9 ANGLER.^ OFFICIAL STATE JANUARY, 1938 PUBLICATION ''ANGLER'* Vol. 7—No. 1 ?*= =«c PUBLISHED MONTHLY COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA by the BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS 111 CHARLES A. FRENCH Ten cents a copy — 50 cents a year Commissioner of Fisheries MEMBERS OF BOARD 111 CHARLES A. FRENCH, Chairman Ellwood City ALEX P. SWEIGART, Editor MILTON L. PEEK Radnor South Office BIdg., Harrisburg, Pa. HARRY E. WEBER Philipsburg SAMUEL J. TRUSCOTT Dalton FRANK J. PENTRACK NOTE Johnstown Subscriptions to the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER EDGAR W. NICHOLSON should be addressed to the Editor. Submit fee either Philadelphia by check or money order payable to the Common­ KENNETH A. REID wealth of Pennsylvania. Stamps not acceptable. Connellsville Individuals sending cash do so at their own risk. FRED McKEAN 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. All contributions returned if accompanied by first C. R. BULLER class postage. Chief Fish Culturist, Bellefonte «"»»= ItfC 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 Vol. 7 No. I ^ANGLER JANUARY, 1938 EDITORIAL :0& FISH CONSERVATION ADVANCED IN 1937 HE year 1937 will go down in the records of fish conserva­ in keeping with changing conditions. Some idea of the extent to tion in Pennsylvania as one of the most outstanding from the which pollution has interfered with widespread stream stocking Tangle of progress in the history of the Fish Commission may be had when it is realized that of Pennsylvania's 100,000 since its organization in 1873. Listing advances, the following miles of waterways, approximately 80,000 are today polluted in stand out: (I) Vast increase in production of various species of varying degrees, much of this mileage being so severely polluted Popular game and food fishes by the hatcheries of the Fish that no fish life can exist therein. This simply means that the Commission: (2) Enactment by the legislature of a new fish code clean waters of the state must bear the brunt of fishing by a 9'ving to the Board of Fish Commissioners the power to regulate constantly increasing army of fishermen. This must continue until *"e season, creel limits and size limits of various species of fish the new pollution law has had time to clean up the now polluted "» keeping with changing conditions: (3) A sharp increase in waters. As fast as these streams are cleaned up, we will have the "umber of fishermen brought about through enactment by the fish ready to put in them. The new fish code also has made pos­ kgislature of a law permitting fishing on Sunday: (4) Completion sible, if needed, a reduction of antiquated creel limits, which °' a new bass producing project on Spring Creek, Centre county, should react to the best interests of the vast majority of the taking possible heavier distribution of bass of both species. fishermen. Insofar as increased production was concerned, this applied Sunday fishing has increased the number of fishermen in Penn­ ,n particular to brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout, to sylvania by at least 75,000 over those who took to our streams ^mallmouthed and largemouthed bass and to those warm water during the preceding year. In the past many persons living in fish so popular with the fishing public, sunfish and catfish. The cities and having steady employment during the week found it Mai distribution of fingerling and legal size trout for the past difficult to reach waters in which good fishing could be expected. Vear will exceed 4,667,750 of the combined species, over 1,200,- Enactment of the Sunday law afforded this group a fine oppor­ "00 brook, brown and rainbow trout above legal 6-inch size and tunity to indulge in this sport. ranging to 18 inches in length having been stocked in trout The new bass project on Spring Creek, Centre county, was Waters of the state. Equally popular with fishermen are small- completed through the splendid cooperation of the Works Prog­ southed and largemouthed bass. Completion of the Board's ress Administration and had a prominent part in increasing the "** bass farm on Spring Creek, Centre county, located about production of these game fishes during the year. This project 0n« mile above the "Fishermen's Paradise", has been of assist- consists of 28 especially constructed ponds and 25 channels in ,r|ce in boosting bass production this year to an all-time high, addition to a large brood pond of more than an acre in extent fn« distribution being 355,434. This compared with the 1935 pro­ as well as a tempering basin for the low temperature water duction of 37,000 will show what tremendous progress has been taken from Spring Creek (one of the best trout streams in the |"ade with these fish. Perhaps no type of fish has more popular- state), to be used in the bass project. Exceptional progress has ,fy »n Pennsylvania, with the fishermen than the bluegill sunfish been made in bass feeding, the use of ground fish as food dnd the humble bullhead catfish. Both species were produced in having made possible rapid growth of young bass to from 3 to **** numbers and stocked heavily during 1937 by the Board. 7 inches in length before they are released in wild waters. Even Prosent indications are that the sunfish stocking figures will ap­ more notable advances in the hatchery program are in store proach 750,000 or pass it. The bass program was made possible for next year. °n such a big scale through the use of 7 of 9 hatcheries in the Allocation of $100,000 for increasing the size of the new £at» in producinq these species. These hatcheries are Union Huntsdale hatchery in Cumberland county, a WPA project, C!tY. Erie county; Pleasant Mount, Wayne county; Tionesta, For- should mean far more intensive stocking with both trout and °st county; Spring Creek, Centre county; Reynoldsdale, Bed- warm water fishes in state waters next year. Huntsdale has been J°rd county; Torresdale, Philadelphia county and Huntsdale, noted for the amazing growth of brook, brown and rainbow Cumberland county. trout retained in its ponds. A number of instances of trout at­ Perhaps no form of outdoor sport has enjoyed a sharper in- taining a length of 12 inches in 12 months are on record at *•**• in popularity than has fishing during the past ten years. this fish farm. It offers perhaps the most promising source for In Pennsylvania where stream pollution has cut down to a notable increasing fish production of any of our hatcheries at the present •*W available water on which anglers may enjoy their sport, it time. '* Particularly necessary to have given to the-Board of Fish Com- C. A. FRENCH, ""ssioners power to regulate season, creel limits and size limits Commissioner of Fisheries 1 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER TROUT TALK An angling artist breaks down and confesses his secret of How to become the King of Troutdom, telling all . he doesn't know By FRED. EVERETT Sketches by the Author AM in a quandary on how to start this the smashing strike that exploded the face my fellow fishermen love to hear me and article for by nature, I am a very mod­ of the pool and the wonderful timing of my beg me to tell every detail over and over Iest, unassuming sort of fisherman. own response as I set the hook; the har­ again. Thank heaven, nearly all fishermen • If therevia.anytiitoig;I.dislike, it-is to be rowing, breath-taking battle that went on are as modest, as I and many a thrilling coerced by a group of.. pi-ying, sensation- through time until, at last, having met his tale has been left untold! seeking fejjow anglers into describing in master in all the tricks known by the wily I had thought of waxing poetic, of bring­ denizens of the deep, the monster trout minute detail all the consumate skill with ing out the point, very subtly of course, rolled up his brilliant belly in surrender and that the fishermen's year has but two sea­ which I selected just the right fly, cast it [ landed the speckled beauty, the biggest, sons, the fishing season and the rest of the with unerring aim and delicate finesse to most gorgeously colored specimen that had year—a sort of a day and a night. But the exact spot where my supreme knowl­ been seduced into a master angler's net for fear that there may be a reader some­ edge of the ways of the trout told me the in many a year. I just naturally shrink where who doesn't fish (God rest his soul) grandaddy of the pool would be waiting; from such an ordeal; I can't do it much as and would not understand, I'll pass that up. PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER 3 lures are "sure killers," as soon as you are absolutely sure you have solved the trout problem something happens to your pet the­ ory and it dies a sudden and awful death. If this were a sermon I should be preach­ ing humility. Not knowing anything, I can only tell you those things I used to know. I tell them so that you, too, may avoid knowing them, thereby increasing your ability to catch trout. Remember, however, you can't even depend upon that.