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OFFICIAL STATE VOL. XV—No. 6 PUBLICATION JUNE, 1946

OFFICIAL STATE PUBLICATION

,.q. PUBLISHED MONTHLY EDWARD MARTIN Governor by the

PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSIONERS BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS

CHARLES A. FRENCH Publication Office: Telegraph Press, Cameron Commissioner of Fisheries and Kelker Streets, Harrisburg, Pa. Executive and Editorial Offices: Commonwealth MEMBERS OF BOARD of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Board of Fish Com­ missioners, Harrisburg, Pa. CHARLES A. FRENCH, Chairman Ellwood City 10 cents a copy—50 cents a year + EDGAR W. NICHOLSON EDITED BY— Philadelphia J. ALLEN BARRETT, Lecturer MILTON L. PEEK Pennsylvania Fish Commission Radnor South Office Building, Harrisburg + W. M. ROBERTS New Castle R. D. #1 NOTE Subscription to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JOHN L. NEIGER should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee Scranton either by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not CLIFFORD J. WELSH acceptable. Individuals sending cash do so at Erie their own risk. JOSEPH CRITCHFIELD Confluence PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contri­ butions and photos of catches from its readers. CHARLES A. MENSCH Proper credit will be given to contributors. Bellefonte -K H. R. STACKHOUSE All contributions returned if accompanied by Secretary to Board first class postage. Entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office of Harrisburg, Pa., under act of March 3, C. R. BULLER 1873. Chief Fish Culturist, Bellefonte 17

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Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given. PENNSYLVANIA AN6LER

Vol. XV.—No. 6. June, 1946

COVER

"THE OPENING DAT" * Photo by Wm. R. (Bud) Tamblyn, Call- Ohronicle Photographer, Allentown, Pa. EDITORIAL In This Issue

STREAM POLLUTION? Well What Are You Doing About It! NIGHT FISHING THRILLS Sportsmen the country over blow-off a lot of steam about pollution— By William Boyd but how many of them really and truly try to do something about it! They continually blast and damn big industry and ithe towns and cities which empty their poison and filth, into the creeks and rivers—but how much effort does the average sportsman lend to helping correct this RAISE CRICKETS FOR BAIT 'terrible evil. Under militant leadership Pennsylvania has just enacted and is now By E. E. Prather putting into full force and effect the greatest 'flesh-tearing' anti-pollution law ever to be adopted by any state anywhere and which will in due course forever solve the sickening stinking practice of recklessly dumping this poison and stench into the waterways of Pennsylvania. SOME FLIES FOR BASS FISHING What Can Sportsmen Do About It? By Thomas G. Norris There is a lot of pollution going into the streams and rivers and lakes of our state by way of garages, large and small. The careless practice of dumping oil and acid into the garage drain which certainly must arrive upon the waters of a watershed somewhere and where it will serve to cover a stream for hundreds of yards with a film of oil. Such an act BOTH SIDES OF THE STREAM WILL constitutes pollution in the fullest meaning of the offense! BECKON YOU Lyes and poisons of all types poured into kitchen sinks! Battery Acids! By Bill Watkins Poisonous orchard sprays too often are washed into streams with alarm­ ing results! Throwing garbage into streams—building public dumps along the banks! Unsightly trash piles which drain poisonous integration into streams and many more reckless practices of individuals—all mean alarming forms of BROWN TROUT BROUGHT HERE pollution! 65 YEARS AGO Here then is presented a most serious program for the attention of organized sportsmen's groups and individual sportsmen! By Edward Klein If the more than one thousand sportsmens' organizations in Pennsyl­ vania were to conduct intensive campaigns carefully designed to curtail and stop these practices, the results would be tremendous, I assure you. Aggressive committees delegated to search out and locate the sources of pollution in their respective locality and then by sensible and proper ap­ WITH THE SPORTS WRITERS proach point out the increasing danger to public health and sanitation together with of course, the terrible effect suffered by both fish and vegetable life in these streams. Such a campaign would not only serve to correct and improve our TIMELY TOPICS streams and lakes but would likewise win the esteem and admiration of the entire community. Improve public health and sanitation and restore the refreshing beauty of a pleasing landscape! Secondary of course, would also be the restoration of good fishing again! The state is determined that industry and municipalities must clean-up HOW TO RAISE WORMS FOR BAIT their back yards! What about you! By Henry Lesesne The state can't do it alone; It takes public opinion to support the state's action! What are you doing to help create that public opinion? STREAM POLLUTION? Yes, There's a lot we sportsmen can do about it. MAKE MINE NATIVES Sincerely, J. ALLEN BARRETT, Editor. By James R. Hayes 2 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE Night Fishing Thrills By WILLIAM BOYD

is the kind of a man who'd arrest his own brother if he was treading too hard on his toes." "Mr. Williams will get an unexpected bath in his own pond if ever he grabs me in the darkness," I assured Dad. I hurried home and told my wife about what Dad had observed. She's a cautious sort of person and didn't like any too well the idea of my fishing in the ponds, but she had known ' me long enough to realize that argument probably wouldn't do a bit of good. I put my trout rod together in the out- kitchen, attached the reel, ran the line out through the guides, and fastened a hook. Worms I already had stored in a can in the cool cellar. I had collected thean while digging garden with the thought of having them available whenever an urge to go fishing struck me. As soon as it was dark I walked down through my lot to the alley and made my way to the ponds. I stepped over the pipe which fed the ponds and dropped my worm* covered hook in the water, expecting in' Where Pine Creek joins the Susquehanna River a few miles south of Jersey Shore. Here the stant action. I was disappointed, for nothing author has had many pleasant and profitable days of fishing. happened. For perhaps ten minutes I fished in the one spot and didn't have anything •resembling a strike. The rain which the sultry weather of the preceding day had It was a sultry Sunday afternoon in late blossom on the water near the place where portended came then, but I have neve* spring. My bride of a few months and I the water from the feeding pipe splashed. been one to let a wetting keep me from had moved from our warm living-room to The wild carrot flower had no sooner fishing. the shaded front porch in search of greater struck the water than there was a swirl A few minutes later I was glad I hadn't comfort. Across the street little Alma was where a fish hit it. It gave me a thrill become too easily discouraged for I felt doing her best to catch a half-grown wild for I was quite certain that hungry fish a slight tug on my line. When it came again rabbit which had its home somewhere in was a good-sized trout. My wife, too, had I attempted to sink the hook but missed. one of our gardens. I had told her to put seen the action in the water and I could This happened two more times and then I salt on the rabbit's tail and it would be tell by the way she smiled that she knew decided to try something else. I disconnected easier to catch, and there she was with a what was in my mind. the tip of my rod and tied to it a short salt shaker in her hand attempting to ap­ "I'll try it tomorrow evening," I remarked. length of line I kept in my pocket as a proach close enough to dust salt on the fish stringer. rabbit. While the pond owner didn't have the place posted against trespassing, I 'knew him as a Fishing in this way, my hook wasn't more After a time the child concluded that stern, forbidding sort of a fellow who than six feet out in the water in front putting salt on a rabbit's tail was too much wouldn't take kindly to encroachment on of where I squatted. In fact, it was almost for her and I proposed to my wife that we his private fishing preserve. Oddly enough, under the end of the pipe from whicn gushed the spring water. It was only a feW take a short walk. Only about a hundred it was late afternoon of the following day e yards west of the dead end of the street that I learned for certain that he was seconds until I felt that hungry fish strik on which we lived were two large ponds catching fish from his ponds. again. The sensitive rod tip was just th* thing to hook 'him and I did just that. When excavated in a bit of swampland by a My dad, whose home fronted on the street businessman of the community who had I flopped him out on the bank I discovered immediately south of the one on which I I had one of the largest and prettiest broo* intended to harvest natural ice in the lived, was working in his garden when I wintertime. trout I'd ever seen, let alone caught. returned from the office Monday afternoon. In ihe next half hour I had more feffl One of these ponds was about 100 by 300 He called to me and I joined him. than I'd ever had before along any stretch feet in size, the other slightly smaller. They "Harve Williams passed here about an of water, still or flowing. I landed seven were water-connected by a narrow break in hour ago- with a basket of fish," Dad in­ more "brookies" and not one of the eight the dividing wall. The pipe which poured formed me. "He was coming from the ponds was less than a foot in length. The only water constantly into the ponds was at and had a paper-covered splint basket thing I regretted was that I probably a corner nearest my home. This water came hanging from, his arm; he stopped to talk a couldn't show or boast of my catch, V9 from a spring on a hillside a half mile away. few minutes and something in the basket I'd have too many embarrassing things to The spring itself, in the middle of a clump flopped violently up against the paper cover­ explain. It had continued to rain all the of tall trees, was a never-failing source of ing. I looked at him and smiled and he the purest kind of cold water. while I fished so I concluded I was said, 'I just caught a few fish for Bill Lorson. wet Knowing that the man who had built the He's sick, and I thought they'd taste good enough and successful enough to knock °& ponds was an ardent angler, I often won­ to him'." for the night. dered if he had put fish in them. My wife Dad smiled as he passed along this bit When I got home I found my wife had and I walked around the ponds to gain the of information. Then I told him of the wild already gone to bed, but of course she jusj benefit of a cool breeze blowing across carrot blossom incident of <&ie day before. had to get up to enthuse over my catch- * them. I idly picked the blossoms of a wild "After it gets dark I'm going to see what cleaned the eight trout in the sink, and 1" carrot growing within reach of the pond I can do up there," I said. venture to say that no angler ever had f embankment and tossed a piece of the white "I'd be careful, son," Dad replied. "Harve prettier platter of speckled beauties in hi' refrigerator. 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 3

The next night I tried it again. This A few times I received a painful prick place where the water splashed from the titne I fished in a different part of the larger from the needle-sharp side fins of an feeding pipe. In fact, I failed to catch trout P°ol. Strange to relate, my catch this night angry "cattie," but. it would have taken anywhere but near this part of the pond. ^as entirely different from that of the more than that to discourage me when I Fred was another friend who participated *-vening previous. I failed to get a trout was hauling them in as I did that night. with me in the nightfishing, but he is such "Ut I did have extraordinary luck of a differ­ These puncture wounds of the fingers, how­ a timid and nervous individual I doubt very ent kind. ever, did bring vividly to mind something much if he really enjoyed the experience. I had slung over my shoulder one of the that had happened to me in my boyhood. It was constantly in his mind that Harve largest fish baskets made by our then In those carefree days I had no fish might object to such nocturnal goings-on. friends, the Japanese. It is my practice to basket, but carried a canvas bag such as As a matter of fact, I learned many months °arry my fishing tackle in my fish basket. newsboys use to carry their papers. On this later that Williams knew the pond was being n those days I always carried a good- occasion I had my newspaper bag well loaded fished at night and didn't greatly care so Slz«d piece of clean white linen or similar with catfish and was returning home by way long as the pond embankments weren't 'Uaterial in which I wrapped my fish as I of a country road. I was tired, thirsty, and broken down. paught them. This served a double purpose— dusty when a farmer passed me in a wagon For the remainder of the summer my "• kept the fish clean and prevented the which he was using to haul manure from neighborhood did not want for fish. I kept sl im€ from them getting all over my tackle. the barnyard to a field. all of the families supplied. Somewhat to my I'll digress here to pass on to fellow As the rear of the wagon drew abreast dismay, however, it became noised about "shertnen a suggestion which may be help- of me I rested my hands on the ends of that the ponds were teeming with fish. 54 Of late years I have included in my the wagon bed boards and vaulted upward, I suppose Fred, Harry, and the others whom "shing paraphernalia an ordinary cello­ twisting in midair to come down in a sitting I took with me from time to time each told phane vegetable bag such as housewives use position. Unfortunately for me, my impro­ their friends and in this way the news *° contain left-over vegetables which they vised fish bag twisted with me and when spread. Things finally reached the stage where one had to be careful as he made his way along the edge of the ponds on a dark night, for he was in constant danger of tripping over the squatting form of another angler. A duckling in either of the ponds wasn't appealing, for the bottoms were of deep mud in which one could sink to the depth of a foot. I can still remember my first encounter with another fisherman. It was a dark, sticky night about a fortnight following my first fishing experience at the ponds. As I made my way noiselessly along the em­ bankment the silhouette of a man loomed suddenly before me. I came instantly to a full stop and both of us remained entirely motionless for several minutes. Then I spoke: "If you aren't Harve say so!" I com­ manded. The response was a low chuckle. "Don't be alarmed," the fellow replied. "I haven't any more right here than you have." I recognized the voice as belonging to Under Wood, a young chap of the town whom I knew very well. He informed me he had been fishing the place every night for the last week. It was strange I hadn't seen him before but it probably was be­ cause, as he said, he didn't move around Torbert's "dead water," long a popular place for bass fishermen who prefer the lower reaches much for fear of being detected. °" beautiful Pine Creek. We fished alongside of each other for the remainder of the evening and arranged a lac I came down it was beneath me. Fully a P. e in the refrigerator. I find such a bag, trip for the next day to "The Cattie Pond," half dozen of those sharp catfish fins pene­ ^Per-closed at one end, just the thing a small natural lake not far from where the trated my posterior to such a depth the g Which to keep my fish for, as did the creek emptied into the river. This pond canvas bag hung like a second pant's seat P** of cloth in years gone by, it keeps had been a popular place with fishermen e when I jumped back to the road. What /} fish clean and prevents the messing up ever since I could remember. the tackle in one's basket. agony I suffered when I released those catfish from my person! The seat of my pants It was in an isolated spot near an old , °ut to get back to the ponds and the burial ground which contained the bones of i^kness and my second night's fun. Never was caked with blood when I got home and I ate my supper standing up. most of the pioneers who had settled that ^ *ore and never since have I caught cat- region. One could reach it only by walking, 1 I involuntarily winced when I recalled jjf* as I caught them that pitch-black night. for there was no road or lane near it. Often, this incident but grinned to myself as I „ Wouldn't be a minute after I had taken one as a boy, when I fished "The Cattie Pond" c made my way home. On reaching the out- attie" off my hook and put it in my basket until twilight I hurried past that old grave­ kitchen I procured one of my wife's wash yU I'd hook into another one. yard with furtive glances and didn't breathe *U fact, they came so thick and fast I tubs, filled it partly with water, and dumped n easy until I reached the lane several hun­ r°° took all of the tackle from the basket therein the contents of my basket. And dred yards beyond it. what a mess of fish! The entire neighborhood |r^* transferred it to the game pocket in Wood and I made a nice catch in the 2?. back of my hunting coat. In a short had a fishy smell next day, for I went about distributing catfish among all fish-eating pond that day but our patience was sorely •nil© my basket was so full of catfish I tried most of the time. Pond liilies grew ,°Uldn't close the lid. Any angler who folk of the street. s A few nights later I took Harry with me in profusion in the bed of the old pond i^ caught catfish knows how they cling and their broad leaves virtually covered the life even out of the water, so they'll to the pond. We found the trout feeding again and both of us caught a mess of surface. My first lessons in accurate casting k^erstand how difficult it was for me to really came when I fished there for one had J^P the top fish in my basket when I beautiful "brookies." And this time, as ^Jied it to deposit an additional one. before, the trout were caught very near the (Turn to Page 20) PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUN< Raise Crickets for Bait Reprint from Alabama Conservation By E. E. PRATHER

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The cricket has long been held in high esteem as a "come on" for breatn. Follow the plan outlined in the accompanying article and you vaaJ. cease worrying about the bait situation. The proper method of hooking the cricket is shown top left. At the right the "factory" of a cricket raisiw program. The excelsior has been pulled away to show the young crickets on the damp sand. The light provides heat when needed while an ordinal upended fruit jar on a saucer may be used to provide the needed water, pictures by E. E. Prather and H. S. Swingle.

Assistant to Alabama Fish Culturist H. S. similar metal container. The can should be fountain used for chickens. The sauce* Swingle of Auburn, Alabama Author Prather placed in the garage, basement or out-build­ should be filled with cotton slightly aboV* is back at his old post after serving nearly ing. It should first be waxed with common the water level to prevent the young cricket* three years as a lieutenant in the Army Air floor wax about six inches down from the from drowning while obtaining the needed Forces where he saw service in the Aleu- top on the inside to prevent the crickets water. tions, China and India, He was at one time from escaping. Each rearing can should be stocked wi$ connected with the Alabama Cooperative A layer of clean sand is then placed in about 30 adult crickets. The young cricked Wildlife Research Unit. the can to a depth of four to six inches. •being wingless, the adults may be easfi? Since crickets will not 'lay eggs in dry soil, recognized by the presence of long winl?s /"^RICKETS are chosen by many fishermen the sand must be kept moist until the young covering most of .the body. Half of thos* ^ as their favorite bait for 'bream during crickets hatch. used in stocking should be females, wihi<$ the early spring, summer and late fall. Since Wood excelsior is then placed on top of may be distinguished from the males by tl>* they are often scarce and always hard to the sand to a depth of about five inches. long tube at the rear end which is used j§ catch, the fisherman often spends so much This provides cover for the young crickets. deposit eggs in the wet sand. time catching crickets that he has little time Poultry laying mash is the most satisfac­ The eggs are laid in the damp sand an1' left for fishing. The wise fisherman, there­ tory food for crickets. A small pan, lid or hatch in from one to three weeks, depend' fore, will save his time and energy by rais­ saucer filled with mash is placed on the sand ing upon the temperature. When the youi^ ing his bait at home. end the excelsior pulled around it so that crickets are one month old, they are largc Methods have been developed at the all .the crickets may easly reach the food. enough to be used as 'bait. The crickets &° Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station Water is necessary for crickets. It can be not become full grown until approximate" whereby crickets can be successfully raised supplied by using a quart fruit jar inverted three months of age. at home in a garbage can, lard can or in a glass saucer—just like the drinking A can measuring 24 inches in diamet«f JUN* l8*6 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER

palming off their catch on friends and neigh­ bors, who know that trout lugged around all day in a hot creel are not competition for a pork chop. When this method fails he comes to the rescue of the unfortunate angler with six ways by which it can be accomplished- stuffing them under a corner mailbox when no one is looking; hiding them under potted palms; checking them at a railroad station, then throwing the check away; pitching them from fast-moving cars on lonely roads at night; mailing them to the Curator of the Museum of Natural History, requesting identification of the species and giving a phony name and address, and using the fish to bait walrus traps. In a footnote he hastens to remind the fisherman that none of these may prove very practical, the first probably being illegal, the second, third, fourth and fifth being rather bad taste and the sixth bringing up the prob­ lem of what to do with the walruses. Sure Cure for Dread Habit All in all, Ed's 'book will prove of help to anyone wisMng to cure a husband, brother, uncle, son or sweetheart of the dread fishing habit. For the others, interested in a collection of Webster's angling cartoons, there are 41 These are the adult crickets which, unlike the wingless youngsters, have long wings covering Jnost of the body. To the right is the male and at the left is the female which may be dis­ gentle jabs at the foibles, follies, whims, ec­ tinguished from the male by the long tube at the rear which is used to deposit eggs in the centricities and Mgh-specialized insanities wet sand. Picture by E. E. Prather and H. S. Swingle. of fishermen, with the text written by Zern in much the same vein of the preceding Can be employed to raise approximately throughout the year. Heat may be pro­ chapters. In fact, a good section was al­ s ™0 crickets every three months. This will vided during cool weather by suspending a most ruined by a cartoon by Ed. Acquire about eight pounds of laying mash light bulb inside the can. Ijocal bookshops should have it on their ** a cost of approximately four cents per Additional information on the hatching shelves. The price is worth a lot less than Pound. and care of crickets is given in Leaflet No. the chuckles in tMs welcome addition to the If the rearing cans are kept in a warm 22, which may be obtained without cost from library of all wet-liners. If not that, it will Place during the late fall, winter- and early the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Sta­ come handy to put under a short table leg ^Pring .months, crickets can be raised tion at Auburn. to keep the glasses from rocking. ZERN'S BOOK TERMS FISHING FISHIN' FOR TROUT 'LOATHSOME AFFLICTION' The alarm clock rings—you hop out of bed Author Also Solves Mystery of Why Anglers With visions of pleasure filled hours ahead. A sleepy voice asks;—"What's the fuss all Are Such Great Liars; Volume Is Riot of Fun about?" By JOHNNY MOCK And you answer your wife—"I'm going fishin' for Trout." S OME wise guy once defined a fishing line enlightens the non-fisherman on some in­ You dress in a hurry, assemble your "gear." as a piece of string with a worm on one teresting sidelights concerning anglers. For Then gulp down some coffee and "sinkers," ma), et isitf >d a damn fool on the other!" instance, there is a chapter on why dumb and hear Inatl At least, so claims Ed Zem in Ms hilarious people catch more trout than smart people Footsteps on the porch—a knook and a shout! Contribution to the journalistic profession, and how to tell fish from fishermen. This And you're off on an Opening Day quest for "To Hell With Fishing!" is valuable information. some Trout. uceJ He does ease the blow some, however, We've often wondered why fishermen are You squeeze in the car with your pals and bov* ^hen he adds, "This is a silly definition, of such great liars. Zern solved the mystery. their tackle ike& course—for many fishermen use flies instead In addition, he uncovered other sensational With care so you don't spill the old "garden edel of worms." secrets—such as how singing commercials hackle." Eds work will add much t'o the field of affect trout; why it is good to use mules for Good cheer and good fellowship flowing vr$ conservation. A lot of fish would be con­ bait and what Walt Dette has got you haven't throughout, served if the reader took him seriously for got. While you chatter and laugh, on your way asiiy ^e inveigled D. Apple ton-Century Co., of Of course, there are a few items of in­ to catch Trout. ring* *few York to publish a book which puts terest to the fisherman. As an example, Ah, the stream! With speed you assemble hoS* Ogling down as a loathsome affliction. there is a chapter on how to dispose of dead your pole. ihjcl> There is a notice which says the views fish. Zern points out the Pilgrim Fathers You can't wait 'till you cast in your favorite • tb« Expressed in 'the volume are definitely those buried a dead fish in each hill of corn to hole. d w g the author and do not necessarily reflect make it grow. Zern means the corn, not You feel full of pep and you haven't a doubt he policy of the publisher. the hill. That soon in your creel you'll deposit some Cory Ford wrote the foreword, practically He adds, "unfortunately, few fishermen Trout. snd'j aPologizing for all 'that follows except the 41 have access to cornfields, but neither can A strike! Then the thrill of a battling Brown ^Plendid cartoons by the nationally-famed the modern disciple find a Pilgrim Father." As he dashes madly first upstream then arg« ft T. Webster. They need no introduction Which brings up the question of what the down. ; s d- s° Well a part have they played in America's Colonial bachelors did? There's many a pleasure that you'd do with­ itel)' everyday life. How to Dispose oj Dead Fish out; Numerous Sidelights He, Zern, makes mention of the well- But NOT included—is fishin' for Trout! te Vf In fairness to Zern, it should be said he known fact of how some fishermen try by The Perkiomen Poet. 6 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE SOME FLIES FOR BASS FISHING By THOMAS G. NORRIS

T^ISHING for bass with the fly is one of noon. The stream I was fishing was small, quicker than you can say Jack Robinson- . the nicest pastimes that I know. I have narrow and brushy and as I rounded a It didn't take me long to learn that a bass had so much pleasure with this type of fish­ 'bend in the stream a bass struck at but can take the black tail off a Colonel Fuller ing that it is a great wonder to me that missed the first cast on the back cast I fly in one fell swoop. It was a rather com­ more fishermen do not indulge in it. There hung my flies, leader and all, high on a mon occurrence when bass were striking was a time, when bass fishing was just a dead walnut tree. Did you ever try to break to lose a black tail on the first cast. Often 'pup', when a great many prominent fisher­ a dead walnut branch? Tough ain't they? in an afternoon I would mess up a dozen of men fished with the fly exclusively. Such That ended my fishing for the day. so Colonel Fullers. Here was what would sportsmen as Dr. James H. Henshall—Chas. No other fly would work and a heavy be known as a 'fish locater.' I tried many F. Orvis—Seth Greene—Win. C. Prime— thunder storm sent me flying for the car. ways of shifting this color scheme, black, H. P. Wells—John Shields—Colonel Park- red and yellow without success. The black Robert B. Roosevelt—Governor Alvord (New tail was the attracter. How to make this | York)—Major T. B. Fergerson—A. N. fly a consistent fish catcher I never have Cheney, definitely show that at that time learned. (in the 1880's) there was a very lively in­ My next winter's work was around this terest in fishing for bass with the fly. Dur­ fly. I decided that if the fish liked this tail ing that period Mary Orvis Marbury pub<- so much I would put a tandem hook in the lished her delightful book "Favorite Flies," tail. In my mind this was the solution to leaving to future fishermen some very 'the problem, but on the stream the next beautiful color plates of flies and also a season the bass had a little more trouble j record of the men who made and used taking the tail than they had without the them. These truly were the men who con­ tandem hook. I was back in the rut of the structed lasting flies. Few indeed are the year before. A slight change in design made 'bass flies, made since the turn of the cen­ a little better catches. This change was to tury, that have gained universal favor. use a black instead of a yellow hackle and Some ten or more years ago, when I to use red tinsel ribbing otherwise the fly turned to fly fishing for bass as a possible was the original Colonel Fuller This fly means of extending the fly fishing season caught more bass but the black tail still was until early fall I experienced great difficulty the first part of the fly to go. I wasted a in learning what flies to use. Inquiries year on this fly and at the end of this season among the best bass fishermen disclosed the I definitely put it in the discard as a bass fact that most bass fishermen use live bait. fly. That it will catch fish there can be no The so-called fly fishermen use a spinner doubt. I once tied up some small specimens ahead of the fly. Now I have no fight with for trial on trout, it did not work but I either bait or spinner fishermen but as far never took them out of my book. One day' as information on fly (fishing was concerned this year I went out to try a new bass they were not at all helpful. As a result stream and when I arrived at the stream of this first season's fishing my catch was I found that I had left my bass fly book one legal sized bass. That in itself would lying on my fly tying desk. All I had were discourage most fishermen but it only tended these miniature bass flies tied on #12 hooks to spur me on. I reasoned that if Henshall, and fine trout leaders tapered to 2x. It was Orvis and all the rest could catch bass on trout flies or nothing. Any kind of fishing flies, I could too and that winter I started beats none at all so I stayed. The water to work on a collection of bass flies pat­ was low and clear, the weather hot, but terned after the color plates in Marbury's the fish struck with great abandon Sun 'Favorite Flies'. As a rule I made 3 of each fish, Rock bass and Small Black bass made pattern, and when completed they filled an enjoyable afternoon out of what other­ very snugly the old wet fly book I had wise would have been a wasted day. used for many years. a Mike Dzama of McKeesport displays fine 20 The next winter was spent in making up My next season's fishing was more pro­ inch Rainbow caught on the opening day in series of experimental models, so to speak, ductive but there was still much to be de­ Laurel Hill Creek, near Trent. with the black tail episode in my mind and sired. I had just too many fly patterns to the memory of the day with the green wing try them all under similar water conditions. I thought, 'now I have the fly.' At home fly. My efforts were mostly in the direc­ Most of my observations were inconclusive. I hurriedly made some others before I for­ tion of a black bodied fly. That was the Several 'things were learned that proved got the pattern. The next evening found summer of the long drought and the water valuable later on, and pointed the way to me back again, but success was not for me for the most part was clear. The green very successful fly patterns. One such fly that night. I failed to note that there was wing fly came into its own. The only was designed and lost by accident. I had a difference in water color. The water this change was to omit the silver tinsel. In lffW at the time one old "Paul" Parrot whose night was definitely cloudy and the catch clear water this fly is poison. It is a fish bright green feathers I made up into the was made in clear water. In some manner catcher. A bass will take it quickly or not wings of a fly. The composition as near as all these flies were lost and not replaced at all, and when they strike at it are I remember it was a red tail, black chenille that year. A flash in the pan I thought. usually solidly hooked. I made one mis­ body ribbed with silver tinsel, yellow hackle During the second year of fly fishing, one take 'that year that I never will forget. * and a green wing. One hot August after­ fly was relied on more than all others, it tied some of these flies on barbless hooks- noon I had fished for several hours without was the Colonel Fuller. When all other I had observed a very large bass in a very a strike. It was 'then my policy to change standard patterns would fail to produce a shallow pool. Twice I had scared this fish flies every hour until I found a 'taking' and put him down. One hot sunny after­ strike, the Colonel Fuller would save the s pattern. I had run through most of the day. Time after time this was the only fly noon I could see this bass chasing minnow better known patterns without success and about the pool. Every now and then he I had that would bring any fish up and I 11 this new creation was then tried as a last relied on it more and more. Any old time would take something off 'the surface. I resort, fished as the end fly. I was sur­ 'minnie' fisherman will tell you that a bass other words he was definitely on the feed- prised and pleased to catch fish after fish can scale a minnow with one strike. He For once I planned and executed a perfect in rapid succession, life was rosey that after­ will kill him, scale him, and let him lie, (Turn to Page 20) 1!H6 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 7

Srnallmouth bass—First, J. Walter Smith, JUVENILE FISHERMEN SHARE IN AWARDS OF 228 N. 4th St., Emmaus, fish weighing 6 pounds, 20 inches long, caught on plug at LEHIGH FISH, GAME ASSN. McConnels lake, Pike county. Second, Leroy F. Chapman, 947 Chew St., fish 18 inches long, weighing 4 pounds and 4 ounces, caught on plug in Delaware river. Pickerel—First, Leroy Chapman, 947 Chew St., fish 26% inches long, weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces, caught on spoon in Delaware river. Second, William B. Smith, 525 E. Hamilton St., fish weighing 2 pounds 4 ounces, 23% inches long, caught on live minnow at Peck's pond. Walleyed pike—First and second, Albert Poe, 1252 N. Ulster St. First place winner caught with lamprey eel in Delaware, 25 inches, weighing 7 pounds. Calico bass—First, Robert G. Rimbey, 209 , S. West St., 15V2 inches long, 2 pounds, caught on life minnow at Lake Hopatcong, N. J. Second, Carl A. Weiner, 401 N. Jasper St., 2 pounds, 14 inches long, caught on minnow at Lake Wallenpaupack. The awards were made by Chairman Charles W. Wolf, Barton M. Snyder and Franklyn Gergits of the contest committee.

FISH MAY SENSE APPROACHING STORMS BEFORE HUMANS Fishing for trout is a sport attended by some peculiarities. Several persons canvas­ sed with regard to the opening of the sea­ son Monday said all, or practically all, their fish were caught between the opening hour— 5 o'clock and 7 or 8. For example, a well-known sportsman and Izaak Walton betook himself to Drake- town run, which flows into the Youghiog- heny River near Confluence. The season started off most auspiciously, for within a short time he had nine fish, all nice ones. The legal limit hereabout except Dunbar creek is 10. But could he get that tenth fish? Two hours of intensive effort failed to yield it. Yes, there were others there. The same story comes from some other streams where the first two hours produced the day's catch, or most of it. People who were out on streams exposed to wind will recall that .before 8 o'clock gusts began to batter them. It was about the same .time trout quit feeding—or as some anglers say, "biting," which they never do. Was it the wind or a sudden drop in barometric pressure? There are experts who never go fishing when the barometer is Holding their awards and certificates attesting their angling ahillty in the Lehigh Fish and dropping. It seems the fish know it. In fact Game Protective Assn. junior flsh contest are—L. to R.: Luther Kroninger, Jr.; Ronald DiLeo it is revealed to them oftentimes 'before ^d Donald Kistler. humans can sense the change. A sudden blow which causes leaves to flutter down on This is a fish story—but unlike the usual stone catfish in Delaware river at Calicoon, stream or lake will put fish "down." In the ^ariety this is about 'the big ones which N. Y. a same manner the finny tribe members know " nded in the creels of Lehigh County Fish Pickerel—Donald Kistler, 913 N. 20th St., when the weather is to "change for the ^d Game Assn. members. fish 24y2 inches long, weighing 3 pounds 8 better. fourteen winners, including three juniors ounces, caught on plug at Peck's pond. Nearly all those big ones in Dunbar creek ^nder 16 years of age, of awards in the as- The senior awards: were taken before 8 o'clock. Fishermen there °ciation's annual fishing contest were named Brown trout—Private First Class Frank didn't feel the effects of the storm as on more S a spring booster meeting in the Allen- D. Savage, Jr., 1035 W. Emaus Ave., fish open streams. The fish knew it. They're **n High school auditorium, April 10, 1946. 20% inches long, weighing 3 pounds 10 smart. ounces, caught with night crawler in Little The junior awards: Lehigh. Brook trout—Ronald DiLeo, 2527 Allen St., Largemouth bass—First, Harry Paff, 642 Rough water—either in the form of riffles ^h 13V2 inches long, weighing 15 ounces, N. 9th St., 22Y2 inches long, weighing 7 or little wavelets caused by wind—works ?*Ught with worm at Schmoyer's mill dam 1,1 pounds 12 ounces, caught on plug at Lake to the advantage of the fisherman. The the Litlte Lehigh. Nepahwin, Monroe county. surface is broken and ruffled, and as a re­ Srnallmouth bass: Luther H. Kroninger, Second, William E. Swope, 618y2 N. Poplar sult the fish are not so likely to be fright­ Jr -> 119 S. Madison St., fish 17y2 inches, St., fish 22 inches long, weighing 7 pounds, ened by sight of the angler or of his rod. Sighing 2 pounds 10 ounces, caught with caught on plug at Nepahwin. Even a bit of careless wading is possible. 8 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUN^

large creeks and also at the mouths of tribU' tary streams, although here the sucker angler risks the danger of hooking trout. Eels Not So Plentiful The eel is a vanishing fish in these parts, largely because of the dams which preven' its unhindered runs up fresh water streartf from the ocean each year. The eel is the prize of night fishing, too, for this fish seldom feeds in daylight, unless the water is extremely muddy. The catfish is a lover of quiet water. I' thrives on ponds and in creek pools which Pictures and letters which come to the desk of the editor of Pennsylvania Angler in­ have muddy bottoms. dicate that a great many boys—and some girls—in their teens are absorbed in the fine There are comparatively few catfish pond5 sport of fishing. They not only enjoy angling, but they are eager to get beyond the stage in this part of the state, and not so man)' of worm fishing and to enjoy the finer points of the sport. creek holes of a suitable nature. This month Pennsylvania Angler begins a new department specifically for the 'teen But the poisoned west branch of the SuS' agers. It will present some of the fundamentals of angling in a manner that beginners quehanna River each summer yields nice can understand. catches of catfish to the anglers who haVe Questions and comments are invited from the young folks. Simply address any letter the patience and the ability to locate their to The Old Timer, care Pennsylvania Angler, South Office Building, Harrisburg, Penna. spawning beds. The Way to Start Fishing There are hosts of fishermen (including The Sucker, Catfish, and Eel, Sneered at by this writer) who feel that an expedition f°r suckers is the ideal way of opening ffll Highbrow Anglers, Deserve a Place in Our fishing season each spring. There's nothing like an afternoon in the warm sun at a goO" Fishing Plans sucker hole, with the smell of spring in thc air and the fish biting with that tantalizing 5 By THE OLD TIMER jerking of the line so characteristic of thj species. And a well-browned sucker v mighty sweet eating. in this part of the state. 1%/f ANY highbrow anglers will turn up But there is more than that to fishing i°* their noses at mere sight of the words First to Bite in Spring e suckers, and for catfish and eels, as th sucker, catfish, and eel. The not-so-lowly sucker is the first fish opportunity arises. But these species deserve a place in dis­ to bite in the spring. Then, with the water All through the fishing season this kind oi cussion of the food and game fish which cold, its flesh is white and firm. It is cap­ 11 able of a good battle, too, once it is hooked. sport can ease a man's mind and unloose live in the streams of Pennsylvania. e A veteran sportsman once remarked: It is a democratic sort of fish—one that his nerves when he gets fed up with th cares of life, the demands of his job—or tk€ "Sucker fishermen buy 75 per cent of the does not require a delicate leader, a tapered r fishing licenses in Pennsylvania." line, and an expensive rod to catch. 'technicalities and trickery of angling f° bass and trout.

Interested In A Farm Pond? Last year farm ponds all over the United States received almost 5V2 mil­ lion young fish from hatcheries oper­ ated by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife service. Individual farm ponds total­ ing 9,529 were planted with largemouth black 'bass, bluegill sunfish and ten other species of fish. If you are interested in this fast spreading movement you can obtain some valuable information by writing for the following publications: Fishery leaflet 17, "The Construction of Farm Ponds," Fishery leaflet 27, "Farm Fish Ponds And Their Man­ agement," and Fishery leaflet 65, "An Outlet Gate For Farm Fish Ponds." They are all FREE and can be ob­ tained from the U. S. Fish and Wild­ life Service, Merchandise Mart Bldg., Chicago 54, 111.

0 Some mighty nice Sunfish caught by this happy group of young fellows. Greasing a wet fishing line is just waste time and effort. For the very weight of t*1 And anyone who visits a stream in the Nor does the sucker angler ever have to wet line will cause it to sink no matter bo* early spring will be convinced that, even worry about such matters as the sizes and n if that estimate is wrong, at least 75 per patterns of flies, much dressing is applied. Only with a ti cent of the anglers go sucker fishing. The common garden worm is the sucker's that is thoroughly dry will the dressing » But, because of water conditions, catfish favorite morsel, its job of keeping moisture from worki"^ and eel fishing is somewhat less in evidence It is found in the spring backwaters of into the silk or nylon. 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 9 Both Sides of the Stream Will Beckon NoNoww / WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY BILL WATKINS

to appear much more alluring and entic­ ing. Its rock formations seem ideal for both absolute comfort and perfect fishing con­ ditions. Fish of all species simply couldn't resist the temptation of using such an in­ viting spot for an underwater get-together— or a piscatorial U.S.O. Besides, the under­ growth and trees across the way seem to foe actually sociable. They aren't leering at you, baring their aggravating branches and awaiting your back cast to snag that new artificial lure. To reach the other side, however, would consume valuable time spent in stumbling through dense thicket to reach the crossing far upstream. But along comes the portable boat (com­ plete with paddles and tire pump) to punc­ ture these envious dreams of the distant shore—and to put a nasty crimp in a logi­ cal excuse for a creel as empty as a 24- The introduction of inflatable lightweight hour-old case of beer. No longer will that 'boats, capable of being folded, carried, magnetic "other side" tantalize the angler Pumped up and launched within several who formerly spent more 'time casting •minutes, will have at least one very dis- longing eyes—instead of his line—toward aPpointing drawback for a certain group of the far shore. In the future he'll hop light- Said Fisherman Hood, ^glers. heartedly into his feathery king-sized inner "All of God's food is good, This type of fisherman is tihe dissatisfied tube and shove off to fame and glory. So I'll be the wild fruit's reaper. ^d restless soul who always frets and (That's what HE thinks!) Why weigh myself down Sripes because the bank, opposite to where What a let-down he's in for when he With stuff lugged from town . . . ^e happens to be fishing, invariably looks finds his entire day will be spent paddling Native food is a dam sight cheaper! gutter to him. Possibly you belong to this hither and yon, vainly trying to make up greener pastures" tribe yourself. his tortured mind which bank looks better He didn't learn, 'tis sad, The far side of the stream never fails (or worse) from the other side. Good plants from the bad; And Nature has rigid rules. The last error he made Was a bowl of nightshade And a stew of dark-brown toadstools! —Carsten Ahrens THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW The "call" of tihe tree toad is generally considered as a prophecy of rain. Some Brown Trout Brought ^uth in this, but not -the whole truth. Warni, moist air, which usually precedes Here 63 Years Ago r ain; releases the male toad's mating urge. 80 he "sings." EUROPEAN SPECIES PROVES HARDIER THAN NATIVE FISH Mandrills, fish and highly colored birds ^ said to be the only animals, with the ejcception, of course, of man, which are not By EDWARD KLEIN c°lor-folind. Of Pennsylvania's three main species of trout—brown, brook and rainbow—'the most By bobbing his head in a certain way, heavily stocked is the hardy, quickly-adapt­ ^e sea gull shows other gulls the direction able brown. Like the brook and the rainbow, °* a school of fish. it is of the salmon family. Unlike them, it is of foreign origin. The brook, only one of the three native The porpoise and the panda are the most •to the Keystone State, was here before the Playful animals. white man. The rainbow, gamest of fresh­ water trout, is a transplanted product of The "Rose of Jericho" is not a rose at the Pacific Slope. But the brown, tagged )0< It is a tumbleweed. technically as saline fario, is European, an unknown species in the U. S. until 63 years In the hands of the Indians of Brazil ago. ^e blow-gun is a deadly weapon. They c A Count von Behr, after whom the brown an kill birds witih it at a distance of 200 trout is sometimes called, brought the spe­ yards. THE SIXTIETH FISHING SEASON FOR cies over from Germany in 1883. Others EX-BURGESS YOCUM. were introduced later from Great Britain. What happens to the antlers which buck April 15, 1946 ushered in the sixtieth season The two parent stocks have since lost their ^«er annually shed has long been a subject for ,S. Curtis Yocura, former Chief Burgess of separate- identity and are now well-liked *°r debate among sportsmen. Some are Shamokin and popular insurance man of that "naturalized citizens" of lakes and streams e "Black Diamond" community. The photographer aten by mice, rabbits and porcupines for caught him just as he was preparing to leave all over the country. '"leir mineral content. Others disintegrate for some choice trout waters 'somewhere' in ar»d are absorbed into the ground. Union County. (Turn to Page 20) 10 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE ANOTHER "WHOPPER" FROM THE LITTLE 'TWAS A SAD, SAD DAY Here's The Big One That Really Did LEHIGH! Get Away in Bedford County. Yep, this is really true. The "Big One" that fishermen have been talking about for some years actually got away. Both Curtis Reichard, the victim of the saddest of all angling experiences, and Attorney Richard W. Lins, vouch for the narrative, so it must be true. Curtis, who does some pretty solid fishing outside of banking hours, hauled in what looked to him like one of the biggest fish he'd seen in a long, long time. It was so big your arms fly out, just describing it And with some difficulty he doubled i* over and stuck it into his fishing basket. Along came Dick Lins; Curtis opened the basket to Show Dick his catch, and out popped the fish. With a wiggle and a series of flaps, it flipped right past the flabber­ gasted fisherman, slithered down the banki and splashed right back' into the stream- That part about the fin to its snout as 1 disappeared is just hearsay, and it was a sucker not a trout. Wm. E. Mcllnay, Fish Warden, Bedford County

The Forest Service says that the remains of a tree which has been burned in a fores* fire is known as a snag.

The largest fisherman among animals w •the monstrous Alaskan brown or Kodiak bear. He sometimes reaches a weight of 1,500 pounds.

photo by Milton Bookmaker, "The Allentown Morning Call." A brown trout, probably a top fish in way. He was fishing the water worm on a Pennsylvania Big Fish Records, was No. 14 hook attached to a tapered leader. taken from the Little Lehigh in Lehigh The big catch was made at about 9:45 P.M., County by Edward L. Voyden of 705 N. Thursday, May 2. Jordon St., Allentown. Official size of the fish was taken from The record breaking fish was 29% inches the formal entry blank of the Lehigh County in length; had a girth of 18V2 inches; and Fish and Game Protective Association, Allen- weighed eleven pounds and four ounces. town; and the nationwide Field & Stream Lure used to take, the trout was a water contest. worm. Voyden, recently discharged from the serv­ The fish is being mounted by LeRoy Riday, ice, took the fish from the part of the taxidermist, residing along the Carbon-Mon­ stream which flows through the Lehigh Park- roe highway, west of Stroudsburg. BETHLEHEM FISHERMAN GETS Here's a fact to remember in the hot 24 ^-INCH TROUT months of the summer: The farther you wade from the shore, the less you will be Roy E. Ditterline Jr., 256 W. Elizabeth annoyed by mosquitoes and other biting in­ Ave., Bethlehem, caught a 24 and one half- inch brown trout in Saucon Creek, near sects. Their natural home is around grass e Nevin White, of E. Waterford, and a larg Apple's Bridge. and bushes. sucker he caught In the Tuscarora Creek. 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 11

Richard Toth, of Fredericktown, proudly dis- Mays large carp which was caught in the South pork of Ten Mile Creek.

The only animals known to have black tongues are polar bears and chow dogs.

In the spring perch often feed along the ^ges or at the foot of riffles. But as Ihe leather becomes warmer they feed more snd more in the deeper colder water of a stream.

Kenneth Bailey, aged 12, of Patton, Pa., and the big Brownie he caught in Spring Creek (not fisherman's paradise) Centre County. Upon cleaning, six legal trout were found in the stomach.

22-Inch Rainbow Trout Caught By by John Mock, Outdoors editor of the Local Nimrod On First Day Pittsburgh Press. of Season THE KIND TO DREAM ABOUT Landed with a four ounce flyrod after One of the prize catches this trout season a 10 minute battle, a 22-inch Rainbow trout was a 25%-inch, brown trout hooked by was among the first-day-of-season catches George Batarick of 414 N. 2nd St., Allen- made at Dunbar by Charles Lodovici, of town, former Navy enlistee. Sixth street, Monongahela. Batarick, who did most of his fishing over Lodovici, fishing with Warden Dan Pater- the side of an LST during the past two years, line of Charieroi, also reeled in trout meas­ caught the 5V2-pound trout with a night uring 19, 18 and 17 inches. crawler in Jordan Creek at the Helfrich's A veteran of service in Germany, Belgium, spring bridge. France, Czechoslovakia and Italy during He was accompanied by Stephen B. Bata­ World War II, Chuck brought his prizes rick, Jr., Michael Hoderman of 436 Ridge .Bob Carl, of Allentown, and 25-lb. turtle h» c*Ught on light trout tackle. home. He was interviewed on the stream Ave. and John Kuzma of 526 Brick St. 12 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE

"Brown Beauty" Pennsylvania's Monster Brood Brown Trout (Female) Indiana Kiwards Club initiated the move­ ment to have the state convert the tract Dies at Pleasant Gap! into a park. Most of the timber is hemlock and oak and many of the trees are 150 feet high, making them comparable to those in Cook's Forest, a popular state park, it was pointed out. The Indiana County tract is owned by the McCrory Holding Co. and Herbert McHenry. Speakers at the meeting were Joseph Critchfield, Confluence, a member of the State Fish Commission; Dean Davis, Punx- sutawney, fish warden of Indiana and Jeffer­ son Cos.; Assemblyman E. E. Hewitt Sr. In­ diana, and Andrew J. Stahura, Indiana, president of the District Fish and Game Assn. The latter stated that sportsmen have been asked by the Dept. of Forests and Waters to submit a location for a proposed dam for fishing and recreational purposes. It was explained that the state is planning to construct 11 dams as postwar projects.

NOTES FROM THE OAKMONT ROD AND GUN CLUB Announcement of the re-election of the following officers: Messrs: C. J. Hetrick, President; Robert Singler, Secretary; Edward Braun, Treasurer. Improvements were made on the new Oakmont Range by the planting of one thousand (1000) pine trees. Plans are in the making for a means of providing our own bait by the building of a minnow pond. The Fishing Contest is off to a slow start but the members are reporting a good catch of trout and the streams in good condition. The Committee believes that en­ tries will pick up soon.

LITTLESTOWN FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION MEETS The Littlestown Fish and Game Associa­ tion met recently in the fire engine house, with W. E. Stites presiding. The carnival committee reported that the high school band will furnish the music Friday evening, July 19. On Saturday evening, July 20, Happy Johnnie and his orchestra will furnish enter­ tainment. The general committee in charge of the carnival consists of Walter B. Crouse, Karl Bankert, Charles M. Weikert, and Joseph Milson. A committee composed of Bernard DiU' man, Noah C. Snyder, and Clarence J. Krich- Pennsylvania Senior Fish Warden George James of Carlisle, displays the pride of our state Fish ten, was appointed to purchase a plaque to Farms and what may be the largest brown trout in the world. Measuring 35 inches long the honor -the Gold Star members of the armed big fish weighed 21 pounds with a girth measurement of 24'/S> inches. 15 years old this fine specimen has been the source of many of the fine trout now thriving in the public fishing forces from Littletown and vicinity. A com­ waters in Pennsylvania. mittee was appointed to investigate the cost of repairing the darn at Baughman's, and wi» report at -the next meeting. FESSLER HEADS COVINGTON ROD INDIANA SPORTSMEN SEEK STATE AND GUN CLUB PARK Take it easy, even when fishing the heavy waters of early spring. You are likely to The Covington Rod and Gun Club met Indiana Fish and Game Association, at have more trout in your creel at the end at the Colonial Hotel, and elected the follow­ a meeting last month in the Indiana Court­ of the day if you fish thoroughly and cove1' ing officers: president, Harry Fessler; vice- house, approved a movement asking the only half as many pools as the angler wb° president, Lynn Watkins; secretary, Andrew state to purchase 50 acres of virgin timber- keeps constantly moving along a stream- J. Bogaczyk; treasurer, Freal Baity. land in Brush Valley, near Mechanicsburg In the spring fish are likely to be aimos' There are 114 members of the club, who Indiana County as a state park. The meeting anywhere in a brook. The only way to be will cooperate with other county clubs in was attended by representatives of 10 of the sure of getting to -them with a bait or rurc order that good fishing and hunting may be 16 cluibs affiliated with the county organi­ is to work over every fishable portion of a enjoyed by all sportsmen. zation. pool. 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 13

After a short running start a lion can TROUT RULED OUT OF ORDER IN CARNEGIE leap as far as 25 feet, but he can hardly RESEARCH TALKS jump half "that far without the preliminary Some Toads Hop Into Spotlight As Rivals to Homing Pigeons The male cow-bird is the only black bird with a brown head.

The rcien with the limber tonsils, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Her- STOCKING PENNSYLVANIA STREAMS petologists, met at Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh recently. While the skeletons looked glumly on, they settled the ills of the fish and reptile families. Reporters hopefully brought up the trout season, but the ichthyologists dismissed it lightly. They seem to favor using worms, and anyway, they had more important things to discuss. Toads Know Where Home Is These included, we found, the strange homing properties of the Carolina toad. With a little practice the toads may replace Pigeons. One gentleman spent a good part of last summer getting toads lost to see if they'd come home. Some did, but it was all very confusing. During the same time a lot of the toads he had at home ran away. He finally got tired of looking for 200 toads and went home. He said they wouldn't cure warts. Turtles Nest Up All Winter Another interesting speech dealt with Overwintering of painted turtle hatehlings. These turtles lived in Michigan and were hatched in the fall. They took one look around and decided the heck with it. They stayed in the nest all winter. THE CAMERA CATCHES SOME FINE RECORDS AS SPORTSMEN IN Everybody, except possibly the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, agreed they were t>retty smart turtles. CUMBERLAND COUNTY ASSIST SENIOR WARDEN GEO. JAMES OF Another speech was entitled "Two New Suckers From Virginia," causing a delegate CARLISLE (EXTREME RIGHT, UPPER PHOTO) PLACE "FLASHING from the Hill District to wake up suddenly and fall out of his chair at the rear of the room. BEAUTIES" IN POPULAR WATERS IN THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY! Suckers Related It never became quite clear why these suckers are different from the other suckers in the Roanoke River. It seems they're all related to a fish known as the Roanoke Hog Sucker. Then there are the Amphiumae, unhappy creatures that lead a precarious life. They drown if you keep them under water too long and die if you keep them out. They can't understand why the herpetologist won't let them live on the edge. There was a lot of other animals too. There were the aneides aeneus, the gaigeae, the pseudemys and the elegans. The ele- gans are closely related to the gaigeae. But not trout.

Boiled liver (never fried) is good for dogs. But too much of this kind of meat will act as a laxative.

DDT is not a good insect powder to use on a dog or other pet. Even small amounts of it taken internally may be harmful. It might get on the animal's food or be licked off its fur. Be careful. (Continued on Next Page) 14 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE OUT SOMERSET-WAY! Some Good Streamers And Fishing Methods By BILL WOLFE Perhaps you prefer to use streamers and bucktails? These are often more effective than wet flies early in the season because -minnows, which they imitate, are more likely to 'be stirring in some streams than flies are apt to be hatching and the trout take what they can get. My streamer book is filled with many patterns, but only two ever get much use. One is the red-and-white bucktail and the other is the bee streamer. Both are tied on relatively small streamer hooks (No. 10 with 3X shank). The red-and-white looks like a tiny minnow, the bee streamer looks like a large insect or 'beetle. If you open trout caught April 15 you will find that MI—mwr • - many of them contain dark •beetles which Mighty fine turnout, when Somerset County fishermen help 'put 'em in.' apparently are part of their early spring diet. Of course, these aren't the only good patterns. Any one of the Edson tigers, the dark, light or yellow, is a good trout streamer. Technically, they aren't streamers, but are bucktails. Streamers employ feathers in­ stead of bucktail but, like most anglers, I refer to feather or bucktail indiscriminately as "streamer." Some persons like a Black Ghost. I don't. 1 have seen trout caught on streamers that looked like horses' tails, so pick out the one you fancy. If, however, you prefer bait to streamers or wet flies, your choice is rather limited. Plain, ordinary garden worms, minnows and hellgrammites are about the range un­ less you can buy grubs. If the water is high or muddy, I would advise using bait in preference to flies, although bait is a last resort. Fish the wet flies across and downstream. Cast first to the water near you, then lengthen the line about two feet on each succeeding cast so you cover all the water. A strike, if any comes, probably will arrive when the fly, swinging downstream, starts to straighten out and come to the surface. Rev. Bungard, Somerset Church of Brethren; Dalton Beachley, County Commissioner; Bill Dively, County Detective, and Dr. Dosch, Somerset County Treasurer, assist Joseph Critchfield, a I fish streamers much the same way, but member of the Fish Commission, place trout in Somerset County waters. will work them in the current, pulling them toward me, letting them drop back. A worm is fished near the bottom, using lead if necessary, and so worked that it looks like it is a hapless victim of circumstances, roll­ ing1 along near the stream bed in the current. Frankly, if you can cast moderately well, know streams at all and fish carefully, you should take fish no matter what method you use; but luck will play a big part in what and how many trout you catch.

Don't expect to catch large fish from » stream that runs through heavy under­ growth or a dense forest. The trout in i* will average short in length and light in weight. This is 'because the light of the sun is very necessary to stimulate plant and insect growth so that fish in a stream have ample forage.

Good baits for perch are grasshoppers, worms, crickets, and small minnows. These ^^SflHH fish do not strike freely at artificial lures, Left to right—Noah Shultz, Pres. Somerset County League; John Kralg, Pres. Fayette County although a small spinner often will produce league and Joseph Critchfield, a member of the Board of Fish Commissioners who lead the party. good results. 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 15 AN APPEAL FROM OVERSEAS WEST LAWN ANGLER LANDS 27-INCH BROWN TROUT

Germany, April 20, 1946 £>ear Editor: C. F. Sturgis, West Lawn sportsman, proudly poses with three fine Brown trout he landed in the Paupak Creek in Pike Co. 27, 24 and 22 inches in length respectively. As a reader of the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER, I ^ould like to ask a question about an article I read in a late issue of your maga- ftie. It was appealing to all sportsmen Outdoors Calling W> turn in all old fishing equipment, to give S8 fellows overseas a chance to continue RELAX, CONFOUND IT, RELAX °Ur fishing while stationed here in the oc­ By BILL WOLF cupation forces. Tj^LY tying is such relaxing hobby. Ai bound down by it starts to become undone. Well as usual every ardent fisherman gets the end of a session at the vise a person I was using 000000 thread, which is just a <*>* old fishing bug this time of the year, should have a mind perfectly at ease and shade stronger than a cobweb. ^ell to get to the point, there is a beautiful a body rested by a delightful form of occu­ For some reason, my fingers were trembling ftream in the town which we are located pational therapy. as I tied on the thread again and sweat was Just filled with big brown and brook trout This is how it works in actual practice: Waiting to 'be caught, and we can't get them, starting to stand out on the brow. Then the The other evening I decided to tie a bi- ^cause we haven't a piece of equipment. second hackle pulled loose as I started to visible dry fly by a method new to me. A wind it with the pliers. There is a terrible It isn't that we haven't tried, because bivdsible, of course, is a fly which can be sense of frustration as you sit there with •*e've tried Special Service, Military Govt., seen readily by the trout and by the fisher­ the entire hackle in the jaws of the pliers *tad Cross and a few others, and we still man as well. It achieves this by a bushy instead of on the hook where it belongs. PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE

Attention! TROUT FISHERMEN By William J. Various

Have you ever been desirous of better trout fishing? Then why not go fishing with a hoe or spade for a change? Season for this type of fishing is open on any day fol­ lowing a heavy shower. Normal procedure for fishing with a hoe and spade is to walk along the banks of your favorite trout stream and watch the little gullies where muddy water from the recent rain will be pouring into the stream carrying its load of silt with it. At this point you gather up a little brush and some stones and begin to construct a very small dam across the gully. With the brush and stone in place, you apply a little dirt by using your hoe or spade. Some dams will be large but the majority will be small affairs with no more than a few shovelfuls of earth holding down the brush and filling in between stones. When you have stopped the flow of muddy water, take a few of the willow switches which you have carried along and stick a few of them into the wet ground about four to six inches deep. In short order the willow switches will take root and you will have, on a small scale to be sure, contributed your bit toward Joe McCronlck of Ellwood City and the monster Brown Trout he caught in the Slippery Bock near the mouth of Wolf Creek. Joe used a five ounce fly rod and artificial minnow. The trout better fishing. 28 inches long, tipped the scales at 7 pounds, 1 ounce. Through your efforts a small portion of the 'banks of your favorite stream will be­ come stabilized; bank washing and soil erosion will have been minimized. In addi­ LET'S GO OUTDOORS tion, as the willows grow, they will furnish shade which, in turn, will keep the water With SLIM cooler on the hot summer days. Subsequent rains running off in the same By Ralph Sides made to show that catfish could actually be channel where your dam has been built will There is a question in my mind whether substituted for trout and just as much carry its load of silt as far down as the trout fishing is all that it's cracked up to be, fun derived on a full scale, helter skelter, dam and there, where the water is pooled, after mingling with more than 800 anglers take what you can, basis of fishing. will drop the silt and in time create a small Would 2,500 people take time out as they delta which will be held in place by the on about one-third of the county streams, willow roots. last Monday. did on the first day of trout season to dash Catfish could have supplied just as much outdoors for catfish? A trip or two with this purpose in mind in the early spring while waiting for the fishing sport and certainly more meat for the table. When people learn that relaxation and peace of mind go hand in hand with trout season to open is a real joy. Not only wi'H The "wily" trout was caught despite lack you feel justly proud in having contributed of caution. Men, women and children sloshed fishing, too, then they will follow this age- old activity without acting like frantic a little something tangible toward better fish­ about through the water, exposing them­ ing, but you will likewise reap benefits from selves to view of the finny quarry and shoppers in a free-for-all nylon sale. Thousands of families enjoy catching it. Dirt and silt which are carried into the generally creating a lot of noise and com­ streams through gullies by quick run-offs motion. I saw trout "horsed in" just like catties, only it lacks the spectacular appeal of trout fishing. Robert Greener, state fish following heavy rains are enemies of fish any common pan fish. Catties could have life. They not only kill numbers of fish put up a greater struggle than the feeble warden, says that few turn out to help e stock catties, but he never lacks hands with but also destroy the plant and insect lif wiggling of sardine sized trout. upon which fish feed. trout. The exalted trout is luring thousands of So, if you really want better fishing, try people to the streams as yellow metal did A couple of fishermen were amazed when they saw 3,000 catfish, over a foot long fishing with a hoe or spade a couple of times in the Gold Rush Days. Imagination has every year. been enlivened by the portrayal of this stocked in the river recently. pastime while the real appreciation of the Conowingo Dam—Fishing from the wall sport has been entirely missed. of the dam and along the west shore down to posted signs, is not permitted from 11 There is no group of fishes officially bear­ The facetious comparison of the lowly p. m. until daylight, or at any time Sun­ ing the name sardine. Cans ordinarily fly cattie and the vaunted trout is purposely days and holidays. ing under the flag of canned sardines can be filled with any number of small fishes including the menhaden, herring, Califorfli3 to catch his prey, while the eagle robs the pilchard, etc. THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW osprey of his captured fish by forcing him Feathered anglers have different methods to drop it in flight. The eagle then swoops of catching fish. The osprey hovers over upon the falling fish and catches it in the water, plummets down, hits the water his talons, sailing away to enjoy his stolen A paper handkerchief is handy in tbe with a splash and catches his quarry in his morsel on some secluded crag. pocket of the fishing jacket, especially i°- talons. The kingfisher sits in a tree and 'the dry fly fisherman. A fly is easily an<* patiently watches, catches it in his long A single hawk may devour hundreds of quickly dried w'hen pressed gently inside pointed bill. The loon swims underwater mice daily. the folds of absorbent paper. 1916 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 17

A FAR CRY FROM "THE ROCK" TINIAN ISLAND IN THE is the picture of health, and says the crafty doctor's prescription was the best medicine MARIANA GROUP! he ever took. ".And not only has fishing benefited him, but he in turn has benefited others. "Because of his contagious enthusiasm for the sport, his kindly hospitality, and his never-give-up spirit, 'Pop' Whitaker has found health for himself and set an ex­ ample for the dozens of anglers, even some from without the state, who annually cross the threshold of his Lake Chute 'palace.' "Each year 'Pop' signs up a dozen or more new members in the fishermen's association and in other ways starts new fishermen down the right trail. "So when 'Pop' goes back to the Chute this spring he'll take along another trophy to add to the four already on the shelf— just a symbol of what fishing can do for a man and what a man can do for fishing." Note. The trophy referred to in the last paragraph is the annual "Sports Afield and Astrearn" trophy for the best local outdoor story of the year. Incidentally a lot of the physicians and surgeons who have made Connellsville their practice locale have been ardent fishermen, though it may not be that they took up the sport as a last resort in health promotion. Some we have itoday would rather talk fish­ ing and actually fish than eat. Perhaps they might prescribe the same treatment "Pop" was given.

Sgt. Wm. H. (Bill) Barrett of Harrisburg, recently returned from the B-29 Bomber Group In the South Pacific finds peace and quiet on Stoney Creek, Dauphin Co., where he and his wife Laura snare a few "brookies." SPORTS SLANTS A WORD ABOUT FISH 'N' FISHING John Place in his New Kensington Dis­ patch column "Placing Sports," remarks that TIMELY TOPICS Dubbed by the Zanesville News as the fish will bite when they are ready, and not prize winning story of 1945 here it is: before then. And, he advises, when they "A decade or so of years ago there lived are ready to bite, they'll grab most any kind PROLONGING WORN-OUT LIFE— in the state (of Ohio) a man who had worked BY FISHING of lure as a rule. Says John: hard all his life. Severe illness overtook "Fishing is a two-way sport. him and its wake left him broken in body There's a lot more to the sport of fishing "It requires the patience of a modern Job. and spirit. A wise doctor engineered his ^han catching the fish, even admitting that "Before the angler can pull in a trout or •recovery. No pills or other medicinal cure *s the goal of most expeditions to streams bass, the fish must bite, and there is no way did he prescribe. He simply said: Slid lakes. Landing a big one or a fine catch to insure their appetite. Trout just out of s* small size has its thrills. So does the " 'All I want you to do is forget about a hatchery, it's true, usually grab at any­ "big one" that got away. Proof of the lat­ everything and just go fishing.' thing resembling food, whether live bait or ter statement may be found in oft-retold "The doctor's prescription must have come colored flies. tales of these unsuccessful battles with out as something of a shock to the man in "But when they become stream-wise, it's °f the ordinary denizens of lakes or pools question, for up until this time he had hardly a toss up as to the using of the bent pin, and riffles of run and creek and river. As a ever held a fishing rod in his hand and no the worm bait or the expensive lure of the Matter of logic there is nothing unusual in doubt had the impression a casting out­ rod and reelers." *he giants smashing tackle or tearing loose. fit was something molders used in a foundry. John is partially right, but the experts They have the power to do it—power that "But he took the good doctor at his word would tell him that there is a lot to this ^lore than matches the skill of the angler. and really went fishing. fishing business. Ten anglers will be fish­ *t happens every year, in many places. "Searching for a likely spot he found a ing within a stretch of a couple hundred But getting back to the statement that pleasant cottage on the lower Muskingum. yards. Nine may, and often do, angle away here's more than catching to fishing, and To that he retired during the first summer for hours and not get as much as a single ^ith the open season for trout beginning and fall after his sickness and began fishing strike. The tenth fellow, on the other hand, *}ext Monday—April 15—a story by Fred in earnest. may crawl up the bank after a couple hours Luttenberger printed in the Zanesville, Ohio, "Soon he became quite proficient at cast­ with a wide grin on his face and a nice News is interesting and informative and en- ing and like most anglers came to definite string of fish in his hand. How do they do c°uraging to a lot of people who may be conclusions and had favorite lures of his it? Luck? No! "fold by their physicians they are approach- own. He really became what is known as ^g the Great Divide. Two Connellsville 'dyed in the wool.' Last Summer along French Creek this very anglers we know—there may be others— "Not only did he take to fishing—fishing thing was happening. We were among the *re ready to vouch for the truth of the tale, took to him. For four successive years he "nine" out of ten. We weren't getting a at least as they heard it first hand, while bested all the 'old-timers' in the valley to nibble. Every day for several days a vet­ °*l an excursion last summer to the Muskin- capture the first-prize trophy for the biggest eran fisherman who lived in that area would §U«n River, in Ohio. They are Roy B. Otto, wall-eyed pike, and failed in 1945 only be­ go up the creek a few hundred yards and Manager of the Loucks Hardware Com­ cause of river conditions .beyond his con­ come back with 'the limit, all nice bass. We pany's store here, and Ross J. Medcalf, gen­ trol. would, and of course did, say that the fish ial secretary of the Young Men's Christian "Today, George Whitaker, or 'Pop' as he weren't biting. But, Mister, they were biting Association, both addicts of the sport of the is affectionately known by the hordes of for him! (And the old smart-alec wouldn't c*imon people. fishermen who stop at his Lake Chute haven, tell us the secret!) 18 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE

For Fishermen Only HOW TO RAISE WORMS FOR BAIT By HENRY LESESNE

The raising of fishing bait has become a then using them from the other. In this way science at the fish laboratory of the Alabama each tub remains undisturbed for a con­ agricultural experiment station. siderable period and reproduction seems to Years of experimental work have de­ be more satisfactory under these condi­ veloped the simplest and most economical tions." methods of growing your own bait the year How about food for the worms? round. It's very simple. Each tub of worms re­ The first requirement in the raising of quires one pound of vegetable shortening the common earthworm or the much-prized or lard and two pounds of cornmeal a month. English, or red, worm, is, of course, clay Swingle figures that the cost of food re­ loam or clay soil. quired to raise 100 worms is about five A simple, productive type of wormbed cents. is formed by the application of dishwater Late experiments disclose the type of soil to the soil, which furnishes both food and used in the tubs to foe of great importance. moisture, says H. S. Swingle. Sandy soils can't be used because apparently However this type of bed, which requires the sharp sand grains injure the digestive virtually no attention, has obvious 'bad fea­ tracts of the worms. tures •which make it unsuitable for use in Several species of earthworms were tried congested city districts. in the experiments but most satisfactory for Experimentation has developed a method the purpose was found the small English whereby fishermen may raise their own worm or red worm, so highly prized by worms in the garage, basement or even a fishermen. These worms reproduce through­ vacant room. out the year and are very prolific. Use Water-tight Containers Mature in Six Months This, Swingle explains, is done in ordin­ They reach maturity in about six months ary galvanized wash tubs, metal drums cut but can be used for fishing three to four lengthwise, old bathtubs or similar water­ months after hatching. tight containers. A wide variety of foods was tried. A tube two feet in diameter and 10 inches Swingle reports. Mixture of a cheap grade Mrs. J. Roy Smith of Potters Mills, and 32" deep should produce about 3,500 to 5,000 of shortening and cornmeal was found to water snake she killed with 12" Brown Trout worms of fishing size a year. As some should give about every two weeks. The soil is partly swallowed. be left to breed, the fishermen should ex­ kept moist throughout. No more water should pect to use only about 3,000 worms from be applied, however, than the soil can ab­ one tub a season. sorb. "It is recommended," says Swingle, "that Swingle says that, the addition of water a minimum of two tubs foe kept, using the every two weeks at the time the food is untouched frontiers. Good brook trout fish­ worms from one for several months and added should suffice. ing is yet to be had in many of the little fished streams of Centre, Elk, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming Counties especially, and in a number of other hard-to-reach corners of other counties. Unless an unexpected horde of fishermen invade these wild sanctuaries, Make Mine Natives good brook trout fishing will remain for the man who braves the miles of unpaved By JAMES R. HAYES roads and wild mountain country. The very nature of the trout itself has LTHOUGH our Board of Fish Commis- not done him much good in his fight for / sioners has done a grand job in bring­ survival. The brookie is a set-up for a ing Pennsylvania trout fishing up to par, still hookful of angle worms, and in late season there is no greater thrill than landing an old they'll strike at anything that hits the water. time native trout. Certainly the welcome But to those who thrill to the quest for fight­ appearance of these hatchery-reared brown ing trout, there is no fishing in the world and rainbow trout has not affected the native like native brookies. Speokled trout, moun­ trout population to any great extent, but un­ tain trout, squaretail, native, whatever you less something is done to give these stream- call him, he's the aristocrat of the stream- bred little warriors the break they justly The brook trout is probably the best known deserve, it appears as if they may someday fresh-water game fish in all the world, and joint the rosters of the extinct with the is the favorite quarry of more confirmed passenger pigeon and the dodo bird. anglers than any other fish attracts. The Our native eastern brook trout—Salvel- most beautiful, active, and widely distributed inus fontinalis—has a range that takes in American trout, he spawns in the fall when Wisconsin and the lower peninsula of Mich­ the water is colder, working up into the igan, eastward through Pennsylvania, New smaller tributaries to deposit the eggs which York, New England and parts of Virginia. hatch the following spring. His rich, mottled Many old-timers still remember the days brown back, ruby studded sides, and snoW when a cane pole, a hook and line and a white undersides have inspired more artists can of worms would bring in a basketful i to paint him than any other fish that swims. of these be-speckled fighters, but tihe in­ Picture a thin silver ribbon of dashing roads of civilization brought pollution, roads, white water cascading over rocky ledges, deforestation, and erosion. The brook trout, swirling in deep foam-flecked pools, charg­ like Dan'l Boone, needs plenty of elbow ing down wild ravines. Keep back, out of THe Author, James R. Hayes, room, and consequently retreated to the yet sight, for these waxy little fighters will flash 1946 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 19 j^to their underwater retreats in an instant of all fish. Lay him in your fern lined creel, " you show yourself. It's mid-season, and but the color will soon fade. You can never *e're fishing a number 14 dry fly; black duplicate that fading lovliness with your Snat or gray hackle is the best pattern. Now words or paints^ Only Mother Nature can tye work out a few feet of line and shoot it create these little gems, each little warrior °ver the pool. The fly lights softly on the a masterpiece of her craftsmanship. The surface, and a dark shadow rises slowly joy of bringing one of these "wild ones" to ^om the shaded depths, watching it in­ net has a thrill all it's own, and the brookie tently. You raise ithe rod tip, bringing the has carved for himself a place in the fly % across the surface in erratic jerks. Then fisherman's heart that the tenacious brownie or spectacular rainbow can never hope to attain. The native brookie has a pedigree that goes back further than Columbus, he's an aristocrat in his own right, and to the angler •who shares easy access to a shaded stream inhabited by native squaretails I can only say, Mister, your a lucky stiff.

ROD AND GUN By OLD SPORT Plans for Club House Shirley J. Orndorff of McKees Bocks, age 11, with nice Rainbow taken from Dunbar Creek The Centre County Hunters and Anglers in Fayette Co. met recently in Bellefonte and made plans to do something that should make all sports­ men in that area happy—namely, they THE CALL OF THE POOL planned to build a club house. The proposed building site has 14 acres A real invitation, of ground which will be made into outdoor Poured out, as it seems, rifle ranges, skeet ranges, archery ranges and Out of the everywhere pens to raise pheasants for stocking. There Into the streams, is a stream running through the property Calls me, Pennsylvania, and fly and bait casting events will be held. Right out of my den This club house seems to us to be just And back to my fishing what this county needs, a place where all And wishing again. the hunters and anglers for miles around I fish and I wish, can go whenever they feel like swapping And my wishing comes true yarns, doing a little shooting, practice fly When I feel the old thrill casting or just plain loafing in an outdoor Of a nibble or two, atmosphere. The possibilities for a good And again I am thankful time are unlimited with a club house! For each fishing treat That an old fishing guy A Check on the Suckers Is allowed to repeat. One Saturday afternoon we got out our After I practice fishing rod, picked up some worms from Awhile I will try under a manure pile and went to Oak Hall For that over-grown, to see how the suckers were biting. We Red-speckled beauty, so I set up our rods, built a fire and settled down Can show to the lady t Two young anglers try their luck in the Bays- for a nice peaceful afternoon. Who finally caught me '°Wn Branch, while little sister looks on ap­ provingly. After a while we noticed a squirrel in a The trout she has tree on the other side of the stream. The Patiently waited to see. Should a shadow of doubt w little critter ran down the tree and picked ham! ... he jumps clear of the surface, up a leaf. He took the leaf up to a hole in In her mind still remain, Sfabs it up, and turns back to the recesses the tree and stuffed it in a hole. He did That red-speckled beauty " the pool. You snub him quickly with Will help to explain at this three times when the third time he i expert flick of the wrist, and swoosh! dropped the leaf. Why I am compelled ' • . he's off for the bottom in a determined The squirrel watched it flutter to the ground To respond to the call t*>Wer dive. A flash of color and a smother and you could imagine what he was think­ Of the brookies, the brownies, M foam as ithe spotted trout takes to the air ing. Instead of going back down to the The rainbows, and all. **°w, fighting for his life with a strength ground to get another leaf he looked around For the call of the pool, ^red in the ice cold rushing water. But the the tree and seeing leaves still on the tree, With a true teasing art, £cnstant strain proves more than a match Coaxingly coos round r got one of these. Then he looked around ° 'him, and we soon see the delicate pink some more until he spied more leaves. After The ears of my heart, jg his belly. Slowly and carefully we bring he had enough leaves to suit him he cut a And when it calls me gtt to the net, head still shaking, mottled small twig and put it in the hole. He cut To a new fishing thrill, wil still churning. Ah, but now he's in, four twigs and then went in the hole him­ I'm a right snappy topping and squirming. Now, Mister, you self. Old happy gay daffodil. £sn say you've caught a trout. Look at A Good Carpenter —F. JUDSON SEW ALL. ^m, ice cold and quivering. No picture *f»at this, but a masterpiece of nature's ar- We refer to the wild creatures as dumb Jjstry, shimmering with life. Admire &e animals but that squirrel looked like a pretty Plicate, rich coloration, the olive brown good carpenter to us. At least he knew what bottled 'back, the blue-ringed blood red he wanted and seemed to be pretty smart Mother: "So you're not afraid to go to the- J*°ts, like shimmering rubies set in a silvery about the way he gathered it. hospital—that's a good little boy." bW velvet. As for the fishing we caught a brook trout L. B.: "But I ain't gonna let 'em palm . Now you know why these gorgeous little about 10 inches long which we informed off a baby on me like they did you—I ^lationists are called the most beautiful we'd be back for on April 15. wanna pup! 30 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER JUNE

NIGHT FISHING THRILLS why not Black Bass? The fly I cooked up place the tinsel without disturbing the re­ was a combination Silver Doctor—.Blue Jay (Continued from Page 3) mainder of the fly. Such a replacement can and Hewitt's Christmas Tree. The hook be made four or five times before the fly io drop his hook in the narrow waterways used was a 6 x long shank xlO light wire. is worn out. between the lily fronds. Tail yellow crest Golden pheasant, Butt Red It is not to be supposed that the flies We had our fill of this kind of fishing Chenille, Body Silver, under hackle Blue, mentioned in this article are the only bass before noon and decided to have a try Wings—Yellow • crest Golden Pheasant— flies used ' by the writer. I usually carry at Pine Creek in the afternoon. We found Orange and Black Golden Pheasant Tippet— every well known and time tested pattern. •the creek slightly muddy from a heavy Red—White—and Brown Bucktail. On the They don't weigh much and there are times thunder shower upstream just before dawn under side as top haokle I added fine Silver when they save the day when the favored so our catches there were confined to more Tinsel tied streamer, about 1V2 inches long. patterns fail to produce. catfish and a few large suckers. My next try with the Silver Doctor was This article is offered in order to create a However, those were the days when Pine hi slightly muddy water and in one shallow more lively interest in fly fishing for bass. Creek yielded heavy bass and long pike in hole I took three legal size bass, liberated It is not to be supposed, that by any stretch profusion, and many a nice catch of these two that were just under size and missed of the imagination, are any of the flies men­ fish we made later that summer after the a grand fish. With this fly I took that day tioned original creations. They are merely season had opened. 5 bass that averaged a pound and a half. changes in well known fly patterns, some of Hooked and lost one that looked good to which are over 100 years old and they me. I did not count the under sized bass should be called by their original names. SOME FLIES FOR BASS . . . taken but there were quite a number. There is still so much to foe learned about Bass Flies and so little time in one's life­ (Continued from Page 6) The tinsel hackle proved such a success 6 stock. My first cast was about 3 feet to that I tried it out on other -patterns. I put time to do it, that no one man can hop the left of the bass and I could see his wake silver tinsel on the Green wing Fly. Gold to learn it all. It can only be by the com­ as he rushed for the fly. I struck just at the tinsel on the Mickey Finn. In milky slightly bined efforts of all fly fishermen working right time. Out of the water he came with colored water these flies worked like a together that existing fly patterns can be a rush, by far the best bass ever to take charm. The Silver Doctor still had the improved. my flies. Back in the water he headed di­ 'best fish taking ability but the Mickey Finn rectly toward me. Stripping line as fast took larger fish. The green wing trailed a as I could, I could not quite keep up to him. poor third. However, as the water cleared He finally jumped and threw the fly not four the Silver Doctor and the Mickey Finn feet from my boots. I will never use a dropped off in fish taking ability and the barbless hook for bass again. But I knew Green Wing took over. now that I had a good clear water bass fly. One serious disadvantage of the tinsel My cast of three flies then always included hackle is that it mats up quickly. When this green winged fly. I knew it to be good matted it loses its light-gathering ability and if another type of fly took bass as first and with it the fish-taking qualities. All or second dropper then it received a perma­ the flies except the Silver Doctor are easily nent place in my fly book and in sufficient made and a generous supply should be car­ quantity to assure a days fishing even if a ried in order to assure a good day's sport. dead walnut tree did interfere with my back The Silver Doctor is a difficult fly to make cast. and as the tinsel is -the only part of it that In order to test the fish-taking ability of isn't durable the fly is finished including the black body, other flies were tied up, the head before the tinsel is put on. Then using other color combinations in wings and the tinsel is tied on with a different colored tails. Most of these trial flies met only in­ •thread. When matted it 'is easily replaced different success. One fly however stood out by cutting the thread holding it and so re- above all others. It was merely a Mickey Finn with a black chenille body. It works much better in the local streams than a The companionship of father-son out fishiflS straight Mickey Finn. is GREAT! One never knows the feeling in tl»« One day, during late summer, I was fish­ heart of a little fellow 'out flsh'n' with his dad. ing a favorite stretch of water. The stream was just clearing after a rain. The water BROWN TROUT . . . was milky with a slight yellow cast. My (Continued from Page 9) black bodied flies were almost useless, so Color of brown trout, like the brook's, there was nothing to be lost by trying other varies greatly with locality. Here the brown patterns. With an idea to improve the light has red spots, larger and less brilliant than gathering ability of the flies. I tied on a the brook's, and can foe readily distinguished silver Doctor on the end of the leader. A by the additional presence of black spots. green wing on first dropper and a Blue Jay The brown's scales, though small, are plainly with a silver body and red tag for the visible; the brook's are miscroscopie, hardly second dropper. I immediately began to visible. The brown's body is rounder and take bass. Most of the strikes were on the more compressed. Silver Doctor. But some of the bass struck In living habits the two species are for the Blue Jay. One peculiar thing happened apart. The brown, hardier and better adapted that day. I had a double catch of bass on to difficult stream conditions, can live ft* the two end flies and as I was attempting to net them one bass tore loose from the warmer and less pure water. It survives second dropper. .On my next cast in the temperatures up to 81 degrees, actually same location I hooked and landed another thrives better in somewhat warmer water than very cold. The brook likes cold, tin" bass. As I was taking the hook out of his e mouth I noticed that the corner of his foulent upstream waters, does not toierat temperatures above 75 degrees. mouth was freshly torn. I believe that this a was .the same bass that tore loose only a Though a bit moody, the brown is minute before. constant surface feeder and, consequently a good fly fish. Its average size nuns fro»i That night as I was trying to analyze the about 12 ounces to a pound. A 39% pounder, day's results, I remembered an experience largest ever taken with rod and reel, W3S of E. R. Hewitt and told by him in his book, caught 'way back in 1866 at Loch Awe, Secrets of the Salmon. Mr. Hewitt had Scotland. Tops for the U. S. is not definitely used silver tinsel as hackle on Salmon Flies OH MY! — OH MY! 3 Exclaims little fellow as he looks on fine trout known, the best on record being 17 A with great success. If it worked on Salmon, about to be placed in the Wissihickon. pounds. 'SEE, I TOLD YOU THE 'OLD GIRL' WOULD BE GLAD TO LEARN I WAS GOING FISHING WITH YOU.' OUT FISHIN' A feller isn't thinkin' mean Out fishin'; His thoughts are mostly good and c-lean. Out fishin'; He does not knock his fellow men. Or harbor any grudges then: A feller's at his finest when Out fishin'; A feller's glad to be a friend. Out fishin'; The brotherhood of rod and line An' sky and stream is always fine; Men come real close to God's design. Out fishin'; A feller isn't plotting schemes. Out fishin'; He's only busy with his dreams. Out fishin'; His livery is a coat of tan. His creed to do