FEBRUARY 1963 ^amtofivtiMia /4*iylefc Pennsylvania's New Governor Hon. William W. Scranton & COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HARRISBURG TO THE FISHERMEN OF PENNSYLVANIA: Your new Administration is dedicated to the belief that one of the most valuable resources of our State is our wild life, including the fish which swim in Pennsylvania's streams and lakes. As part of our conservation and wild life program, fishermen of Pennsylvania can look forward to sympathetic and progressive activity by their State Government. I as Governor and my entire Administration believe in the great value of fishing, not only as a sport, but as one of the most attractive assets we have to offer people and industries from other states. Sincerely yours, f WL.X Bill Scranton PENNSYLVANIA Pe*i*t<LiflvaH,ia Antfleb FISH COMMISSION DIRECTORY Published Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION EXECUTIVE OFFICE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA ALBERT M. DAY Executive Director William W. Scranton, Governor DR. ALBERT S. HAZZARD Asst. Director * WARREN W. SINGER Assistant to Executive Director PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION PAUL F. O'BRIEN MAYXARD BOGART, President Danville Administrative Officer JOSEPH M. CRITCIII-IELD, Vice President Confluence PAUL J. SAUER GERARD J. ADAMS Hawley ALBERT R. HINKLE, JR. „ Clearfield Comptroller WALLACE C. DEAN Meadville R. STANLEY SMITH Waynesburg • JOHN W. GRENOBLE Carlisle RAYMOND M. WILLIAMS ... East Bangor DIVISIONS Aquatic Biology FEBRUARY, 1963 VOL. 32, NO. 2 WRDON TREMBLEY _ Chief , Fish Culture -WVARD L. FOX _ Superintendent Real Estate and Engineering YR GEORGE W. FORREST, Editor JOHNNY NICKLAS. Photographer P »- G. REGAN .; _ Chief ^WARD MILLER _ ... Asst. Chief Law Enforcement Contents W"-LIA.M W. BRITTON Chief 2 SUPERSTITION—Wilbert Nathan Savage Conservation Education-Public Relations RUSSELL S. ORR _ . Chief 4 BALD EAGLE CREEK—George Harvey • 5 CUSSEWAGO CREEK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT—Ken Williams NORTHWEST REGION 6 OUR CLIMATE AND OUR WEATHER ID SHELDON Warden Supervisor 212 E. Main St., Conneautville, Pa., 9 A SWING INTO WINTER—Johnny Nicklas Phone: 3033 10 BOATING—Wayne Heyman M SOUTHWEST REGION 12 ACTION ON THE ICE AT LAKE ERIE—Photo Story—Johnny Nicklas- * 'NTEB C. JONES _ Warden Supervisor Staff photographer, Pennsylvania Fish Commission ' D- 2, Somerset, Pa. Phone: 6913 14 THUNDER PUMPER—Margaret M. Thornburgh a NORTHEAST REGION 18 STREAM NOTES • GT-AXA FLEECER Warden Supervisor 6 °* 4, Honesdale, Pa. Phone: 253-3724 19 VETERAN FISH COMMISSION EMPLOYES ERBV RADER Fishery Manager ' D- 3, Honesdale, Pa. Phone: 253-2033 20 WINTER WORKOUT—Gordon L. Strobeck 21 NOW'S THE TIME—Chauncy K. Lively JQ SOUTHEAST REGION HN S. OGDEN Warden Supervisor 22 YOUTH OUTDOORS—Don Shiner 130 Ruxton Rd., York, Pa. .... Phone: 2-3474 22 THE FEMININE VIEW—Marion Lively °BEST BrELo _ Fishery Manager Holtwood, Pa., Phone: Rawlinsville Butler 4-4128 23 FLIES AND FLY TYING—Albert G. Shimmel 11 OUTDOOR BOOKS NORTH CENTRAL REGION JOHN T BUCK Warden Supervisor Back Cover Art by John F, Clark ' °- Box 5, Lock Haven, Pa., Phone: 748-7162 AN HEYL Fishery Manager POSTMASTER: All 3S79 forms to be returned to Times and News Publishing Co., Gettysburg, Pa. ' D- 1, Spring Mills, Pa- Phone: Center Hall Empire 4-1065 The PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, South Office Building, Harvisburg, Pa. Subscription; One year-$2.00; three ysars-$5.00; 25 cents per single copy. Send check or money order payable to Pennsylvania Fish Commission. DO NOT SEND STAMPS. Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. Change of address should reach SOUTH CENTRAL REGION us promptly. Furnish both old and new addresses. Second Class Postage paid at Harrisburg, Pa., - *ROLD COKBIN Warden Supervisor and at additional mailing offices. 021 13th St., Huntingdon, Pa- Neither Publisher nor Editor will assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or illustrations Phone: Mitchell 3-0355 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 manuscripts, u RTrs SIMES -.- Fishery Manager material or illustrations should be addressed to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Harrisburg, Pa. fccl>o Glen, Huntingdon, Pa., NOTICE: Subscriptions received and processed after the 10th of each month will begin with the Phone: Mitchell 3-3651 second month following. "Number thirteen is all I have left," said the motel owner to the middle-aged gent who plainly had inveigled his rapt wife into her first fin-and-scale expedition. "No thanks!" exclaimed the fortyish fisherman, add­ ing as he departed, "You shouldn't even have a number thirteen room!" This little incident, illustrating the sensitive vigor of enduring superstition, isn't an imaginative one; it is an established fact! Indeed, it is so valid that some motels have no number thirteen room and many motor courts under construction are skipping the disreputable number altogether. In one case, a lady motel owner had so much trouble with room 13 that she finally con­ verted it into a storage place for lawn furniture. But the number thirteen is only one facet of common American superstitions. Nearly everyone—from jockey lo fisherman, from woodchopper to executive, and from baseball player to expert boatman—nurtures a few pet superstitions. Very often these "absurd*' convictions are personal ideas not to be trifled with by curious meddlers. But on other occasions an individual doesn't hesitate to declare his dread of broken mirrors and black cats, or to affirm his faith in lucky coins, wish­ bones, rabbit's feet, etc. In the credible accounts of peculiar notions among Homo sapiens, anglers seem to have, in addition to many standard superstitions, a pretty nifty assortment SPITTIN' ON THE BAIT may be horrible "etiquette' of their own. One of the best known of these is the elsewhere but when a fisherman does it for luck . , ritual of spitting on the baited hook before making a it'll have to do until something better comes along. cast. The purpose of this untidy but very old practice is, of course, a bid to mollify the disposition of Lady Its Lasting P. 1W6FS ©f Persii«»I@iB AP# Ifidespi Even Fisl ermen Are Often Swayed by thi Strange Influ«H®« ©ail«€ @®@®®®(§>(§)®(§) SUPERSTITION ®®@®®®®®®@ * By WILBERT NATHAN SAVAGE PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER ^ *-uck. In some circles it is even sagaciously proper to eilI'ich the "fish-attracting" juices through chewing Various additives—anise roots, birch bark, tea leaves, etc- Repeated cold proof that the system never produces 'esults seems to strengthen rather than weaken staunch following of the wacky habit. Ancient in origin but widely upheld was the yester­ year belief that scattering certain "good luck" berries 90 the water would bring success to the angler. The dct could be effective only if performed before a crude took was baited or a pole touched at the fishing site. •\ bit of research uncovered evidence that this super­ stition was well known to the American Indian, which 'ndicates that the palefaces who adopted the practice e°uldn't very well he rated as "heap hep." Another fairly common superstition—and one still PE 'Moderately in vogue—warns that a severe span of bad 'Uck will surely follow the trading of rods or any parts thereof while on a fishing trip. But take heart, all be- levers! For any number of swaps can safely be made a* home since the "whammy" frowns only on away- rom-home bartering urges. Many intelligent, modern-day anglers are not ashamed l(> admit they like to start a new season with the very •ame fly they last used in the preceding year. And from coast to coast you can find anglers who believe it ls bad luck to step over a fishing rod while its hook to "set aright the moods of Pisces." A small coin, ls in the water. tossed into the water, was generally considered a fair The American Indian believed it was very bad luck gift to the glittering constellation of the fishes. But _° discover that a dog was following him on a fishing the bribing token could also be bits of food, herbs, Jaunt. A special incantation was necessary in order to tobacco, cloth, etc. Sometimes the sacrifice was accom­ )r eak the evil spell—after making certain the dog had panied by a chanted bit of hocus-pocus; and almost De en driven back out of sight. always the whole affair could be carried out only if When next you observe a dragonfly (you may also Pisces was enjoying its periodic position of "advantage" know the insect as "devil's darning-needle," "horse- over other star groups in the zodiac belt. st 'nger," or "snake-feeder") along a favorite stream, To this day, fishing during the fecund cycle of a consider the absurdity of the old wives' tale which particular sign in order to gain greater rewards from °ffered strong assurance that the winged scoundrel has the piscatorial gods is so extensively popular that a °ng worked regularly at the task of sewing up the number of almanacs still carry "Best Fishing Days," e e y s and ears of children. This belief, which still ma)' "Poor Fishing Days," etc. x f ist in some remote areas, was so widespread that it Of all the celestial influences, probably none is more >s referred to in some of the better up-to-date encyclo­ important to the fisherman's luck than the moon. Many pedias ; and Nature Magazine once dealt with the super­ people insist that fish bite best when the moon is on stition and called it "utterly foolish, since the dragon­ the wane. The author knows personally a very success­ fly actually characterizes a relentless hawk in destroying ful bass fisherman who goes after bass only when "armful insects, including mosquitoes.