MARCH, 1939 PUBLICATION ^ANGLER? Vol
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ANNUAL- TROUT NUMBER ARCH 1939 BROOK TpoUT TEN CENTS OFFICIAL STATE MARCH, 1939 PUBLICATION ^ANGLER? Vol. 8—No. 3 31** PUBLISHED MONTHLY COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS by the PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS Publication Office: Front and Reno Streets, New Cumberland, Pa. Executive and Editorial Offices: Commonwealth of CHARLES A. FRENCH Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Board of Fish Commis sioners, Harrisburg, Pa. Commissioner of Fisheries MEMBERS OF BOARD Ten cents a copy—50 cents a year CHARLES A. FRENCH, Chairman Ellwood City MILTON L. PEEK ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor Radnor South Office BIdg., Harrisburg, Pa. HARRY E. WEBER m Philipsburg NOTE SAMUEL J. TRUSCOTT Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER Dalton should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee either by check or money order payable to the Common EDGAR W. NICHOLSON wealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. Philadelphia Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. FRED McKEAN New Kensington PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribu tions and photos of catches from its readers. Proper H. R. STACKHOUSE credit will be given to contributors. Secretary to Board All contributions returned if accompanied by first class postage. C. R. BULLER Entered as second class matter at the Post Office of New Cumberland, Pa., under Act of March 3, 1879. Chtef Fish Culturist, Bellefonte 35*' IMPORTANT The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address Please give both old and new addresses Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given ^ANGLER7 Vol. 8 No. 3 ANNUAL TROUT NUMBER MARCH, 1939 EDITORIAL TROUT STOCKING O THE anglers of Pennsylvania, the recreation they enjoy in the art of fishing becomes an integral part of their existence and the conservation of fish life becomes a serious busi Tness to them. Their recreation consists of the enjoyment derived by being in the great out-doors, along the picturesque streams or lakes, and harvesting the fish crop of the waters by angling for the many varieties of game fish found within our borders. The business end and likewise a keen pleasure to them consists of conserving and restoring the fish crop for future needs. Following each annual harvest the next season crop must be protected and in many cases restored. The keen interest the fishermen take in the business of restoring and protecting our aquatic resources is plainly demonstrated by the interest shown at the many sportsmen's gatherings throughout the State and the numerous inquiries received by this Board in reference to its work. In providing angling for trout under present-day conditions, it is largely a business of restoring the crop after each annual harvest, and replanting the areas with large-sized fish. From the business angle of aquatic conservation, the fishermen should be familiar with what is required to annually reseed the trout waters of Pennsylvania, and when a tank load of big trout is planted in your favorite stream, impress upon others that they represent a cash value, paid for by all licensed anglers. Another vital point of business in the annual trout distri bution program is to discourage the ever-constant demands to plant this valuable crop in undesirable waters, and to discourage the over-stocking of second and third class streams. In other words the planting of trout in a stream over and above the carrying capacity is poor business and a waste of your investment. During the calendar year 1938 the Board of Fish Commissioners stocked in the waters of Pennsylvania approximately 174 tons of brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Most of the fish were grown at the Corry, Reynoldsdale, Huntsdale and Bellefonte Hatcheries. The cost of producing agricultural crops varies considerably in different localities, likewise the amount of food required and the cost to grow a pound of trout varies to some extent at the different hatcheries. This difference is due partly to the temperature and chemical analysis of the waters used, and possibly other factors which the Board, to date, has not been able to determine. Following is the record for the various hatcheries for 1937. (The report for 1938 is not as yet entirely completed). Food Required Cost Per Lb. to Produce Hate/wry Cost of Production of Trout 1 Lb. of Trout Bellefonte $87,105.77 .592 4.06 lb. Corry 26,875.55 .673 3.99 1b. Huntsdale 18,692.06 .379 2.13 lb. Reynoldsdale 34,498.37 .495 4.18 lb. It required an average of 3.59 pounds of food to produce a pound at an average cost of approximately 53c per pound for trout planted in the streams. The cost represents all ex penditures in connection with the operation of the hatcheries including supervision, distribution and maintenance, excepting interest on investment and new construction. It must also be taken into consideration that the Board of Fish Commissioners pays no tax on its properties. Possibly a one year record of the cost of producing trout at a hatchery is not entirely fair to the institution, as the cost per pound at the same plant varies considerably from year to year. For example, there is listed below the record of the Bellefonte hatchery over a six year period: p00d Required to Cost Per Lb. Produce One Lb. Year of Trout of Trout 1933 $0,563 4.4 1b. 1934 0.499 3.4 1b. 1935 0.493 2.9 1b. 1936 0.846 5.5 1b. 1937 0.592 4.0 1b. 1938 0.48 4.5 lb. Average 0.578 4.11b. The Board of Fish Commissioners has a planting program so that this valuable crop is systematically stocked in the major approved trout waters of the State, where the fish have a chance of surviving low water periods and other unfavorable conditions. So that the greater mass may enjoy the benefit of the restocked fish we are asking that you help to shoulder the responsibility of systematic stocking and discourage the requests for fish for questionable areas. Commissioner of Fisheries PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER MARCH MAYFLY NYMPHS By CHAS. M. WETZEL RACTICALLY all trout streams have an with their feet, their heads always upstream and Now, in the quiet or still waters, three othef P abundance of mayfly numphs, yet the their bodies swaying with the current. The types of mayfly nymphs appear. Fourth, those majority of fly fishermen have only a hazy eyes of these nymphs are on the sides of the that burrow in the mud, sand and gravel; fifth. knowledge of these creatures. To illustrate head, which places them among the family those that climb among the weeds; and sixth, the point, I have had a number of requests Baetidae. those that sprawl upon the bottom. from various readers of the ANGLER as to Among the adult flies in this group are the The nymphs in the fourth group belong 1 where the natural nymphs can be found; what Iron Blue Duns and the White Gloved Howdy, the family Ephemeridae. This was the nan'e they look like; how they are colored—together the latter a reddish brown mayfly, conspicuous formerly given to the order of mayflies but i'{ with a lot of other questions which were of by its white front feet. I have raised the Iron has recently been changed. Among the adul' too detailed a character to be treated amply by Blue from nymph to adult and discovered that flies in this group are the Brown Drakes. lettter. In this article I shall endeavor to it was almost the exact duplicate of the English Black Drakes, Grey Drakes, Yellow Drake5 clear up some of these phases. mayfly—that is, when viewed by the average and the Green Drakes or Shad flies. In rffl angler. Two days after this insect affected its collection all of the above flies are well reprf To get at the root of the problem, one should 1 first consider the stream, as certain stretches metamorphosis to the winged stage, it cast sented in both nymph and adult stages. I' of it harbor a population of nymphs distinctly another skin, and then appeared as the imago fact, I might add, that this statement applied their own. I have in mind a certain creek that or as fishermen generally know it, the Jenny to all the flies and nymphs discussed in tHj Spinner. After this transformation, the wings rises high up in the mountains, rushing tur- article. lost their dark slate blue color, due to the bulently along until it reaches the lowlands; Burrowing nymphs are peculiar in havinf shedding of the sub-imago skin, and the body 1 then it loses its pace and meanders slowly narrow heads, hairy gills, digging front fee segments—white in the center, tipped with red over a muddy bottom, sprinkled here and and tusked mandibles, the latter which af< dish brown near the tail and thorax—were there with large patches of water weeds. visible from above. These mandibles <"' characteristic of the Jenny Spinner or the final "pinchers" are characteristic of the burrowed In the rapid part of the water, three distinct phase of the Iron Blue Dun. and offer a simple means of identification; theif types of mayfly nymphs occur. First, those The nymphs in the third group are more purpose is to loosen and lift up the mud, $' that cling to the underside of stones; second, or less spiny forms. On the upstream face of that the nymph can more readily spread it apaf1 those that range freely about the stream bed; old beaver dams or wherever leaf drifts occur, with its legs, while excavating its burro* and third, those that inhabit the trash, leaf they appear in abundance.