TEN CENTS APRIL, 1938 OFFICIAL STATE APRIL, 1938 PUBLICATION ^ANGLER? Vol. 7—No. 4 <**= =** PUBLISHED MONTHLY COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA by the BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS 111 Ten cents a copy — 50 cents a year CHARLES A. FRENCH Commissioner of Fisheries 111 MEMBERS OF BOARD CHARLES A. FRENCH, Chairman ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor Ellwood City South Office BIdg., Harrisburg, Pa. MILTON L. PEEK Radnor HARRY E. WEBER Philipsburg SAMUEL J. TRUSCOTT NOTE Dalton Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER EDGAR W. NICHOLSON should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee either by check or money order payable to the Common­ Philadelphia wealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. FRED McKEAN Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. New Kensington H. R. STACKHOUSE Secretary to Board PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER welcomes contribu­ tions and photos of catches from its readers. Proper credit will be given to contributors. AH contributions returned if accompanied by first C. R. BULLER class postage. Chief Fish Culturist, Bellefonte 0T*= IMPORTANT—The Editor should be notified immediately of change in subscriber's address Please give both old and new addresses Permission to reprint will be granted provided proper credit notice is given 7 VNGLER APRIL, 1938 Vol. 7 No. 4 EDITORIAL TROUT STREAM IMPROVEMENT IN Pennsylvania, as in virtually every other densely populated and industrialized state in the East, those in charge of the fishing resources have been faced with a gradual decrease in mileage of waters suitable for maintaining fish life and, at the same time, a sharp increase in number of fishermen Not only has this condition served to intensify fishing on the remaining mileage of our clean streams and made vastly increased stocking from the hatcheries necessary, but it had demonstrated definitely the necessity for bringing our suitable trout waters to the greatest capacity for production of fish of which they are capable. To that end, Pennsylvania in recent years has been devoting more and more thought to bettering of environmental conditions, not only for legal sized brook trout, brow" trout and rainbow trout when these fish are stocked from the hate er^es but for fingerling trout planted in suitable nursery waters and naturally, reliant for their growth on food produced in larger streams to which they move as they develo There can be little doubt that intelligent improvement of environmental conditions under which stocked trout must live is every bit as ,mportant as the stocking program Engaged in Pennsylvania's stream improvement campaign have been the organized sportimen in many sections of the Commonwealth who have played a most active and commendable part. In many instances, associations have furnished mater als for projects undertaken by the Works Progress Administration. The Works Progress Administration has, in the different counties, earned on intensive stream improve­ ment on many popular trout streams. During the las year, construction, ofshelters, dams, deflectors and rip-rap walls to serve as suitable checks for ero ion, ha; bee accomplished with an idea of permanence primarily in mind In all probabihty you may fish one of these improved trout streams this year and I believe the worthwhile results accomplished will be readily apparent in most instances. The Civilian Conservation Corps, working in conjunction with representatives of the Fish Commission, has also accomplished a great deal in improvement work on streams in the vicinity of various CCC camps. These two government agencies have earned on extensive programs of trout stream betterment certain to show results in years to come. One of the most pressing problems, particularly as it relates to trout streams ,n agricultural districts, is introduction of more shore cover. We feel that the willow planting campaign to be undertaken in various counties th.s spring will serve a splendid purpose in this phase of the stream improvement program. Plant A Willow is one of the most commendable slogans ever stressed in the drive for better trout fishing. As Commissioner Weber, who has been intensely interested in willow planting, pointed out in the March issue of the ANGLER, the root system rapid growth and dense foliage of this tree, make it ideal for stream banks in which it takes hold readily. It seems to me that environmental improvement, with an eye to increasing the food capacity and shelter requirements for trout has been and can be linked to an even greater extent to the hatchery production of the three species. Commissioner of Fisheries •"I PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER ly tii TROUT TACKLE SUGGESTIONS til en By R. W. McCAFFERTY or th Sketches by the Author le< HE dry fly is unques- the insects that ua Tt i o n a b 1 y the most enhanced their di: widely publicized artificial appearance. Had a lure used in taking trout. they floated over ar The sight of a well bal­ the fish motion­ if anced, high floating, nat­ less as did the on ural looking dry fly being flies I was usingi deliberately sucked under I felt their effec­ Tl the surface into the mouth tiveness would of a nice brown trout is ye have been on a par with my float­ di- something long to be re­ ers. Another outstanding fact was membered. The fact that ile —this fish was interested in food a the fly is nearly always on or near the surface, and seem­ s visible minimizes the to ingly, action was a prime factor- ev chances of failing to hook The following furthers my be­ a rising fish. That factor s fo lief. I had given up the dry flie alone accounts for the tre­ now in preference to nymphs- mendous popularity of this St] delightful method of tak­ Knowing that a large percentage of the ing fish. nymphs in this stream were black, the color to In many instances, that phase had been decided for me. I had enter­ to fact is also a serious detri- tained for some time an idea that artificial ants, fished in the same manner as nymphs, m e n t to success. How e often have all of us used when taken by the fish, were believed to b dry flies when we knew the latter and not a real ant, said ant be­ well enough that some ing purely a land insect which, possibly due other lure would have been to accident, had fallen into the water. The much better. An incident exceptions to this, of course, are the periods worthy of mention, I be­ when flying ants are swarming over the lieve, occurred on Cedar stream. Run in Tioga and Lycom­ Here was an opportunity to prove nvj' ing Counties during June, theory. A size 12 black ant was tied to my 1936. dry fly leader and I paused for a few mo­ It was one of those days ments to rest the trout. The first cast was when, through no sound perfect, and I proceeded to fish the ant as I reasoning at all, I had de­ SPENT WIN* often had on previous occasions, letting | cided to try to take trout drift with the current unretarded, impart­ on dry flies. The morning ing no action whatever. AVhen the lure sun had .just risen over the rim of the high those which were larger and probably more plateau on my right. The new leaf growth, drifted within a foot of the fish, a little to shy. After taking my casting position near one side, the fanning of his fins quickened refreshed by the mist which nightly descends the edge of the stream, I tied on the fly into these deep, fern lined gorges, was cov­ and he rose into position to take the fly. In­ which I knew would fool this fellow. I had stead of striking, he followed cautiously a ered with dew, and as the sunlight filtered selected a multi-colored, gold bodied, variant short distance and returned to his origin^' through the rising mist, each leaf glittered (the credit for the discovery of this success­ station. A short pause and then I duplicated as though covered with myriads of dia­ ful pattern we shall give to ??; it is claimed monds. by many). Although tied on a small hook the first cast. This time as the lure ap­ proached the fish, instead of using the Filled with anticipation I tied onto my this fly appears rather large on the water. e 12 foot 4X leader a number 12 Blue Quill. This is characteristic of variant type flies. method which had failed to produce on th first drift, I raised the rod tip suddenly The stream was low, a normal condition for A dozen casts divided into straight and the Plateau streams at this time of the about three inches and followed immediate­ curved casts were sufficient to convince me ly with a similar action. A repetition w3s year. The choice of fly was prompted by the that this was not the right pattern. Changes 1 unnecessary, the trout had taken the ant i' type of fly which had been hatching the of flies were made from time to time, vary­ the twinkling of an eye. Without the evening before. This manner of selecting a ing the colors and sizes. Even while the fly for morning fishing is satisfactory— shadow of a doubt, this trout was looking artificial fly floated over the fish, several e sometimes. The number of times it proves natural flies also floated over it and were for nymphs which were rising to th successful is the exception rather than the taken without hesitation. The most I could stream's surface where a metamorphosis rule.