IBENHSiWflNlfl <n j- National Wildlife Week, March 20-26, 1960 "Water... Cool, Cool, Water" "Water . cool, cool, water." This lament from a popular ballad symbolizes a need which is becoming more and more acute in the United States as our population continues to expand at an alarming rate. Arid parts of the west, which long have felt the pinch of low water supplies, are being joined by areas in the midwest, south and east in efforts to meet the growing shortages. Many types of industries require huge amounts of water—in the actual prep­ aration of products, for cooling systems and for the removal of waste materials. Municipalities use great amounts of water—for domestic services and waste re­ moval. Agriculture consumes still other significant amounts of water, especially for crop irrigation. Water generates power. It provides navigational highways for transportation. It offers recreation for millions of people. Water, in other words, is a vital resource. Many parts of the nation have reached the point where existing water sup­ plies are critical, with surface streams either in flood stage or dry during portions of the year. Underground supplies are rapidly depleted. And areas formerly with adequate supplies, are viewing the situation with alarm as demands in­ crease in proportion to mounting populations. What are answers to these questions? The National Wildlife Federation and its state affiliates, sponsors of National Wildlife Week being observed March 20-26, offer these possibilities: 1. Clean up existing water supplies in order that they may be used re­ peatedly for a variety of beneficial purposes. These efforts would include control of pollution and siltation. 2. Safeguard existing water supplies through sound land cover practices and watershed programs which hold rain where it falls. Additional research into evaporation control and weather modification may be productive. Eco­ nomical development of nuclear energy may reduce needs for hydro-electric power. 3. Seek new water supplies, through research into saline water conver­ sion and development of additional sources. 4. Develop, through wise planning policies for obtaining the maximum public benefit from water supplies. Truly, water is a blessing upon which our well-being, both individually and collectively, depends. The National Wildlife Week slogan, "Water—Key to Your Survival," explains why principles of water conservation should be given wide­ spread adoption. PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION PENNSYLVANIA DIRECTORY EXECUTIVE OFFICE ANGLER H. R. STACKHOUSE Acting Executive Director Published Monthly by the DR. ALBERT S. HAZZARD Asst. Director PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION (Vacant) COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Administrative Secretary PAUL J. SAUER David L. Lawrence, Governor Comptroller • DONALD E. HERMAN Asst. Comptroller PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION • ALBERT R. HINKLE, JR., President Clearfield WALLACE C. DEAN, V. Pres. Meadville DIVISIONS JOHN W. GRENOBLE Carlisle R. STANLEY SMITH Waynesburg „ Aquatic Biology GERARD J. ADAMS Hawley JOSEPH M. CRITCHFIELD Confluence ^ORUON TREMBLEY Chief r- Fish Culture RAYMOND M. WILLIAMS . East Bangor MAYNARD BOGART Danville UEWEY SORENSON Superintendent T Engineering 1 HOMAS F. O'HARA _ Chief Engineer n Real Estate MARCH, 1960 VOL. 29, NO. 3 ^YRIL G. REGAN Chief M. Law Enforcement W'LLIAM W. BR1TTON Chief Conservation Education-Public Relations J. ALLEN BARRETT, Editor JOHNNY NICKLAS, Photographer J- ALLEN BARRETT _. Chief u ROBERT GLOVER _ Asst. Chief • Contents REGIONAL OFFICES 2 THERE'S ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE-George W. Forrest N°rthwest 5 FISH FOR FUN-WHO?-Daniel G. Reinhold Conneautville e Phone 3033 7 LET'S GO BOATING • V^ARLYLE SHELDON Warden Supervisor 8 ANGLER QUIZ-Carsten Alirens •LLIAM E. DAUCHERTY, Fishery Manager 9 SCHOOL DAYS Southwest 10 THE CHALLENGE OF CONSERVATION-Myron E. Shoemaker R. D. 2 Somerset 12 FISH COMMISSIONERS REAPPOINTED w Phone 6913 ' 'NTEH C. JONES _ Warden Supervisor 14 ME TOO, DOC!-Don Neal ACANT Fishery Manager 16 YOUNG MAN . CAREFUL WITH MY GEARl-Robert R. Bowers Northeast 18 W. W. BRITTON NEW PRESIDENT OF N.E.U.S. ENFORCEMENT 546 Main Street CHIEF'S ASSOCIATION Honesdale n Phone 1485 19 WHY I HATE FLIES-Jaek Cawthon Lu >« H. FLEECER, 20 STRIP MINERS, SPORTSMEN JOIN IN LAKE PROJECT v. Acting Warden Supervisor CANT Fishery Manager 21 NOTES FROM THE STREAMS So*tAeast 22 THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES Box 145 23 MY BROOK-Warren M. Sinclair Hellam JQ ( Phone York 47-3934 THE COVER: Sucker Fishermen R SN S. OGDEN Warden Supervisor WBERT BIELO Fishery Manager Photo by Don Shimer No*th Central 644 W. Main Street POSTMASTER: All 3579 forms to be returned to TIMES & NEWS PUBLISHING Lock Haven CO., GETTYSBURG, PA. j Phone 6497 The PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commisssion, BUCK Ward South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa. Subscription: $1.00 per year, 10 cents per single copy. L>ANH' — en Supervisor Send check or money order payable to Pennsylvania Fish Commission. DO NOT SEND STAMPS. HEYL _ Fishery Manager Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. Change of address should reach us promptly. Furnish both old and new addresses. Second Class Postage Paid at Gettysburg, Pa. So *th Central Neither Publisher nor Editor will assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or illustra­ 201 Ridge Road tions while in their possession or in transit. Permission to reprint will be given provided we receive marked copies and credit is given material or illustrations. Communications pertaining to Huntingdon manuscripts, material or illustrations should be addressed to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, H Phone Mitchell 3-1321 Harrisburg, Pa. «AR0LD CORBIN _ Warden Supervisor NOTICE: Subscriptions received and processed after the 10th of each month will begin with the "Wis SIMES Fishery Manager second month following. There's One Born Every Minute... By GEORGE W. FORREST FISHING FOR suckers during March takes the edge off a long winter's wait. SUCKERS . that is, son! And, add sucker fisher­ somehow neither wind nor rain nor snow nor paying men. You'd think just about nobody would be inter­ the rent late prevents these boys with the early worm ested worth a good hoot in a bag of bones with an from shivering on a stream bank somewhere down on underslung jib but it just ain't so. Thousands of guys the farm. This is the time of the year farmers (who love to wet the first line of the year fishing for suckers should know better) haven't a great deal on their while frosting their posteriors doing it. schedules. The ground isn't fit to plow and sugarin' You gotta be slightly tetched . admitted . but time is yet awhile away. So, the farmer and the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER farmer's boy slosh along the greening winter wheat ner as to catch the least wind. If the rod tip rattles fringes to the creek down at the lower end of the about you'll find the bait gone and the sucker too. pasture. These guys just ooooooooosh the worm into their fat faces and whooooooosh it down the gizzard pronto. While sucker shushing isn't the elbow to elbow dash Then they smack their lips . yeh they do . now and verve of trout season you're likely to get a little don't argue, and begin to get a real appetite. You just competition for the deepest holes in the meadow served the celery and other rabbit food . now it's stream. Here's where these suction succulent finnies time to serve up the main course. Get out the fattest hang out just apinin' for a fat worm to wriggle on worm in the tin can. Thread it carefully . carefully, down the eddy. And, you know if a guy had to use I said, son, lovingly onto the long shank of the hook anything but worms I just couldn't think of a dad- and let a piece of the end to wriggle. Watch that rod gummed thing to use unless it would be a useless s tip . the slightest whimper, take it in hand and get oggy hunk of devil's food cake with white icing. the feel of the line as it pulsates. Yep, it throbs! That's Some gents insist on bringing these bags of bones Mr. Sucker chumping away on what he thinks is a home where they are sometimes run through a meat T-Bone until you see the line going out a bit. Then grinder, smallest blade. Then this mess is padded into raise the tip gentle and you should have hold of a fish, a fish ball or cake, breaded and fried in hot deep fat. an old boot or a beer can. Taint bad, son, 'taint bad at all, all that stuff to the No, you don't need to set the hook like you're ex- contrary. pectin' to yank in Zeke's cow . just gentle thrust of But here we go gettin' the frying pan before the accessory or something like that there. Now, gentle readers (if there are any around), get out the old Pole. Don't make a doggone bit of difference what kind it is, short, wide, thick or long, get it out. Next get to your favorite tackle emporium, latch on to a state fishing license (payola plug for which we receive a round burr)), ask for some longshanked No. 6 to 8 'looks, a couple of wrap-on sinkers. Next ask the man ™ he has some worms, big fat ones . not big night crawlers. Few suckers like big night crawlers. Guess they ain't never learned to eat spaghetti and meat balls. But big fat worms, small crawlers . aaaaaaah • • • them's the babies that'll make even a big fat s»cker wallow in spring. (How long has it been since you've wallowed?) Now we're all set.