pennsylvania angler 1953 - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

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and is served up the way the fish want it. My favorite midge nymph is nothing more than a short body of black tying silk on an extra short No. 18 hook with a sparse fringe of black ostrich herl as hackle. The short shanked hook permits a very small fly to be tied on a hook of obviously greater hooking qualities. Midging trout often hang just under the surface in flat water and this makes it necessary to grease all except the last few inches of leader so that the fly drifts only slightly under the surface. Cast across stream or quartering downstream to rising fish and don't strike too quickly. Trout take these flies with a slow, lazy movement and an over-anxious strike will take the fly away from the fish. One of the best ways I know to brush up on nymphing technique is to get an occasional workout on a good panfish pond. Panfish love nymphs and they'll do a lot toward sharpening your reflexes for that next session with the trout. Just remember to keep that line floating and use a long, fine leader. Nymph fishing is not the panacea for all angling ills, to be used as a surefire method when everything else fails. Much of the charm of fly fishing would be lost if it were. It is, however, a form of angling practiced very successfully by those who use it judiciously, but grossly neglected by the average fisherman. It is no more complicated or difficult to master than the other forms of fly fishing; fish the nymph confidently where there are trout and you will take fish. NEW DRY FLY CAST (From page 21) swift water near the angler while the rest of the line closer to the fly will remain much straighter, while the fly floats naturally. When the situation is reversed—with the quiet water near the fisherman and the swifter water near to where the big fish is feeding —then the angler waggles his rod just as the line is looping overhead, and as the line completes its forward action, he follows through with the normal cast. What happens? The line near the angler falls almost straight into the quiet water; farther out on the swifter current it falls into a series of SSSSes and beyond that the dry fly floats undisturbed for an appreciable length of time. In employing the Lazy S cast upstream where most dry fly anglers think they are getting a good float with conventional casts, the fisherman will be amazed how effective this cast can be here, too. By throwing in some small elongated SSSSes, he will see that his fly will tend to float more slowly and independently as the lower SSSSes near him straighten out first. Also, it is quite possible to employ this cast with a roll cast to get the fly under overhanging brush or when a cliff or brush in the background do not permit a back cast. Then, as the roll is committed in the conventional manner, waggle the rod as the line slips through your fingers and the SSSSes, again, will form in the line. Frankly, there are two drawbacks to the Lazy S cast—both of these, however, can become assets if they are recognized and properly evaluated: The Lazy S cast adds a great deal of slack to the line because of the SSSSes and because the angler will find himself fishing farther off than with his conventional cast. Fortunately, in striking the fish the impulse will travel through the slack SSSSes if the line is floating properly—thanks to surface tension. It will soon become second nature to the fisherman to judge the amount of slack, and strike accordingly, remembering that it is only "Had tough luck with your rod, Joe . . . Lost a nice one." necessary to move the hook a quarter of an inch to set it. It helps, of course, to keep the point of the hook needlepoint sharp, as it should be. By using the same power utilized in striking with the conventional cast, the angler will set his hook softer and therefore he can usually step down to a finer tapered leader tippet which is less visible and which will deceive more of the bigger trout. And that, to be sure, is the ambition of all trout anglers. The second seeming handicap is that the strike is slower in travelling from angler to hook through the longer line and the SSSSes. For large fish, again, this is a decided benefit. They are deliberate and most anglers, including myself, have the bad habit of taking the fly away from their big fish. This cast therefore forces a certain amount of slowing down upon the angler. All of which goes far in taking the trophy fish! FISH IN THE OLD CANAL AGAIN (From page 5) the new plant. The local health officer meanwhile had taken care of the adjoining cesspool drainage that had been emptying into the canal. By this time the ever-present boys were fishing in the canal for whatever would bite. During the warmer days they were "accidentally" falling in, undressed, and swimming. Signs posted by the Inter-Club Canal Commission prohibiting swimming until okayed by the health authorities were used to hang clothes on. According to a local newspaper columnist the canal looked like the good old days when it was a main artery of transportation as well as a recreational spot for the local people. Then came the notice from the Fish Commission stating they would stock the two mile portion of the canal belonging to the Inter-Club Canal Commission on November 28, 1952. By evening, it was the main topic of conversation in the participating sportsmen's clubs as well as throughout the Borough of Freemansburg. The Fish Commission stocked a total of 4,860 fish in five different locations along the rented portion of the canal. There were 500 yellow perch, 3,000 suckers and 1,360 black bass. A caval- 28 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER
cade of cars containing sportsmen, junior sportsmen and townspeople followed the fish truck in its stops along the canal. The event was also covered by the local papers resulting in commendable publicity for the Fish Commission as well as the Inter-Club Commission. The Inter-Club Canal Commission was greatly pleased with the splendid cooperation of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission and they feel their time and effort in rehabilitating the old canal has been well rewarded. Two similar sportsmen's organizations along the canal above Bethlehem have since requested permission from the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to do likewise with other portions of the canal. It appears now that within a few years many miles of the Old Canal will be reclaimed to serve as neighborhood recreational areas for thousands of people of the Lehigh Valley. The Fly Book By A. G. Shimmel Teal and Red Among the patterns imported into this country from the British Isles was one that had its beginning in an orthodox manner as a large brilliant attractor of sea trout and salmon. This excellent example of the tyer's art became one of a group of specialized hybrids used as reasonably exact imitations. This was so far from its creator's original conception as to appear fantastic. The American TEAL and RED is tied on No. 18 or 20 dry fly hooks to imitate the pupa of the midge Chironomus. Its larva live in tubes at the bottom of pools and backwaters of the cooler streams. They are commonly known as blood worms. When ready to hatch they leave their slime tubes and float to the surface where the enlarged dark thorax is supported by its inclosed air bubble and its silvery air tubes. It lashes its body in a perfect fenzy of motion until the pupa case splits and MAY—1953 the adult emerges to use the empty case as a support until it is ready to fly. These characteristic struggles make it very easy prey for trout and other fishes. The American dressing of the fly, on fine wire hooks, preferably the short shanked spider type, is tied with the wings pointed forward at an angle of 45 degrees. They are made from the tip of a well marked flank feather of teal. Divide them with tying silk and fan them into a half circle. The upper third of the body is tied of peacock herl and helps brace the wings in their forward position. This represents the dark thorax of the natural. The lower twothirds is of light red silk that darkens to a blood color when wet. The body is longer than normal, covering about half the bend of the hook and adding to the resemblance to the natural. The hackle is red-brown in color and as small as practical. About three turns is sufficient and care should be taken to see that not a single fiber extends backward from the natural position but rather forward to help brace the wings. In fishing this fly the wings and hackle are waterproofed to float, while the body is dampened and encouraged to break through the surface. This position represents the hatching midge in its most helpless plight. Trout take it softly, with a minimum of disturbances. That they are completely fooled is shown by the fact that many of the flies are taken so deeply that it is difficult to release the fish even though the hook is barbless. The TEAL and RED is equally at home on either freestone or limestone streams and among all species of trout, but it is probably at its best in late season on the cool shaded mountain streams. Here it bobs along its wings showing as tiny gray specks among the bubbles and foam flecks of the crystal water. Blase indeed is the trout that will pass up such a delicacy. IF YOU WOULD CATCH MORE TROUT KILL LESS! CLUB NOTES Ralph Berry, secretary, Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen's Club, reports club membership may hit 500 any day now. It's an indication the club is on the ball providing a well rounded activity schedule and seasonable entertainment. Miss Clara E. Franz, secretary of the West Chester Fish and Game Association, gives the following list of new officials elected for 1953: Stephen Sheller, president; Elwood Tucker, vice-president; Clara E. Franz, secretary; Lee Tyson, treasurer. Miss Franz in a postscript says she enjoys the PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER with photos of waterfalls and streams very pleasing. Her hobby is photography, waterfall photos among the favorites. Takes the editor to task for not including sites and locations of those appearing in the ANGLER. Says it's frustratin' to want to get a shot of the same falls in color but know not where it is! We promise to give locations in the future, honest! President George Hafer, Daniel Boone Rod and Gun Club, is urging members to cooperate in a planting program for the farmer, furnishing cover for game, preventing erosion. We feel this is real conservation effort, commend Mr. Hafer, hoping he includes that land which lies along the stream. Fish also need cover and shade! "Anyone for seconds?" 29
Page 1 and 2: •SpS , ¥ *?%!£ 1*. ^is jp mSST
Page 3 and 4: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA HON. J
Page 5 and 6: L MAY—1953 the I. NOR'WESTER over
Page 7 and 8: There's Fish in the Old Canal Again
Page 9 and 10: CANAL WAS DRAINED in late autumn pr
Page 11 and 12: CANAL TODAY looks like this ln many
Page 13 and 14: W l fish were imprisoned to be slau
Page 15 and 16: ••^•••••m return of t
Page 17 and 18: (usually dark), with a definitely f
Page 19 and 20: k, I County. DON SHINER PHOTO beaut
Page 21 and 22: the strip lead, hence will describe
Page 23 and 24: THE Basic problem of dry fly castin
Page 25 and 26: striped bass a hook-and-line game f
Page 27 and 28: advised to accept, if offered, othe
Page 29: The line should be well greased to
Page 33 and 34: %i Large trout have also been nette
Page 35 and 36: Ir ^M*ass the Worms Pappy!* 3 Yep

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