Old Union Canal Basin, Sweet light Lake, Coxton Lake, High Lake, Lake Creek, Cranberry Pond. Arrow Lake. Como, Hiawatha Lake, Long Pond (Preston Lycoming—trout, Lick Run; pike perch, Snyder—pike perch, Middle Creek, North Twp.), Island Lake, Lake Henry, Lake La- Lycoming Creek, Loyalsock Creek, Pine Branch Middle Creek, Penns Creek, North dore, Keens Pond, Elk Lake, Bigelow Lake, Creek, Muncy Creek; yellow perch, Pine Branch Mahantango Creek; yellow perch, White Oak Pond, Long Pond or Chestnut Creek, Muncv Creek, Loyalsock Creek, Ly­ North Branch Mahantango Creek, Penns Lake, Long Pond, Gouldsboro Ice Pond, Bone Pond or Summit Lake, Big Hickory Lake, coming Creek, Mill Creek, Little Muncy Creek, Ritchfleld Dam on West Branch Spruce Lake, Independent Lake, Beach Lake, Creek, Highland Lake. Mahantango Creek, North Branch Middle Lake Wallenpaupack, Delaware River, She- lfc£"ean—trout, South Fork Kinzua or Creek, Pennsylvania Power and Light Com­ pany Dam on Midd'e Creek, Middle Creek. hawken Lake, Sly Lake, Clines Pond, Adams Watermill Creek, Willow Creek, Seven Mile Lake, Duck Harbor Pond, Kizer Dam on Mid­ Creek, Marvin Creek, Kinzua Creek, East Somerset—trout, Laurel Hill Creek, Whites Creek; pike perch, Youghiogheny River; dle Creek, Cadjaw Pond, Bunne'.ls Pond on Branch Tionesta Creek; yellow perch, Carley Branch, Seeleyville Pond, Goose Pond, Kushequa Pond, Gifford Pond, Allegheny yellow perch, West Branch Coxes Creek, Kimberly Run, Middle Creek, McDonaldsons Huffs Pond, Crackenburg Pond, Freethy River. Dam or Brothers Valley Coal Company Dam, Pond on Carley Branch, Rose Lake, Justins jfercer—pike perch, Neshannock Creek; Bigby Creek, Rowena Lake, Youghiogheny Pond, Lower Woods Pond, North Jersey yellow perch, Neshannock Creek, Pymatun- River. Lake, Snag Pond, Long Pond (Lake and ing Creek, Little Shenango River, Shenango Sullivan—trout, Kettle Creek, Elk Creek; Paupack Twps.), Perch Pond, Lake Wallen­ River, Cool Spring Creek, Otter Creek, Sandy yellow perch, Hunters Lake, Eagles Mere paupack. Creek, Sandy Lake, Furnace Pond, Findley Lake, Elk Lake, Grant Lake, Rouch Lake, Westmoreland—yellow perch, Four Mile Pond, Wolf Creek. Williams Lake near Lincoln Falls, Splash Run, Greenwalt Dam, Beatty Reservoir, Mifflin—trout, Penns Creek, Kishacoquillas Dam on Mehoopany Creek, Mud Lake (Fox Bagley Reservoir, St. Vincent Lake, Mam­ Creek; pike perch, Juniata River, Jacks Twp.). moth Dam, Margarete Dam, Carpentertown Creek'; yellow perch, Juniata River, Jacks Susquehanna—trout, Mitchell Creek, Star- Dam No. 1, Carpentertown Dam No. 2. Creek, Juniata Country Club Dam on Juniata rucca Creek; pike perch, North Branch Sus­ Wyoming—trout, Leonards Creek; pike River. quehanna River; yellow perch, Wrighter perch, North Branch Susquehanna River; Monroe—trout, Leavitts Branch, Forest Lake, North Branch Susquehanna River; yellow perch, North Branch Susquehanna Hill Creek; pike perch, Delaware River; yellow perch, Wrighter Lake, North Branch River, Chamberlin Pond on Little Mehoopany yellow perch, Mountain Ice Co. Dam No. 1 Susquehanna River, Hell's Half Acre Lake, Creek, Nigger Pond, Edingers Pond, Mud on Tobyhanna Creek, Hawkeye Pond, Long Forest Lake, Jones Lake, Heart Lake, Page Pond, Lake Carey, Lake Winola. Pond, Poeono Summit Lake, Echo Lake, Weir Pond, Idlewild Lake or Long Pond, Cottrell York—pike perch, Conewago Creek; yellow Lake, Little Saylor Lake, Lake Mineola, Half Lake, Lewis Lake, Lowe Lake, Comfort perch, Bermudian Creek, Little Conewago Moon Pond, A. L. Rake's Dam on Pond Pond, Lower Lake, Tingley Lake, Tyler Creek, Conewago Creek, South Branch Co- Creek, Delaware River. Lake, Upper Lake, Middle Lake on Martins dorus Creek, Krentz Creek, Kohlers Mill Montgomery—yellow perch, Quarry Hole Creek, Schoolys Pond, Lords Pond, Lakeside Dam, Broad Water Lake. No. 1, Quarry Hole No. 2, Quarry Hole No. HERE \ THERE '. ANGLERDOM

dence of real fishing skill when they re­ When it comes to fishing East Licking turned from a week-end fishing trip to Pine Creek, one of the outstanding trout streams Creek in Potter County. The evidence con­ in Juniata and Mifflin Counties, Chris Bos- sisted of two giant brown trout, one 23% singer who lives in the val'.ey of Licking inches long, weighing 5% pounds and the Creek ranks in a class by himself, according other 22% inches in length with a weight of to Warden Charles Long. That knowing the 4% pounds. A brownie weighing 4% pounds stream is a big factor in taking trout was and measuring 23% inches was caught at demonstrated recently when Chris landed 20 Mud Lick by Irvin Probst of North Bend. brook trout one evening and the next morn­ A Jersey Shore angler, Carl Vanemon landed ing caught 18. All of the fish were over a brown trout measuring 21% inches in seven inches in length. length. Special Warden Floyd C. Baker, of Scran- ton, heads this report "A Little Fishing News Wayne County's Lackawaxen Creek pro­ from Lackawanna County." He writes: vided great trout fishing for the Bowden "Angling at a favorite spot near Starrucca, brothers, of Olyphant, on opening day, writes Roy March and] Dr. Spencer caught 20 trout Warden LeRoy Noll. John Bowden caught apiece. Marty Wintermantle has taken one eight brookies, Henry nine, Jim 14, and Sam, brook trout and six browns out of Middle 10. All of the trout were from nine to 10 Creek, Wayne County. Fishing at Leigh, inches in length. J. H. Clemmer, of Spring Leo Huber caught eight browns, while Bill Mount, caught a brownie measuring 17 in­ Strausser landed 14 of the brown species. ches and weighing 1% pounds. Mike Thiede returned from Rattlesnake Creek with seven brown beauties, and Dr. Gelbert's catch numbered 10. Eight brown­ ies liked the bait used by Dan Dutter on the Lehigh River, while Otto LaBahn re­ turned from Rattlesnake with 12 big SHOWING YOU A 33-POUND brownies." MUSKIE FROM LAKE LEBOEUF. ERIE COUNTY Another giant brown trout, the largest re­ ported from Columbia County this year, was Big brown trout held the limelight In taken from a dam on Fishing Creek, near Pennsylvania fishing during the month of Benton, early in the season, according to June. Willow Creek, in Berks County, Warden Charles Litwhiler. The trout, yielded a 24-inch brownie to Corporal David measuring 26% inches, was caught by Earl Daniels of the Highway Patrol. Warden McHenry, of Lime Ridge. The weight of the Bill Wounderly, of Reading, also reported fish was not given, however. the taking of a 19-inch brown trout by Dr. Houck from WiUow Creek. J. E. Compton Sucker fishing on the Frankstown Branch and Alderman Bricker, of Reading, each of the Juniata River was good this spring, landed a 16-inch brownie. Bricker won a according to Warden Lincoln Lender of bet with Compton when his trout turned out Bellwood. Orjj two different days, while fish­ to be a trifle heavier. ing at the juncture of Canoe Creek and the Branch, Tom Butterbaugh, of Altoona, The famous Little Lehigh River, near caught 16 and 17 suckers by noon of each Allentown, furnished exceptional trout fish­ day. Banning of the net and spear in tak­ ing for Lehigh County fishermen this year ing suckers is credited with being a favor­ as usual. Following are a few of the catches able factor in the improvement of still fish­ reported by Warden Joel Young, of Fuller- ing by anglers in that section of the state, ton : Isaac Lutz, Hellertown, a 13-inch Lender writes. brown trout; Bill Miller, Allentown, a 17- inch rainbow and three 12-inch brownies; Definite improvement in fly-fishing for Ray Winkle, Allentown, an 18-inch brownie; trout on Potter and Tioga County streams Warren Yeakel, Allentown, a 10-inch rainbow came early in June, according to Horace A 22-inch brown trout was caught in Spring Boyden, warden at Wellsboro. Prior to that Creek by Louis Albright, of Allentown. It time, trout were gorged on "stickworms," weighed three pounds. Jordan Creek yielded larvae of the caddis fly. Writing on May a 19%-inch brownie to Harry Moyer, of 20th, Boyden said: "The large trout are feed­ Allentown, while Allen Bear, of Bethlehem, ing on stickworms that are now fully grown landed a brown*and a rainbow that had a and show their heads outside the sticks. The total weight of 5% pounds. The brownie trout eat them stick and all, and during that time fly fishing is generally poor." With the measured 15y2 inches and the rainbow, 19% inches. hatching of the caddis flies early in June, artificials of this pattern were highly effec­ TOM GRIFFITH, DAMASCUS, WITH Lester Reitz, Dean Shankle and Clair tive for about a week, and then other pat­ 14-POUND CARP CAUGHT THIS Jones, of New Bethlehem brought home evi­ terns of flies came into their own." YEAR What Man Does to One of the Most Beautiful Gifts of Nature—the River

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