TEN CENTS - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

18 PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER FEBRUARY
of swift water—that is, near the left side
facing upstream. Different tactics must be
employed here.
If the angler is left handed, the same procedure
can be followed as that illustrated in
Fig. 2. If not, he must place himself in the
position of a left handed caster—that is, the
casting will be done with the right arm only
crossed over the left—all being done as before
in a horizontal plane parrallel to the
water.
The two methods outlined above can be
applied practically to any conditions, provided
there is sufficient space in the rear to
allow clearance for the back cast. Unfortunately
such clearance—-due to brush and
trees—is not always available and the overhead
or snake cast may be resorted to.
Refer to Fig. 4. This cast is accomplished
by retarding shooting of the line. A number
of coils are held in the left hand and the
usual preliminary false casts are made overhead
in the air. On the final cast when the
critical time is sensed for shooting the line,
delay its action, just a trifle. It will fall on
the water as shown, sinuosities occuring in
the line with the leader usually remaining
straight. As usual the trick is to gauge the
distance so that the sinuosities occur in the
intervening swift water.
There are doubtless other tricks resorted
to by anglers in eliminating drag, but the
ones described above are probably the easiest
to learn. All are more or less baffling and
fortunate indeed is the angler, who can
consistently place his fly so that drag will
not occur.
BUILDING PROGRAM AT BELLEFONTE
HATCHERY
Extensive building operations are being
carried on at the Pleasant Gap unit of the
Commission's Bellefonte hatchery.
At the lower or northern end of the hatchery,
an area of four acres, bordering on the
state highway, is being developed into one
of the most modern fresh water biological
research stations in the United States. It
will be operated in conjunction with the
biological research laboratory at the Pleas­
ant Gap hatchery under the supervision of
C. R. Buller, the commission's chief fish
culturist.
Also under construction is a large building
to be used for cold storage and as a plant
for fish food preparation. It will have a
storage capacity of 50 tons of food for use
at the three units of the Bellefonte hatchery.
The amount of food needed for the three
units, Pleasant Gap, Upper and Lower Spring
Creek hatcheries, is from 1% to 2 tons per
day in the fall when the fish in the ponds
have grown larger.
When the expansion program has been
completed there will be between 525 and 550
ponds and pools for growing all kinds of fish
at the three hatcheries. In addition to trout
and bass, catfish, sunfish, yellow perch and
suckers will be raised. The Board of Fish
Commissioners is constructing the storage
plant and the W. P. A. is providing labor for
construction of the ponds.
At the research station problems pertaining
to the improvement of fish food in streams
and lakes, fish diseases and selective breeding
of fish are studied.
SEEK TO RECLASSIFY CARBON
TROUT STREAMS
The Palmerton Rod and Gun Club will
make official application to the Fish Commission
for the reclassification of three
streams in Lower Carbon County from brook
trout to brown trout streams.
Secretary Ira J. Bleiler announced that at
a meeting the club had voted to request the
commission to reclassify the Aquashicola,
Buckwa and Hunters creeks from brook trout
to brown trout streams. The decision was
based on a detailed study of the three streams
during the past two years and general observations
covering the past ten years.
According to reports submitted to the meeting,
none of the three streams under question
had successfully maintained brook trout
other than on a season-to-season basis and
that both brook and rainbow trout which
have been consistently stocked by the club
over a period of ten years had not thrived
in these waters.
Four days after it was opened to the public for fishing, Egypt Meadow dam, 74 acres in area, was one
at the most popular fishing spots in Pike County, reports Warden Frank Brink who sent in this photo.
Ralph Stewart with a fine brace of rainbow trout
taken last year In the Fish Commission's Spring
Creek Project near Bellefonte, Centre County. The
largest rainbow was 23 inches in length and weighed
4 pounds 8 ounces.
While none of the three streams have evef
been stocked with brown trout there have
been some unusually large brown trou'
caught in all three streams. Secretary Bleilef
stated that the species was probably introduced
to the system several years ago when
the club received a shipment of small trou'
from the Federal government for stocking'
He pointed out that brown trout will spawn
in large streams whereas brook trout invari'
ably seek smaller streams in which to spawn,
thus making the Aquashicola, Buckwa and
Hunters creeks ideal breeding grounds for
brown trout.
It was through the efforts of the Palmerton
Rod and Gun Club several years ago that
Big Creek received a classification under the
brown trout group after the stream gave
positive indications of failing as a good brooK
trout stream.
George Kannapel was appointed chairman
of a special nominating committee to prepare
recommendations for the nomination for the
offices of president, vice president, secretary,
treasurer and field captain for the club f