m&M: - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

By JOHN PLOWMAN, JR.
Photos by the Writer
w HEN I surveyed the picture-book setting before me I
knew it would be impossible to use flies in such a stream.
I put away my favorite drys, selected an attractive garden
worm for the initial cast.
I eased through the brush until I was about three feet
from where the water seemed fairly deep. My first, second
and third casts ended in either thick watercress plants,
or caught among the high grass along the bank.
The fourth cast cleared all obstacles and plopped into
the current. It began bouncing along the bottom until a
fish zipped out from under the grassy banks, snatched the
bait, and disappeared with same! At first I couldn't comprehend
what happened. These were new trout tactics
to me.
Then I realized I was wasting time, and raised the rod
tip far enough to set the hook firmly. Immediately the line
went taut and whatever was hooked was straining the line
to the limit.
Instead of taking off for the open spaces of the stream,
the fish worked its way deeper into the thick mat of
watercress. It was trying to ensnare the line around the
plants and gain freedom. I slipped into the water and
began to feel around under the plants for the beauty. It
took me a while to separate fish from plant . . . "Is it
animal or vegetable?"
16
This outstanding trout, wearing the most vivid colo* 5
I've ever seen, slipped through my hands and into 9
open stream. So I played him there for a while. Finally
he tired, and I brought him to net. Once safely on tb*
shore I took a moment to examine the catch.
He was a fat brown with belly of golden yellow, sio e
streaked with pink and blue-green. His flanks we* 8
speckled with brilliant spots outlined in yellow. The 8
markings covered his back also. To top off all %
colorama, every fin but the dorsal was colored a brig 11
red-orange.
In my opinion here was a true native trout in evefsense
of the word! Reluctantly I took it with me a °
headed upstream in search of another. The creek i&
vealed its topography to me as I went along. Not m" f
than five feet wide at the greatest width and I did 11
find a pool deeper than three!
The high, dense grass covered the banks and in m a °'
places it reached down into the water. Under the 8
plants were perfect hiding places for wild trout—esp e
cially these nutty natives! I hadn't traveled more th*
thirty feet when another fish scooted upstream a0 .
darted under the bank. A muddy cloud traced his trtfl
and it started almost under the bank where I was stan 0
ing. "So that's it!" I realized. I'm practically walking °
them.
After that bit of experience, added to by a few more w
stream, it became evident this stream and the fish i n
would have to be studied if I wanted results. For the n e
several weeks I made frequent trips to the area, with Ǥ
end result being a complete education in the crazy P.
terribly ingenious customs of native trout. i
Like many other waters in the Cumberland Valley
Pennsylvania and Maryland, this stream carries a M 1 * 1 ,
stone heritage. Its springs and feeders apparently oiW
nate in limestone rock strata, and flow over and un ,,
the light blue material. This stream is rich in minef^
and fish food plus a history of trout-conscious fisherru 6
trodding its banks. Sure—it has a name, . . . Cedar B u
Other nearby waters with the same characteristics a
more famous. Namely Big Springs, Green Springs Cre e '
LeTort Spring Run and Limestone Spring, to name °^'
a few. They all harbor trout, mostly native stock.
These streams have much the same make-up. W ate
cress and duckweed grow in profusion at its
Among these plants live a myriad of insect life. SuC c ,
lent sowbugs, grass shrimp, nymphs and larvae are f° u i
there. Also in the stream are plenty of minnows 2°
crayfish, all of which are regarded as the main course
a trout's diet. The law of the wild in the stream is c °
stantly practiced. Marauding trout eat their own sp avV '
also minnows, crustaceans and insects. These r> atl
trout lead a perfect existence. They have sufficient co^ '
food and the room to move around in addition to be'
left alone by the majority of anglers. t
Many fishermen don't have the patience and inte r
to go snooping along Cedar Run or other small stre a
trying to deceive the very intelligent fish. I've been t r
trated so many times I can't even remember. ..
These elusive natives have all sorts of tricks up tJ1
fins! They travel and move about great lengths of stre a
it
PENNSYLVANIA ANGL t*