VEMBER, 1971 „e Keystone State *s FISHING BOATWG Ma 25c / Single Copy V VIEWPOINT by ROBERT J. B1ELO Executive Director Fall Is For Fishing In years gone by November fishermen were almost a total rarity. Today we find increasing numbers of anglers remaining on the streams and lakes well into November. Two of the reasons for this late fall fishing enthusiasm are the muskellunge and the coho sal­ mon. Probablv the fall coho run in Lake Erie has brought about the greatest single change in fish­ ing habits of many Western Pennsylvania anglers. Until the Commission's coho program was initiated, Erie's windswept shores were barren of late fall fishermen except for a few of the very hardiest types. Now hundreds of anglers flock to Lake Erie shores, congregating at the mouths of small tributaries such as Trout Run and Godfrey Run, casting into the often rough and unruly surf for coho. Others fish from boats with the Commission Walnut Creek access being the major launching point. In a single weekend it's not unusual for 600 fishing boats to be launched at this busy area that is now protected by large stone and steel jetties. Fall musky fishermen make a much less spectacular sight on our waterways. They usually ap­ pear as singles or twosomes, patiently anchored or maybe quietly drifting, waiting for the excite­ ment of a "hit" from a feeding muskellunge. Members of this growing group of cold weather anglers can be seen at dozens of places today. And, of course, our smallmouth bass fishing at this time of year can really make a chilly day seem much warmer. The Commission's musky stocking program has spread these big fish from their natural range in Western Pennsylvania to more than half of our Pennsylvania counties. Prime Western Pennsyl­ vania spots are the Allegheny River above East Brady, upstream to Warren; French Creek, above Meadville; Edinboro Lake and the Shenango River and Pymatuning Reservoir in the west. The Susquehanna River below Harrisburg, tiny Opossum Creek Lake, Juniata River and Perkiomen Creek in Montgomery County are a few examples of Eastern waters that regularly produce muskies. A third type of fall fishing that has grown in popularity in recent years is "tailwater" angling. Fishermen using the lower Susquehanna River have long enjoyed excellent fall fishing success for walleye and channel catfish in the tailwaters of the several hydro-power plants on this stream. Now Western Pennsylvanians have the opportunity of hitting the Kinzua tailwaters on the Al­ legheny River for walleye and big brown trout. The icy cold tailwaters of the Youghiogheny Riv­ er Reservoir near Confluence now provide year-round fishing for trout with November getting its share of attention. Another growing kind of late fall angling is just "Fishing for Fun" for trout at the ten (10) such areas set aside throughout the State. In fact, Fish-for-Fun enthusiasts seem as much at home in December and January with snow swirling around them as they do in May and June. In essence, fishing in Pennsylvania is truly a year-round sport that offers the potential for ex­ citement and tranquillity; for relaxation and stimulation every month of the year. 1 PENNSYLVANIA EXECUTIVE OFFICE Executive Director ROBERT J. BIELO Assistant to Director WARREN W. SINGER Promotions & Publications GEORGE W. FORREST ANGLER Information WILLARD T. JOHNS PENNSYLVANIA'S OFFICIAL FISHING AND BOATING MAGAZINE BUREAUS Published Monthly by the Administrative Services PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION Director COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA RALPH PUTT Milton Shapp, Governor Management Services Division HOWARD MILLER, Chief Waterways PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION Director CALVIN J. KERN, President Whitehall CAPT. CHARLES E. LEISING HOWARD R. HEINY, Vice-President Williamsport Watercrajt Safety Division GERARD J. ADAMS Hawley DOUGLAS McWILLIAMS . Bear Gap PAUL MARTIN, Chief MICHAEL MEAD Warren ROBERT M. RANKIN Galeton Law Enforcement Division CLARENCE DIETZ Bedford R. STANLEY SMITH .. Waynesburg HAROLD CORBIN, Chief FRANK E. MASLAND, JR Carlisle Real Estate Division PAUL O'BRIEN, Chief Engineering & Fisheries Director NOVEMBER, 1971 EDWARD R. MILLER, P.E. Engineering Division Volume 40/Number 11 GILBERT F. HOBBS, P.E., chief Fisheries Division ARTHUR D. BRADFORD, Chief HATCHERIES IN THIS ISSUE. Trout Production 2 LEAKY BOOTS—Letters From Our Readers .KENNETH CORL, Chief 4 FISHING OUTLOOK—Stan Paulakovich Warmwater Production SHYRL HOOD, Chief 5 NEW JETTY—Thad Bukowski 6 NIGHT PLUGGING—Richard F. Williamson b Cooperative Nurseries ROBERT H. BROWN, Coordinator 8 WINTERIZE YOUR OUTBOARD—Wayne Heyman &„. Superintendents 10 LAP DESK FOR FLY TYING—Warren Shepard *h^fonte—George Magaragel 12 TAILRACE TROPHIES—Don Neal kt2er Springs—Ray McCreary ?W' Union City—LeRoy Sorenson 14 DOWNSTREAM OR UP?—Bill Porter M^dale—Ted Dingle, Jr. Sv 16 THE TRAGEDY OF SPRING CREEK—Phillip Binotto Jr. §s£ «le—T. L. Clark Btofyo—D. Ray Merriman 18 WALL PLAQUE PLUG—Don Shiner My,?ant Mount—Charles Sanderson i'V,?Wsdale—Warren Hammer 20 SEA BAG—Bob Miller , ir^'esta—Dave Bierly n«t Creek—Neil Shea 21 ACCIDENT REPORT—Ed Jones State Headquarters 22 FLY TYING—Chauncy K. Lively , °<fices: 3532 Walnut Street, Progress 24 STREAM NOTES—Waterways Patrolmen ^Mailing Address: P. O. Box 1673 r 26 RECORD PRODUCTION—Will Johns P' isburg, Pa. 17120 Phone: 717-787-7394 28 MODERN CAMPING—Del & Lois Kerr ^Ct l Headquarters—Waterways Bureau ,(f/°N 1—1293 Otter St., Franklin 16323 29 FISH TALES—Pictures From Our Readers 'Ob^ne: 814-437-5774) 32 CASTING WITH THE CO-OPS—Bill Porter CQ-^AN SICKLES, Supervisor io^nties: Butler, Cameron, Centre, Clar- 33 BOATING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS—Capt. Jack Ross fcJ- Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, v,^«;' forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean COVER ART/As the days grow shorter and colder er Potter ^St£ ' . Venango, Warren. many fish go on feeding rampages. Among the most ,*ffS*t II—R.D. 2, Somerset 15501 Phone: 4 active are the bass and fishermen out now should V~ «-8974) find plenty of action like this piece of artwork pre­ fif I BUCK, Supervisor BM* es: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, pared by Tom Duran Jr. Bjijord, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, ^iflv e' Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, 1 tii'lopif ' Somerset, Washington, West- D. THOMAS EGGLER, Editor / CHESTER A. PEYTON, Circulation Manager ^(jJ^land. JK°*l III—Box 88, Sweet Valley 18656 kl£ : 717-477-5717) POSTMASTER: All 3579 forms to be returned to The Pennsylvania Fish Com­ CQ'« FLEEGER, Supervisor ^ov les: Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, mission, Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120. n°e , anna' Luzerne, Lycoming, Mon- l^Vri ™'ontour, Northumberland, Pike, The PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, kJJhj~er, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, 3532 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Subscription: One year—$2.00; three years—$5.00; $S2X; Wayne, Wyoming. 25 cents per single copy. Send check or money order payable to Pennsylvania Fish Commission. LlWoK JV—R.D. 2, AnnvUle 17003 (Phone: DO NOT SEND STAMPS. Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. Change of address TS*;73-*«H, ext. 2700) should reach us promptly. Furnish both old and new addresses. Second Class Postage paid at SouL^TT, Supervisor Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Neither Publisher nor Editor will assume responsibility for unsolicited P>tnKles: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester. manuscripts or illustrations while in their possession or in transit. Communications pertaining to % '°erland, Dauphin, Delaware, Frank- manuscripts, materials or illustrations should be addressed to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Sdi^i;ar>caster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mont- Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Copyright © 1971 By the Pennsylvania Fish_ Commission. *lia VT' Northampton, Perry, Philadel- All rights reserved. NOTICE: Subscriptions received after'the 5th of each month will begin with "• Schuylkill, York. the second month following. the disposal of the Federal Govern­ ment, measures could be designed which would not damage our remain­ ing useable (fishable) streams. The main point of this letter is to inquire what can be done about this situation? If pressure can be brought on the Federal Government to re­ design these flood control plans, hff& does one go about it? If some sug­ gestions along these lines could be of­ fered in the Angler, I am sure many subscribers would want to cooperate by taking whatever action is indicated. SNAKE ARTICLE brother who has been doing his best M. C. BROWNING, JR., Lafayette Hill May I congratulate Mr. Calvin De- to break me in, gave me a stack of his Perhaps one way to get something Viney for his outstanding article on back copies of the Pennsylvania Ang­ done on a project you disagree with >s poisonous snakes. ler. At first I just picked through to contact your various legislators— Many times I have refused to go them but I must admit I was im­ from state representative to U.S. Sen­ fishing in certain areas because of pressed. Later I carefully read all ator. While many citizens complain snakes. I have always been deathly copies and thanks to your articles, I loudly about various government pr°' afraid of them. no longer tax the patience of my broth­ grams, most won't take a few minutes Mr. DeViney has exposed a lot of er and I now have a little of that to write or call these men who repre­ do's and don't plus facts and fiction. "know how." sent them in government. Doing so 's I hope more articles of this type will A further word of thanks to the very important—and most of them ap' be printed occasionally. Commission. Being in the army, I was preciate hearing from the folks who The Angler is great. Every issue issued a Pennsylvania Fishing License elected them. gets better and better. free of charge so I am enclosing my JOSEPH CATTZONE, Pittsburgh three year subscription to the Penn­ sylvania Angler.