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Progressive Change On Saturday, January 25,1992, the first meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission was held in Harrisburg. The change of the agency's name, to recognize the boating program, resulted from Governor Robert P. Casey signing Act 1991-39 into law on December 12, 1991. This change gives equal recognition to the boating program, which has grown to be a major segment of the Commission's efforts. At the 199th meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission on July 28, 1991, Commission President William Sabatose was re-elected president, and J. Wayne Yorks was elected vice-president for the 1991-92 term.

During this past year, after a very successful 1991, the Commission continued to show great progress in many important endeavors.

Construction of the Chain Dam and Easton Dam fishways on the Lehigh River was be­gun by DER, and a significant event occurred on May 9, with the dedication ceremony for completion of the east fish passage at Conowingo Hydroelectric Station on the Susquehanna River. This event marks the single most important accomplishment in the Commission's century-long battle to return the American shad to the Susquehanna River Basin.

The Commission will continue its efforts with other dam owners with the goal that by the year 2000, American shad and other anadromous fishes will be able to be lifted over all Susquehanna River dams on their upriver migration for the first time in nearly 100 years.

An important land acquisition was agreed to in early 1992 with final execution of a pur­chase agreement for Ingham Springs in Bucks County. Late in 1992, purchase of this four million gallon-per-day spring (the largest in eastern Pennsylvania) and 15-acre lake, to­gether with lands already in ownership, will give the Commission a 47-acre tract of land located within a one-hour drive of 4.4 million Pennsylvanians and eight million to 10 mil­lion out-of-state residents. The property has the potential for warmwater and coldwater public fishing, multi-species propagation, administrative and educational facilities, and a multi-use aquatic resource fishing and boating skills education training center.

Significant progress was also made on acquisition of a valuable two-mile section of Spring Creek, Centre County, adjacent to the famous Fisherman's Paradise, with final acquisition to take place late in 1992.

Fish production and stocking efforts for the year exceeded 1990-91, and although a drought in 1991 caused some stream problems, favorable weather kept stream flows and water tables at desirable levels early in 1992. During most weekends early in this fiscal year, storms held down some fishing and boating participation. Fifteen boating fatalities occurred on Commonwealth waters, a number that is a painful reminder of the need for expanded boating education. In response, the Commission has established an eight-hour basic boating course, and 18 instructor workshops were held this past year. The instructors, in turn, taught and certified nearly 3,000 students.

Law enforcement personnel made over 9,500 prosecutions, and issued more than 32,000 warnings. Over 42,000 boats were boarded.

Fisheries managers studied 97 ponds, lakes and reservoirs, and 277 stream and river sections, and the Van Dyke Research Station for Anadromous Fish received over 18 million shad eggs and planted young shad to support the Susquehanna River restoration effort. Co-op nurseries stocked 960,000 catchable trout, 98,000 steelhead trout and 140,000 chinook salmon in Commonwealth waters.

Because of many retirements at the end of 1991, six new hatchery managers and assis­tants, two new regional law enforcement managers and a new deputy chief along with four new regional assistants, a new bureau director and a new division chief were appointed. All new managers performed well and program continuity was maintained.

On February 28, 1992, the Commission honored 37 retirees at a retirement banquet in State College. It was the largest banquet of this type ever held.

The Commission conducted major training programs, including an executive retreat for J 34 managers in March. Three team-building sessions, which involved the entire staff, were scheduled for August and September. The program, entitled "Vision '92—A New Begin­ning," is designed to strengthen agency performance and levels of public service.

All in all, this fiscal year was very good for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commis­sion.

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

J. Wayne Yorks President Benton

James S. Biery, Jr. Vice President

Swatara Marilyn A. Black

Cochranton Ross J. Huhn

Saltsburg Paul J. Mahon Clarks Green

T. T. Metzger, Jr. Johnstown

Howard E. Pflugfelder New Cumberland

Leon Reed Honesdale

William J. Sabatose Brockport

Boating Advisory Board

Donald J. Little Chairman

Philadelphia Clayton Buchanan

Pittsburgh Martin P. Eisert

Erie Judy Obert Greentown

Thaddeus Piotrowski Bloomsburg

Magazine Staff

Editor—Art Michaels Editorial Assistant—Charlene Glisan

Art Director—Ted Walke •

Circulation—Eleanor Mutch Circulation—Patti Copp

• Staff Assistant—Rose Ann Bartal

Staff Assistant—Nita Galati P«i«i^,wiw^ngferUSSN003M34X) is published monthly by Ihe Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, 3532 Walnut Street. Harrisburg. PA 17109. ©1993. Nothing in this magazine may be reprinted without Ihe wriilen permission of 'he Pennsylvania Fish & Boa! Commission. Subseription rates: one year. $9: three years, $25; single copies are $1.50 each. Second class postage is P««lal Harrisburg, PA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Peimwhunia MglerCirculation. Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. P.O. Box 67000. Harrisburg. PA 17106-7000. For subscription and change of address, use above address. Please allow six weeks for processing. Send all other correspondence lo: The Editor. Pennsylvania Angler, P.O. Box 67000. Harrisburg. PA 17106-7000. Editorial queries and conlribulions are welcome, but must be accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Material accepted for publication is subject to Pennsylvania Fish &. Boat Commission standards and requirements tor editing and revising. Submissions are handled carefully, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for the return or safety of submissions in his possession or tn transit. The authors' views, ideas and advice expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official position of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission or its staff. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission receives federal aid in sport fish restoration. Under appropriate federal acts. me U, S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire more information, please write lo: The Office of Equal Opportunity, Department of the Inlerinr, Washington. DC 20240.

Pen nsy Ivan ia January 1993 m 62 NO. 1

ANGLER The Keystone State's Official Fishing Magazine ^ ^

Southeast Pennsylvania's Open-Water Wintertime Fishing by John W. McGonigle

Muskies and walleyes are the main quarries in southeast Pennsylvania right now. Check out these details on where and how to fool them 4

Nightmare on Lake Erie by Dart Black What if you were caught on the lake in 50-mph winds and 10-foot seas?

On September 27, 1992, some bass anglers endured this horror—and lived to tell about it 6

Annual Report Summary 10

Trout in the Trickles by Richard Tate Pennsylvania's remote headwater streams are gems of the fishing resource.

You might want to tackle a trickle on opening day in April 14

The Other Trout Season by Mike Bleech This information explains exactly how and where to score on trout through

the ice 16

The Royal Wulff by Chauncy K. Lively The Coachman family of flies is perhaps the most popular, but the Royal

Wulff is the most effective and most durable of the lot 20

Walleyes on Ice by JeffKnapp The popularity of walleyes is increasing in Pennsylvania, and through the ice

walleyes are often willing biters. Here's how and where to catch them 22

On the Water with Dave Wolf Curing our social ills 31

Eastern Pennsylvania Trout Stream Insect Emergence Guide byBiUFeddock 32

The covers This issue's front-cover musky, photographed

by Doug Stamm, is a hint of the kind of open-water cold-weather action you can have, and southeast Pennsylvania has its share of wintertime hotspots. For the lowdown, turn to page 4. If you're gear­ing up for trout season already, scan the back cover and the articles on pages 14 and 20, and if ice fishing gets you going, check out page 16 for ideas on where and how to catch trout, and page 22 for the secrets of where and how to catch walleyes. Do you own a boat? The terrifying tale beginning on page 6 will amaze you because in spite of the Lake Erie storm's severity and the number of bass anglers caught on the lake, the incident claimed no fatalities. The Commission's annual report usually encom­passes the entire January issue, but this year we are only summarizing it in this issue, beginning on page 10. If you would like a copy of the Commission's complete annual report, please send requests to: Annual Report, PA Fish & Boat Com­mission, Bureau of Education & Infonuation, RO. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000.

Southeast Pennsylvania's

OPENASMER Wintertime Fishing Even though most anglers put away their tackle when the north m ^ . 7

by John W. McGonigle

winds blow cold, there are some who scoff at Old Man Winter and pursue their sport passionately—and I don't mean ice anglers. I'm talking about hard-core open-water anglers, those looking not for panfish, but for larger fare.

Southeastern Pennsylvania has experienced mild winters dur­ing the last several years, keeping most of the area's waters ice-free, much to the dismay of ice fishermen. But for anglers look­ing for traditional angling adventures, the open water means getting a jump on the new year's earliest big-fish opportunities. Wall­eyes and muskies are often taken early in the year by those hardy enough to brave the elements.

Starting at our eastern border, let's consider the fishing options available to those who don't mind bundling up.

Delaware River The Delaware River, a smallmouth hotspot in the warmer months,

has been offering some nice walleyes for those inclined to pursure them. Michael Venarchick, of Lehighton, has been fishing the Delaware since he was old enough to drive. At age 33, he's built up quite a body of knowledge concerning his favorite fishing water, the Delaware.

Venarchick fishes the river from the wing dam at New Hope downstream to Scudders Falls. A hardy type, Vernarchick wades the cold water prospecting for walleye. The eddies he's looking for are created by currents swirling to form a backwash, which form a perfect feeding spot for hungry walleyes.

Using spinning gear and four-pound-test line, Venarchick works his offerings along the junctures of the current and the eddy. He splits his baits about 50-50 between live bait and artificials, us­ing black lead-head jigs dressed with either a two-inch to 2 1/2-inch flathead minnow or a four-inch grub. Venarchick says an­glers should fish their baits very slowly.

Venarchick experiences most of his success in high, clear wa­ter. Fish move closer to shore, so they are more available to him while he wades.

"When fish are in close," Venarchick says, "try casting a long, chartreuse crankbait within two to three feet of shore, especially a little later in the winter. You might really be surprised," he says with a knowing, devilish smile.

With a 10-pound, 7 1/2-ounce walleye taken this year, you can bet Venarchick is enthusiastic, even though he admits that fish in the range of four to eight pounds are far more common.

"You have to try it because this kind of fishing is a whole new ball game. It's cold, but I love it."

Craig Walter, from Point Pleasant, has a somewhat more sub­dued appraisal of winter walleye fishing on the Delaware. With 30 years experience on the river, he's seen a lot of water and walleyes goby.

"Walleye fishing on the Delaware reached its peak about 1987," says Walter. "Since then the numbers of fish have declined." Walter is quick to admit that there are walleyes in the range of four to nine pounds for the angler willing to work for them.

4 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

Part of the problem, Walter believes, is the lack of enough large, slow eddies in his section of the river to hold large numbers of fish. "Locate those eddies and you'll find the walleyes," says Walter.

Boat action Fishing from a boat, a 1/8-ounce jig with a minnow is Walter's

favorite walleye bait. He fishes it along the edge of the current in five to 15 feet of water, or in the eddies. "If the water is low, drop down to a lighter jig, or try a slip sinker with your minnow," he says. He warns also to be alert for the occassional musky.

"Often, January, February and March produce more walleyes than later in the year," Walter says. Though he doesn't fish for winter walleyes as much as he did several years ago, Walter still tries his luck after the weather turns raw, looking for that "one big one."

Striped bass "If you can wait until February and March, the Delaware River

in the area of Chester has been producing striped bass," says Fish and Boat Commission biologist John Soldo of the Southeast Region. Both lures and live bait, especially bloodworms, are the ticket to success.

Lures are usually easier on the fish, many of which must be released because they are below the legal size. Stripers must be 36 inches to keep, with a daily creel limit of one.

Nockamixon Lake Nockamixon, located in Bucks County's Nockamixon State

Park, has been developing a good reputation for walleyes right through the fall. Winter fishing, on the other hand, has been less than spectacular. As an attractive alternative, anglers working the spillway water below Lake Nockamixon can find action right through the winter.

Minnows rigged on a jig or alone seem to produce best here. Don't be afraid to try other methods if minnows aren't produc­ing. Perhaps the best alternative is a jig dressed with a grub of two to four inches.

Work areas out of the current because lethargic fish won't work too hard for a meal. Fish deep in the daytime, moving up to ledges and shelves as the light fades.

Light-action and medium-action graphite spinning rods offer the most in sensitivity while still being able to handle a hefty fish. A sensitive graphite rod is best for all winter fishing when light pick-ups and strikes by fish are the rule, not the exception.

Schuylkill River Moving southwest, changing water and species, the Schuylkill

River provides musky action in its lower reaches, right into the city of Philadelphia. Most of the Schuylkill is relatively shal­low, allowing wading, or necessitating a small boat, whichever you prefer.

"ST*

According to biologist Soldo, the Commission stocked tiger musky fingerlings in the Schuylkill in October 1992, from New Kernsville Dam, just above 1-78, to the mouth of the Delaware River.

Individual area musky stockings ranged from 50 fingerlings in river section 16, near the Delaware River, to 11,050 in river section 5, at the New Kernsville Dam. Several river sections went unstocked because of the Commission's scheduled program of alternate stockings in some areas.

Though unable to spawn, the voracious hybrids reach the 30-inch minimum size in four to five years, feeding on a variety of forage fish as they grow.

Muskies have long been taken near Oaks, at the confluence of Perkiomen Creek and the Schuylkill. Finding muskies at major stream junctures is your best bet, and the strategy also works downriver. Joining the Schuylkill next is French Creek, followed by Pickering Creek and then the historic Valley Creek, all emp­tying their cold, clear water into the Schuylkill. According to Commission Area Fisheries Manager (AFM) Mike Kaufmann, each of these areas produces muskies late in the winter.

Lures big enough to scare the average trout sometimes land the predacious musky, but with cold water, don't expect a musky to chase your lure too far or too fast.

Large minnows and suckers up to eight inches are productive baits for legal-sized muskies. Don't be in too big a hurry to set the hook if you see your line moving. When the line stops mov­ing, lean back and set the hook hard. Then the action starts.

Because you are in the area, fish the Perkiomen Creek from the Schuylkill up to the bridge at Collegeville. There have been some wall-hangers taken out of that area over the years. Check the trophy musky in the Perkiomen Hotel in Collegeville sometime.

Farther downstream, within Philadelphia's city limits, the Wissahickon Creek empties into the Schulkill a short distance above Fairmount Dam. Because of the combination of musky stock­ings over the years and the stream juncture, the area is another musky fishing hotspot.

Before leaving the area you should fish below Fairmount Dam in Philadelphia. Commission electrofishing regularly produces outstanding muskies right in sight of the Philadelphia Art Mu­seum steps, site of the fictional movie character Rocky's trium­phant run.

photo- Art Michaels

Blue Marsh Lake Moving northwest to Reading, take route 183 north to Blue Marsh

Lake. This U.S. Army Corp of Engineers flood control project provides excellent angling opportunities and is considered by many to be the top bass lake in eastern Pennsylvania.

Like Lake Nockamixon, winter tends to turn things off in the lake proper, but Blue Marsh's tailwater fishing remains produc­tive through the winter. Walleyes, tiger muskies and channel cats can be taken, according to Soldo.

Just as with the other waters mentioned, minnows work best. Jigs also produce, but either way, a slow-moving or stationary bait fished near the bottom is most effective.

Susquehanna River Taking perhaps a little geographic leeway, the final waterway

under consideration for winter fishing in southeastern Pennsyl­vania is the Susquehanna River.

Places recommended by Soldo include the Falmouth area, lo­cated between Middletown and Columbia, and the tailwater ar­eas below the Safe Harbor and Holtwood dams.

Species you can catch include bass, walleyes and channel cats. When fishing below dams on the Susquehanna, be alert to water

releases that can quickly elevate water levels and greatly increase water turbulence.

Anglers fishing winter waters should always take several pre­cautions, including never fishing alone. Furthermore, leave word with someone of your intention to fish and your fishing location.

Anglers must be aware of the danger of hypothermia, the sud­den dropping of the body's core body temperature. Immersion in cold water can kill in a very short time.

Whether fishing from a boat or wading, anglers should wear a personal flotation device (PFD), at all times. The PFD is designed to keep you above water in the critical early moments so that you can regain your bearings quickly, and in many cases, effect your own rescue. A PFD also provides warmth.

Dressed warmly, fishing in winter can be fun and productive, a great way to extend last season or to get the jump on the up­coming season. Armed with minnows and jigs, and a graphite rod, you're ready for action.

The author thanks Commission AFM Mike Kaufmann and biologist John Soldo for their assistance.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 5

"I was more scared on Lake Erie than during my first jump when my parachute didn't open," said Tom Anderson, of Meadville. "We had been trained what to do when a chute didn't open, so it was an automatic reaction to pull the cord on the reserve chute. But nothing had trained me to face 10-foot waves in a bass boat."

I often write about Lake Erie fishing. Erie presently offers the finest smallmouth bass fishery in the world and everybody wants in on the action.

But in each article I prepare about this big water, I also include a warning: Erie can be treacherous when a blow comes up. Several dozen anglers participating in a Pennsylvania B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation tournament at Erie on September 27,1992, discovered that it's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

In the predawn darkness boats were being launched, gear loaded, and anglers notified of their partner assignments for the tour­nament that started at 7 a.m. Several an­glers tuned to their weather radios for the latest lake reports.

"The weather service said the wind would be changing later in the day and small craft advisories would be issued for the after­noon," said Ernie Pate, Jr., of Butler. "I had made my mind up not to go far, maybe three or four miles to the Cribs. That way I would not be far from the safety of the bay."

The tournament committee had the op­tion of putting the main lake off limits if the weather looked risky, thus restricting contestants to fishing in Presque Isle Bay.

Tournament officers chose not to close the lake, but issued a warning to contes­tants about probable rough lake conditions coming. About 20 boats of the 40-boat field headed out of the channel from the bay to the main lake.

Tom Anderson had drawn boat owner

John Galida as a partner. Gahda, an ex­perienced Erie angler from Prospect, fig­ured he would fish the lake in the morn­ing, hopefully get a limit of smallies, and head back to the bay before the wind changed. It was a plan many figured to follow.

"The lake was flat when we came out of the channel," said Anderson. "We ran full throttle east until we reached the Shorewood area. At about 8:30 the lake went from flat to low rollers—real nice fishing. It was about 9:30 when John said we had better head back. He no more than said that when the lake kicked up to eight-footers. The worst part was the wind. It was a 40- to 50-mile-per-hour gale force."

Lee Duer, an Erie resident with many hours on the big lake, was fishing the area known as the W's, just east of Shorewood. "By 9:30 the waves had increased to al­most three feet, with the wind still out of the southwest," said Duer. "I decided it was time to leave. We had gone about 200 yards west when I felt the wind shift from my left cheek to my right cheek. We looked out toward the open lake and could see big white caps coming. We had about 1,000 yards to go to reach Shorewood. We never made it."

Jerry Hanna, another seasoned Erie an-

"I was in the Navy; I've seen big waves

but never from a little bass boat. It

scared the living tar outofme/f

gler from Grove City, said, "In a heartbeat the wind switched from the south to the northwest. It was blowing so hard I thought a tornado was coming. Some guys still had not realized it was time to go; they kept fishing."

Hanna continued, "When you got to the top of a wave, the wind caught your boat. My boat is 20 feet long and weighs 1,500 pounds, but that wind just tossed it around like a toy. It was a nightmare!"

Galida and Anderson had made little headway.

"Every time you tried to go over the top of a wave, the wind would catch the bow and stand the boat on end," said Anderson. "Then when the boat came down on the back side of the wave, the outboard would submerge in the water."

"I have been in rough water before," Galida said. "You have to keep the bow into the waves, ride an ongoing wave to the top with increased throttle, and then back off the throttle as you surf down the backside. You've got to keep the motor trimmed up a little, too. If the motor is trimmed all the way down, you nose into the next wave. If it is trimmed too high, the boat might flip over on the crest of a wave."

But the transom of the low-profile boat went under one too many times. Galida's 150-horsepower outboard finally stalled. Unable to control the boat, waves rolled over the sides. Galida connected an extra bilge pump to help remove the water. Then he got on the bow-mounted electric mo­tor and began working toward shore.

In the meantime, Duer and his partner had encountered the same problem. The outboard stalled after water contaminated the fuel. At the mercy of the waves, Duer's boat quickly filled with water. Duer also set up a second bilge pump to help empty the boat, and he tucked the flare kit into his life vest.

6 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

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boats, and other swamped boats (middle picture) drifted ashore. This angler (bottom picture and page 9) wasn H on Lake Erie during the night­mare, but his boat and the building seas suggest the danger of that day.

Luckily, no one lost his life. Some 12 bass boats were either beached or abandoned during

the storm. Other bass boats were towed in by commercial services or by private boaters. The value of lost boats and equipment will

likely exceed $100,000.

aBraMSred'.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 7

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Thinking ahead, Duer decided it was best to be out of the rainsuits in the event they went into the water. The rainsuits would fill with water and tend to pull them down. When he started removing his life vest to get out of his rainsuit, his part­ner started to do the same. "Don't take off your PFD until I get mine back on," insisted Duer.

Using the electric motor to angle to­ward shore, Duer and his partner man­aged to slide in behind McCords Point, jump into the water and pull his boat onto a sandy beach. Others were less fortu­nate—they hit rocks.

Slipping eastward, Galida made for Shorewood, aw are that there was a beach ramp at the site. When Calida saw Kerry Carlo's boat come by still under power, a thought occurred to him: (Jive his keys to Carlo who could bring Galida's truck and trailer down to Shorewood to pull him out. Somehow Carlo managed to get the keys from (ialida's boat in the rough water. Carlo continued slugging it out for about a half-mile. Then Carlo's boat went down.

•'The bilges were working fine handling the water," explained Carlo, "but my mo­tor quit. I took two waves sideways, and

that was it. I saw that the back deck was covered, the motor went under, and the boat started sinking. We jumped clear. The last I saw' of my boat was six feet of the bow in the air."

Observers on shore later said Carlo's boat crashed into rock walls west of Shorewood before settling on the beach. There w as nothing left except the shell of the hull.

Carlo's partner, Keith Bergstrom, was in the water about one hour before wash­ing ashore along a cliff. He grabbed a downed tree, pulled himself clear of the pounding waves, and when rested, even­tually made his way to the top of the cliff.

Carlo, in his rainsuit when the boat went down, grabbed a pedestal seat from his boat as it floated by and clung to it for 2 1/2 hours before washing ashore at Shorewood. "That seat saved my life. I don't know if the life jacket alone would have done it for me."

Ron Pate turned on the weather ra­dio to catch the forecast when he first noticed a change in the waves. "They were still calling for only three-to five-footers. Not a real problem. But when it looked nasty, we started back." Ron had a little jump on many of the contes­

tants. He got to the Cribs before encoun­tering problems.

"At the Cribs, I saw my brother Ernie's boat," continued Ron. "Then suddenly the four- to six-foot waves turned into 1 (Mooters. I lost sight of Ernie in the waves. It was everything I could do just to keep the boat facing into the wind and motor trimmed so I wouldn't take a wave over the bow. Several times we were vertical in the water. When you came down, the back of the boat was under­water. The same thing that happened to everyone happened to me—my mo­tor stalled.

"I jumped on the trolling motor and headed toward shore. I came ashore on rocks. The waves pounded the boat and tore it apart—ripped it open as if a gi­ant can opener had been used on it. In minutes the boat filled with sand and rocks. If it weren't for a dozen people who came down to help, I would never have gotten the boat out. After five or six hours we were able to drag it onto a trailer. The sides were split and filled with sand and gravel. The boat was completely destroyed."

After Ron lost sight of Ernie, it was only a matter of minutes before his brother was in the water.

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"I thought the closer I got to Presque Isle, the more sheltered it would be," ex­plained Ernie. "Not so. Then my mo­tor quit.

"The boat turned, took three waves over the back and started going down. I grabbed the flare kit just as the boat rolled over. I pulled my partner onto the hull and fired a flare. A little later when I saw a boat, I fired another one."

A charter fishing boat came to assist. They managed to get Ernie's partner across on a line. Then the Coast Guard cutter appeared.

"The Coast Guard got a line to me. That is the one time in the whole ordeal I thought of possibly dying—when I was swimming the 30 yards to the rescue boat in 10-foot waves. Then I spent the next six hours aboard the cutter as they went about rescuing others. We went over some waves the Coast Guard said were 12 or 13 feet."

John Chaffo of Murrysville and his partner made it to Shades Beach when they hit the 10-foot walls of water. Chaffo's outboard quit in the same manner as the other bass boats.

"Solly Thomas was the first boat to come by," said Chaffo. "He threw us a line and started towing. His boat was a high-sided aluminum, but we noticed the stern of his boat was getting lower and lower in the water. I don't know what happened, but his boat finally disappeared under the water. Solly and his partner

swam for our boat, which was floating and dry. The four of us sat for 1 1/2 hours until the Coast Guard arrived. They checked to see how we were and then went on to rescue some others who were ac­tually in the water."

When the Coast Guard returned, they pulled Chaffo's drifting boat away from the rocky shoreline, ordered all four out of the boat to the cutter and then cut his boat loose.

Chaffo added, "I was in the Navy; I've seen big waves but never from a little bass boat. It scared the living tar out of me."

Every boater on the lake at 9:30 a.m. found himself in trouble. According to those on the water, in moments the waves went from three-foot rollers to six-foot whitecaps. Within 10 or 15 minutes the waves were cresting 10 feet and higher.

One homeowner living on the cliffs near Shorewood said it looked like the Fourth of July with all the emergency flares shot off by boats in trouble.

The Coast Guard went into action at 10 a.m. after receiving calls from people who observed the flares.

"We were on the water with all three of our vessels, plus a helicopter called in from the Detroit station," said Execu­tive Officer Ed Knepp. "It wasn't over for us until the last person was accounted for at 6 p.m. We had a lot of help from the local fire department, ambulance ser­vice, as well as the Presque Isle State Park rangers."

The Coast Guard pulled 18 people from the water—all contestants in the bass tour­nament. Private vessels pulled another half-dozen people from the lake. Accord­ing to the Coast Guard and the Lakeshore Towing Service, only low-profile bass boats encountered serious problems. The relatively few other boats on the lake made it safely to port.

"There was no loss of life," pointed out Executive Officer Knepp. "We had the potential for massive casualties because of the number of people in the water. But my understanding is that one of the tour­nament rules is everybody had to wear a life jacket. Everybody we pulled from the water had a PF1) on. That was sig­nificant because there is no way you were going to stay afloat treading water in that kind of sea. The life jacket rule saved lives."

A total of 12 bass boats were either beached or abandoned during the storm. During the blow, several additional bass boats were towed in by commercial towing services or by private boaters.

The next morning battered bass boats were found blown up along the rough lake shore between Lampe Marina at Erie and Safe Harbor at Northeast. Most of these boats, along with several recovered during the storm, were declared total losses. The value of boats and equipment lost will easily exceed $100,000. tarn

January 1993 R'nnxvtvania

Annual Report Summary- Fiscal Year 1991 92

Fish Fund Revenue Deposited July 1,1991, to June 30,1992

Resident fishing licenses (includes senior license) $11,587,892 48%

Federal and augmenting revenue 4,065,246 17%

Trout/salmon permits 3,714,944 15% Non-resident, tourist and other licenses and fees 1,724,067 7%

Restitution and contributions 679,526 3%

Interest income 627,526 3%

Texas Eastern (restricted revenue) 450,000 2%

Sand and gravel dredging 329,918 1%

Other revenue 302,516 1%

Sale of Pennsylvania Angler and publications 282,200 1%

Fish law fines 261,377 1%

In-lieu payments of fishways 75,000 1%

Total: $24,100,212

Boat Fund Revenue Deposited July 1,1991, to June 30,1992

Motorboat registration $3,218,405 49%

Motor license and liquid fuels tax 1,923,975 29%

Federal and augmenting revenue 969,337 14%

Interest on securities 192,400 3%

Motor boat fines 103,602 1.5%

Boat mooring permits and capacity plate fees 40,714 1%

Sales tax agent fees 31,214 1%

Other revenue 16,651 .5%

Sale of Boat Pennsylvania 24,569 1%

Total: $6,520,867

This information summarizes the Commission's annual report. If you would like a copy of the Fish & Boat Commission's com­plete annual report, please send requests to: Annual Report, Bu­reau of Education & Information, PA Fish & Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000.

Bureau of Education and Information

The Bureau of Education & Information educates and informs people about the fish­ing and boating opportunities in Pennsyl­vania, and it focuses on the importance of taking care of our lakes, rivers and streams. The bureau publishes two magazines, pro­duces statewide news releases and radio programs, prints numerous publications and sponsors the Angler Recognition Program. To educate all citizens about the importance of our aquatic resources, the bureau sponsors the Keystone Aquatic Resource Education (KARE) program, a youth program called PLAY (Pennsylvania League of Angling Youth), visitor center exhibits and special events.

Bureau of Property and Facilities Management

Adopt-ai Stream Section During this fiscal year, the Adopt-a-Stream

Program logged in and approved 150 stream projects and 35 new lake projects. These approved projects consisted of 30 new stream projects with 120 continuing from the pre­vious year. New lake projects totaled 57 with 30 continuing projects.

Real Estate Section Through this section the Fish and Boat

Commission administers and manages its

current property rights, acquires and secures new property rights, and performs support services for other Commission bureaus and divisions. The Real Estate Section is ac­tively involved in investigating and nego­tiating new acquisitions; reviewing bound­aries, encroachments and special land-use requests; preparing service purchase con­tracts, lease agreements, property agree­ments and legal property documents; and processing lease payments, license pay­ments, intra-agency and interagency cor­respondence, and public inquiries.

Survey Section A large percentage of survey work done

this year has been property-related. Sur­veys have included boundary surveys for new acquisitions, monumentation, and re-survey (for possible encroachments). In addition, the surveyors have completed topographical surveys for the Engineering Design Section and construction surveys for construction and maintenance projects.

Division of Construction & Maintenance Services

During this fiscal year this dedicated work force of skilled engineering, construction and maintenance personnel continued to carry out a major share of the Fish and Boat Commission's program to promote and provide for safe public use of recreational waters. The responsibilities of that program and many other related activities include the development and maintenance of ac­cess areas, lakes, hatcheries, and admin­istrative facilities; the improvement and restoration of fish migration and water quality; and furnishing engineering and technical services for other Commission activities, local governments and sportsmen's groups.

The access area system consists of more than 250 developed properties throughout the state.

Construction Section This section completed shop work, and

repairs and construction at Commission properties, including accesses, fish culture stations, regional headquarters and Com­mission-owned lakes and properties.

Maintenance Section This section performed routine mainte­

nance of all access areas, dams and lakes statewide.

Division of Engineering & Technical Services

This division completed work on estab­lished access areas, new projects, fish culture stations, Commission-owned lakes and other properties.

Dam safety. In compliance with the National Dam Safety Act, annual inspec­tions were completed and reported for the 29 manmade lakes the Fish and Boat Com­mission controls.

Bureau of Boating

Boat Registration Division On December 12,1991, Governor Casey

signed into law the first increase in boat registration fees in 28 years. Act 1991-39 recognized increasing demands by boat­ers for more law enforcement, expanded boating safety education, and more and better boating facilities. It also provided the rev­enue needed to fund expansion of these vital programs. These new fees were reflected in the boat renewal notices mailed in January 1992.

Throughout the year valid registration certificates were mailed back to boat owners within five business days of receipt of boat renewal applications. This was possible because the two-year cycle effectively cut the number of annual renewal applications in half.

The number of boats currently registered in Pennsylvania is 312,644.

The Commission now requires the reg­istration of all boats using its facilities. As a result, the number of unpowered boats registered continues to increase. Some 25,226 unpowered boats were registered during 1992, double the number before the regulation.

Boating Safety and Education Division

Interest in boating safety education ex­ploded in Pennsylvania in 1992 with the implementation of the Commission's Ba­sic Boating program and development of an education grant for school districts and recreation agencies offering the Com­mission's Boating and Water Safety Aware­ness course.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 11

The Commission set up the Basic Boating Course in response to public demand for an eight-hour course. Commission programs fill the need for a short-term program.

Commission staff held 18 instructor trainer workshops in 1992. Certified instructors taught programs at 36 schools and at 68 parks, recreation departments, camps, con­servation clubs and other organizations. These instructors certified nearly 3,000 students.

The Commission's Water Rescue Pro­gram trains personnel in the most current techniques of boat rescue and water safety.

Over 500,000 brochures were distributed in support of the Commission's efforts to improve boating safety. Many publications were updated and modernized during the year.

Training law enforcement officers in boating safety and rescue is a continuing project. All waterways conservation of­ficers and supervisors were certified as instructors in both Basic Boating, and Boating Safety and Water Awareness.

Information systems The Information Systems Division con­

tinued to play an important role in the ad­ministration of the Commission by providing automated technology resources and ser­vices. Improved operational efficiency and satisfaction of the Commission's many automated technology demands are two critical goals of the Information Systems staff. Both goals were adequately met.

Bureau of Law Enforcement

During the report period, the Bureau of Law Enforcement had a number of retire­ments that ultimately resulted in a promotion, several transfers and filling vacancies created by the retirements.

Hiring and placing additional conservation officers on Pennsylvania's busiest water­ways is a result of the passage of House Bill 1107 in late 1991. For the first time in several years, regional deputy training/ informational meetings were conducted.

The Bureau of Law Enforcement is very much involved in the preservation of wa­ter quality. This takes place in a number of ways, but primarily through the review of encroachments and mine drainage ap­plications and active investigations of stream disturbances and water pollutions. Dur­

ing the report period, 423 cases were in­vestigated with 354 of those closed via prosecutions, warnings, etc. A total of $569,000 in penalties was collected.

Officers attended and presented a total of 1,270 programs, which included sportsmens' clubs meetings, sport and boat shows, fishing schools, boating safety, youth camps, school programs, and radio and TV shows.

Over 9,500 prosecutions were made for various violations. The most prevalent were fishing without a license, littering, Com­mission property regulations, insufficient number of lifesaving devices and boats not registered. In addition, over 32,000 warnings were issued and over 42,000 boats were boarded.

Division of Fisheries Management

Paddlefish, gizzard shad, brook trout, pumpkinseed sunfish, Spanish mackerel, clams, and timber rattlesnakes were among the aquatic life handled, prodded, bucketed, netted and noted during the 1991-92 fis­cal year by Division personnel. The Di­vision is specifically charged with managing Pennsylvania's diverse fisheries (includ­ing reptiles and amphibians). During the 1991-92 fiscal year the Division of Fish­eries Management studied in one combi­nation or another water chemistry, owner­ship, accessibility, size, fish occurrence, fish abundance, and aquatic vegetation in 97 ponds, lakes and reservoirs and 277 sec­tions of streams and rivers.

The Division of Fisheries Management is comprised of field personnel and cen­tral office staff. The field personnel, eight area fisheries managers and their support staff of one biologist and eight technicians, are assigned on a drainage-area basis. The central office staff includes two clerical personnel and a seasonal clerk typist, a herpetology and endangered species coor­dinator, a coldwater unit leader and tech­nician and a warmwater unit leader and technician.

Division of Research The Lake Erie Research Unit continued

its mission to assess and manage fisheries in Lake Erie. Unit actions are taken in concert with several fishery task groups within the Great Lakes Fish Commission. The Unit also maintains contact and seeks

the cooperation of recreational anglers and commercial fisheries.

The Van Dyke Research Station for Anadromous Fish continued to culture, and investigate culture techniques for, American shad as a part of the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Committee's (SRAFRC) program. Over 18 million shad eggs were received during the spring of 1992.

Research efforts directed toward resolving problems with the culture of cool water fishes continued.

During fiscal year 1991, a total of 126 pathological investigations were conducted to assist management staff at Pennsylva­nia Fish and Boat Commission production facilities. A total of 271 disorders were detected during these investigations. Gill disease, systemic viral and bacterial infec­tions, and external parasites were the most commonly detected pathological problems.

Research continued on the development of several salmon, brook trout and rainbow trout strains.

Division of Trout Production Cooperative Nursery Unit

As of June 30, 1992, there were 154 sponsors and 185 nursery sites in 47 counties. This number includes four largemouth bass, one walleye and one experimental striped bass unit.

During the fiscal year, coldwater nurs­ery units stocked 960,858 catchable salmo-nids, which included 393,062 brook trout, 241,517 brown trout, 324,113 rainbow trout and 2,166 palomino trout. In addition, 98,430 steelhead trout and 140,000 chinook salmon were stocked into Commonwealth waters by two Erie County sponsors.

Office of Chief Counsel and Environmental Services

The Office of Chief Counsel and Envi­ronmental Services provides legal and environmental services support to the Commission and the staff. The Office of Chief Counsel and Environmental Services employs six full-time professional and technical personnel and three full-time

12 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

support personnel. In addition, it employs a number of seasonal and temporary tech­nical, professional and support staff mem­bers.

The Division of Environmental Services (DES) is responsible for coordinating the internal agency review of permit applica­tions and acting as the liaison with other state and federal agencies. The internal review usually involves soliciting comments from area fisheries managers and water­ways conservation officers who often have site-specific knowledge about the project area. DES staff specialists then perform a detailed evaluation of the proposed ac­tivity and attempt to predict the environ­mental effects.

Bureau of Administrative Services

The Bureau of Administrative Services provides behind-the-scenes support for the primary programs of the Fish and Boat Commission. These functions include:

•issuance of fishing licenses and trout/ salmon permits.

• Purchasing and procurement of supplies, equipment and services.

••Warehousing and inventory. ••Payroll and personnel. ••Labor relations. ••Training. • Fiscal planning, budget preparation and

expenditure review. • Vehicle fleet management and commer­

cial drivers' license certification. ••Telecommunications. ••Insurance. ••Management methods consulting. • Issuance of special permits and licenses. ••Mail and messenger services. ••Bindery operations. •federal aid coordination. ••Recycling. • Sale of surplus property. •JOther related support services. Fishing licenses and trout/salmon per­

mits issued in fiscal year 1991-92 include: License Category Price No. issued

""Resident $12.00 947,405 Senior resident 2.00 25,928 Non-resident 20.00 68,250 7-day tourist 15.00 18,691 Senior lifetime 10.00 16,718 Trout/salmon

permits 5.00 742,989

Comptrollers Report The fiscal year 1991-92 statements of

unreserved fund balance for the Fish and Boat Funds were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting prin­ciples (GAAP).

All other statements included with this report were prepared on a cash basis of accounting combined with an encumbrance budgetary system and as such are consis­tent with those of the previous year.

Fish Fund The June 30, 1992, unreserved/undes-

ignated fund balance prepared on a GAAP basis was $ 12,321,741, a $400,281, or three percent, increase from last year's balance.

Actual revenue deposited in the Fish Fund during the 1991-92 fiscal year was $24,100,212, an increase of $554,975, or two percent, over actual deposits in 1990-91 fiscal year. The trout/salmon permit rev­enue increased $642,469. An agreement between Texas Eastern and the Fish and Boat Commission garnered $450,000 in research money. These funds are to be used solely for the purpose of assessing the effect of PCBs and other substances of concern on aquatic biota with respect to certain Texas Eastern compressor station sites.

Refunds not credited to an appropriation were down $380,236 primarily due to the previous year rebate of $345,856 from the State Workmen's Insurance Fund depos­ited in fiscal year 1990-91. Interest on se­curities was down $166,745 because of re­duced interest rates.

Expenditures and commitments for the Fish Fund totaled $24,783,246 in the 1991-92 fiscal year, an increase of $1,129,026, or five percent, over last year's total. Sig­nificant increases were reported for sala­ries, wages and benefits, up $794,028, or five percent. During 1991 -92, the large number of retirees taking advantage of the Mellow Bill retirement provisions resulted in increased annual and sick leave payouts totaling $232,832. Annuitant's health care, workman's compensation coverage, and employee hospitalization and health and welfare expenses were other employee ben­efits that increased $628,984 in total. Supplies and services (office, educational, etc.) were up $431,034 in FY 91-92; pur­chase of automobiles, trucks and watercraft were up $220,594 (truck purchases increased $145,562); and contracted maintenance ser­vices of Commission buildings and grounds were up $185,476 (contracted repairs in­creased $176,238).

Offsetting these increases were decreases in land acquisitions, down $622,591 (in FY 90-91, the Fish and Boat Commission purchased Elk Creek Access); and contracted specialized services, down $185,088.

Boat Fund The June 30, 1992, unreserved/

undesignated fund balance in the Boat Fund prepared on a GAAP basis was $3,742,588, a decrease of $286,957, or seven percent, from last year's balance. In the computa­tion of the GAAP basis fund balance, half of the motorboat registration revenue was considered deferred revenue because it represents revenue collected this fiscal year but earned in fiscal year 1992-93.

Actual revenue deposited in the Boat Fund for 1991-92 fiscal year was $6,520,867, an increase of $ 1,116,243, or 21 percent, from last year's actual revenue collection. Motorboat registrations, up $992,261, re­flected a registration rate increase of more than 100 percent. However, because of the two-year renewal process, half of the motorboat registration revenue was deferred as earned until next fiscal year. Reimburse­ment of liquid fuels tax was up $350,386, because of a previous year payment of $192,000.

Expenditures and commitments for the Boat Fund totaled $6,002,000, in the 1991-92 fiscal year, an increase of $468,221, or eight percent, over last year's total. Sig­nificant increases were reported for sala­ries, wages and benefits, up $121,135, or three percent, payment to other state agencies for services rendered, up $82,220 (auditor general services increased $46,590 and EDP services—Commonwealth-provided, in­creased $34,478); other supplies and ser­vices (office, educational, etc.), up $78,407; purchase of automobiles, trucks and wa­tercraft, up $71,686 (up $ 18,523, $ 19,834 and $33,329, respectively); and contracted maintenance services of Commission build­ings and grounds, up $59,073 (contracted repairs increased $55,805).

Offsetting these increases was a decrease in land acquisitions, down $ 129,317 (in FY 90-91, the Fish and Boat Commission pur­chased Elk Creek access).

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 13

Tteour in the TRICKLES 2 *>y

P Richard Tate Trout trickles are special. They are small, mostly deep-woods brooks often a mile or more from any road, and they may not see a human angler more often than once or twice a year. Trout-trickle fish are often so wary that they burrow under in-stream structure at the approach of an angler. However, these trickles are usually productive and their trout are approachable during the earliest weeks of the trout season, as well as during high-water periods later in the season. In addition, many of the trickles are absolutely loaded with gorgeous native brook trout that provide fast, spirited action.

Because I detest crowds I have opened my trout season on small mountain brooks for many years now. Some of these trickles involve long hikes to reach, and the fishing there is usually well worth the walks. A few other trickles, smaller and closer to my central Pennsylvania home, involve relatively short walks. One of these, however, which does not contain nearly as many trout as some of the more distant ones, occasionally produces a native of 10 or 11 inches, wonderful but rare jewels for Pennsylvania anglers.

Unlike many of those who are drawn to mountain streams, I release all the trout I catch. I figure that our isolated wild trout are having a tough enough time combating civilization's acid rains. They certainly do not need to have their numbers depleted by a greedy angler.

Fly fishing There are various ways to catch these jewels of the trickles.

My preferred method is fly fishing. On relatively large brooks, I sometimes toss dry flies to the fish, and even in the absence of hatches, the hungry wild trout eagerly attack my size 14 Adams or Grizzly Parachute if the water temperature is 45 degrees or higher.

However, most of the tiny, isolated brooks I am familiar with do not lend themselves to the casting involved in dry fly fishing. Therefore, I generally fish the trout trickles with a weighted nymph and a wet fly. I use a variety of small nymphs on the trout of these headwater streams, and occasionally I pick up a trout or two on the nymphs. Still, the wet fly is the offering that is respon­sible for 90 percent of the trout I catch on these special streams. Which wet fly pattern is it? The venerable Royal Coachman, usually in size 12. The native brook trout take the Royal Coachman readily, and with the relatively large hook, I almost always lip-hook them. They do not sustain any serious physical damage.

Fishing for wild brook trout in tiny, isolated Pennsylvania

brooks is a special treat. These trout trickles are rare,

valuable resources.

I have read that some anglers prefer long fly rods for fishing isolated mountain brooks, but I favor a seven-foot fly rod. It's long enough for dapping my flies into convenient pockets, pools and eddies, yet it is short enough to avoid my becoming instantly entangled in the ubiquitous laurel and rhododendron. I do favor a short leader for this work, usually in the seven-foot range with a 4X tippet. For some faster, deeper water, the addition of one or two size B splitshot helps get the flies down to the fish.

Just how good can this wet fly fishing on the trickles be? When I hit one of these tiny brooks, five to seven trout landed per hour are just about standard. I tend to be heavy-footed and spook many more.

You don't have to be a fly fishing expert to enjoy outings like these, either. When my son, Bobby, first began to show an inter­est in fishing, I introduced him to fishing off the beaten path for the little natives. I wanted him to become an advocate of catch-and-release fishing, so I had him use wet flies, even at the tender age of seven. These flies have worked fine for him. One of his first outings rewarded him with more than 20 lovely brook trout in only a few hours of fishing. It really is no exaggeration that a Royal Coachman wet fly, dapped into trout hideouts in the trick­les, is deadly medicine.

Ultralight tackle What if you don't care to fish with flies? Ultralight spinfishing

is a possibility, though many trickles don't allow even the underhand cast and the retrieve that are necessary to stir up the trout. More realistic is using live bait. If you choose to fish tiny brooks with live bait, I urge you to use relatively large, size 8 or 10 hooks— and please pinch the barbs so that the trout you release are not harmed.

Which baits are best? I know fellows who swear by mealworms. Others favor maggots, and some others dunk small redworms. I think nightcrawlers are the best bet! No, no—not the whole worm at once. Cut a 'crawler into thirds and thread one of the pieces onto the hook. The brook trout in the headwaters greedily gobble these worm pieces, and unlike using redworms, mealworms, and maggots, the little brookies have trouble stealing the bait. As much as I hate to admit it, on some streams these earthworm pieces are even more effective than wet flies.

During last season's opener, Bobby, then age 12, and I took a 45-minute hike to a gorgeous mountain brook that my father in­troduced me to when I was about Bobby's age. The end of the 45-minute walk is startling: You abruptly emerge from a hem­lock forest in an open, deep-woods hollow. Immediately across the hollow is a huge outcropping of boulders that looks as if it had been carelessly tossed there by an enraged god. Only moss, a few scrawny trees, and some ferns have managed to establish a foothold there. The tiny brook flowing beneath this rubble is six or seven feet wide and is loaded with beautiful wild brookies. There are about two miles of good fishing there, though Bobby and I covered only about three-quarters of a mile of water.

14 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

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r TAese trickles must all be reached by walking away from roads, but the tactics described in the article will work on all these small brooks.-JRT.

Sampling Trout Trickles

Crane Run, McKean/Elk counties Craft Run, Jefferson County Dennison Run, Venango County Blyson Run, Clarion County

. Powdermill Run, Westmoreland County

. Piney Run, Somerset County

. Quebec Run, Fayette County

. Cider Run, Wyoming County

. Rattlesnake Creek, Monroe County 0. Stony Creek, Carbon County

11. Cherry Run, Centre/Union counties 12. Cushman Branch, Tioga County 13. Hammersly Fork, Potter County

Fish Dam Run, Clinton County Twelvemile Run,

Clearfield County Yost Run, Centre County Wolf Run, Lycoming County Cooks Run, Cameron County

16 17 18

For the first time in his trout-fishing career, I allowed him to use live bait—cut nightcrawlers. In about 2 1/2 hours of fish­ing, Bobby landed nearly three dozen fish, ranging from about five to eight inches. Bobby simply dapped the pieces of worm into convenient trout lairs, and he was rewarded with lightning strikes and spunky battles from the mountain trout.

When we arrived at the stream's largest pool, about 15 feet long, a dozen feet wide, and a few feet deep, Bobby's excitement was infectious. We just knew he would catch a lunker there. No lunker— but he did land well over a dozen trout from this pool and missed

or lost at least a half-dozen more. By the end of the outing, when it was time to hike back to our truck, Bobby was one happy young angler—and I was one pretty smug guide. It was a "short" 45-minute hike, and both of us were pleased with our opening day success.

Fishing for wild brook trout in the tiny, isolated brooks of Penn­sylvania is a special treat for those who value quality angling experiences. These trout trickles are rare, valuable resources.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 15

I

Two laughing youngsters were competing with the barking family dog for possession of a flopping trout. An old-timer waddled as he tried to hurry across the ice without falling toward a flag-flying tip-up.

A young couple jigged side by side, sitting on plastic buckets. She was bundled in so many clothes, only her pretty face revealed her gender. I guessed that she was there just to be with her partner, because she stared at him, not at her short jigging rod.

But then she hooked a trout, and her shrieks revealed obvious exhilaration when she finally pulled the trout to her side of the ice.

"Get it! Get it!" She begged. She reeled the trout right to the end of her rod. It looked as if the trout were trying to eat the rod. The young man held his jigging rod under his arm and tried to grab the slippery trout while she flailed it about.

Three stocky brook trout were packed in ice, in the plastic bucket under me. The trout were destined for the smoker. I relaxed on the bucket for a few minutes before walking back to the van.

Gazing across the 60-acre state park lake, I saw dozens of ice anglers. The § lake and the horizon were framed by jagged outlines of deep-green hemlocks.

The sky was a mix of pale blue and angular white clouds. The line of clouds | directly overhead was darker than the other clouds, and they dropped a wind-~ blown snow on us. The snow obscured the distance, so the ice anglers at the

other end of the lake faded to just moving colors. A cold front was moving in. I could feel the temperature dropping. Dur­

ing the three-day mild spell that was just ending, the fishing had been pre­dictably very good. Fishing probably would not be so good during the next few days. And it would be much colder. It would be a good time to tie some new ice jigs.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 17

Timing Timing is a key to finding the best ice fishing for trout. The

best fishing is usually during the first month of safe ice at the stocked lakes. Across the northern-tier counties there is usually good ice on the smaller lakes by mid-December, maybe a few weeks ear­lier. South of 1-80 ice is far less dependable. At some lakes there might be just a week or two of safe ice, maybe none at all during mild winters.

Trout or salmon are generally bonus catches at our larger lakes, like the Allegheny Reservoir, Wallenpaupack and Presque Isle Bay. The odds for success are much lower. However, there is a possi­bility of trophy-sized catches. Seasonal patterns are less distinct there. At Presque Isle Bay the main factor seems to be whether or not the schools of salmon or steelhead are even in the bay, which connects to Lake Erie.—MB.

Comfort Sure, the fishing is great. But how much can you enjoy it

while you are freezing? Knowing how to stay warm is some of the most important knowledge for ice anglers.

First, remember that it will be much colder on the ice, exposed to wind, than it is at home. Dress warmer than you think neces­sary. You can always take clothes off if you dress in layers. But you can't put on what you do not have.

Keep your hands, feet and head warm. These are the places where you lose body heat quickly. Boots should have thick soles to insulate the feet. Carry an extra pair of gloves, and a towel to keep your hands dry. A handwarmer provides comforting heat. The combination of a knit hat and a hood should protect your head and neck.—MB.

Trout fishing through the ice is a complete break from the spring trout fishing season opener. But it is like it in one big way. It is a festive atmosphere, this other trout season, leav­ing no doubt that trout are still the stars of the Pennsylvania fishing scene.

Each winter the Fish and Boat Commission stocks more than 60 lakes with trout, with ice anglers in mind. These trout are typically bigger than trout stocked for anglers the spring be­fore, with months of extra nursery growing time. Moderately skilled ice anglers can expect success, particularly early in the winter before most of the newly stocked trout have been har­vested.

Some other lakes have holdover trout, including lake trout or even salmon. Presque Isle Bay sometimes has abundant steelhead and coho salmon. The Allegheny Reservoir holds some huge brown trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon. Lake Wallenpaupack also is home to big trout. It gave up our state record. East Branch Lake, a small Elk County impoundment,

holds lake trout. There are others. Here is a look at the skills you need to catch trout through Penn­

sylvania ice.

Equipment You can ice fish for trout with just a hook, a short piece of fishing

line and bait, and catch trout. You can use the same rod and reel that you use during the open-water trout season. Or you can get a bit more sophisticated and use equipment designed especially for ice fishing.

An ice auger, an ice rod, a simple reel, line, jigs and bait are the basic items for serious ice anglers. Tip-ups are also useful, mostly when the fishing is slow.

Augers, either hand-powered or equipped with motors, have pretty much replaced spud bars as the preferred means to make holes in the ice. You might want to keep in mind when choosing an auger that small holes are easier to drill than large holes. A five-inch hole is large enough for all but the largest trout you are likely to catch in Pennsylvania.

Ice rods are characteristically short, less than five feet. The best reels are those that are least likely to jam with ice. Just about any tip-up will do the job, as long as its spool spins freely.

Be more particular when choosing line. Trout, not all of them, mind you, are line shy. There are enough dumb trout around to give some anglers the notion that fat line will catch any trout, but it just is not so. You will fool far more trout, most notably the bigger trout, using low-visibility line. My preference is four-pound-

test green line. Various jigs catch trout. You should have a selection that

includes shiny jigs, brightly colored jigs, and natural-colored jigs. For the standard stocked trout, one-inch to three-inch jigs are the right size. If you want to concentrate on the larger trout, three-inch or four-inch lures might discourage interference from smaller trout.

Sometimes the fishing is fast. You might catch more trout than you want to eat, so you will want to be able to release trout without harming them. Replace treble hooks with single hooks and pinch down the barbs.

Numerous baits catch trout through the ice. Minnows and grubs are the favorite natural baits. Corn, cheese, salmon eggs and various commercial baits are sometimes more productive, sometimes not. Trout are fickle. Your chances for success rise significantly when you carry more than one bait.

18 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

L

Trout rely on odors more than many other fish. Offensive odors are liable to prevent any interest in your lures. On the other hand, attractive odors are very helpful. I almost always use scent when fishing for trout, through the ice or otherwise.

Bait, lure presentation There is only so much you can do with a lure or bait that must be fished

vertically. You can still-fish, or you can jig vertically. Yet, you should think in terms of versatility, adaptiveness and subtle differences.

During a winter outing at Chapman Dam, I clobbered big brook trout using a homemade leadhead jig tipped with a maggot. The jig head was red with a white and black eye. The body was bright-yellow chenille ribbed with silver mylar. The tail was full, orange marabou. None of several other jigs I tried produced as well.

After telling a fishing pal, John Lucas, about the good fishing, he and I returned the next morning. Fishing was slow until John switched lures. Immediately trout began attacking his red and silver jigging spoon, a Swedish Pimple, sweetened with Dr. Juice trout/steelhead scent. That is another of the lures I usually carry. As soon as I switched to it I caught trout about as fast as I could get it in the water. That day was particularly memorable, be­cause 1 watched many of those trout hit the spoon just inches below the ice.

Several days later the only way we could catch trout was by still-fish­ing with lively emerald shiners.

Trout are normally fickle! This is most noticeable when fishing is slow. Yet there have been some times when a seemingly small change in lure, color or presentation made the difference between nothing and fast fishing.

When still-fishing with bait, vary the depth of the bait from bottom to just under the ice. I have no idea why a change of just a foot, in clear water, would make any difference, but sometimes it does.

Vary the jigging motion in length of lift, speed of lift, and frequency of lift. Sometimes a mere wiggle every few seconds is enough. Sometimes to turn on the trout it takes a steady series of foot-long jerks repeated as soon as the jig settles.

Finding trout In most of the small lakes where trout are stocked for ice anglers, im­

mediately after the lakes are stocked you are liable to catch trout just about anywhere. Still, though it might not be noticeable, the trout are more concentrated in specific places that can be identified as either structure or cover. Later when most of the trout have been caught, those places where trout were concentrated will hold most of the remaining trout. The very best places will be the places that most anglers have not found, for the obvious reason.

Trout like irregular structure. Look for them on bars, humps, dropoffs, and flooded creek channels. Early in the winter I have caught trout on bars covered by less than two feet of water. Later in the winter trout of­ten congregate in the deepest part of a lake or reservoir. This is easiest to find in manmade reservoirs close to the dam.

Cover like sunken logs or boulders also attracts trout. Lure or bait placement becomes very critical when fishing for trout that are hiding in cover. It will be necessary to get very close to the cover at precisely the right depth, so the trout can see the lure or bait. Bait is usually better than jigs in this situation.

Finding cover or structure under the ice can be an excessively time-consuming process. Better to locate the potential ice fishing hotspots before the lake freezes, using a boat and sonar. Mark the spots on a map, refer­encing shoreline markers. Remember, though, things look different in winter than in summer or fall. A compass can be a great help with this, if you know how to use one.

You should catch plenty of trout early in the ice fishing season using just the basics. With a bit more sophistication you can catch trout all through the season.

COUNTY Allegheny Beaver Beaver Beaver Beaver Berks Berks

Blair Bradford Bucks Bucks

Butler Cambria Cambria Cameron Centre Clearfield Clinton

Columbia Cumberland Cumberland

Elk Elk Erie Fayette Fayette Forest

Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon

Jefferson Lackawanna Lackawanna Lawrence

Luzerne Luzerne Lycoming McKean

Monroe

Northampton Perry

Pike Potter

Schuylkill Somerset

Susquehanna Tioga Tioga Venango

Warren Washington Washington Wayne Wayne

Westmoreland

Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland

Wyoming

WATER AREA North Park Lake Brady Run Lake Hereford Manor Lk., Lower Hereford Manor Lk., Upper Raccoon Lake Antietam Lake Scotts Run Lake

Canoe Lake Mountain Lake Lake Luxembourg Levittown Lake

Glade Run Lake Duman Dam Lake Rowena George B. Stevenson Reservoir Poe Lake Parker Lake Kettle Creek Lake

Briar Creek Lake Laurel Lake Opossum Creek Lake Laurel Run Reservoir

Ridgway Reservoir Lake Pleasant Dunlap Creek Lake Virgin Run Dam Wards Ranch Pond Letterkenny Reservoir

Cowans Gap Lake

Duke Lake Whipple Lake

Cloe Lake Chapman Lake Merli-Sarnoski Lake Bessemer Lake

Irena Lake Sylvan Lake Little Pine Lake

Bradford Reservoir #3 Tobyhanna Lake

Minsi Lake Allen Holman Lake

Fairview Lake

Lyman Lake Locust Lake Laurel Hill Lake Quaker Lake Beechwood Lake Lake Hamilton Justus Lake

Chapman Lake Canonsburg Lake Dutch Fork Lake

Long Pond Upper Woods Pond

Donegal Lake

Keystone Lake Twin Lake, Lower Twin Lake, Upper

Lake Winola

York Hanover Water Company Dam

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 19

The Royal Wulff

by Chauncy K. Lively photos by the author

The Coachman family of fly patterns is a good example of how readily a parent fly can spin off diverse offspring patterns. The original Coachman came from the British Isles as a wet fly with a peacock herl body, white duck quill wings and brown throat hackle. Following its emigration to America, Theodore Gordon began to dress it as a dry fly and it became popular on Catskill streams. Then someone dressed the pattern with slate-colored duck quill wings and this variation became known as the Leadwing Coachman. It was dressed in both wet and dry fly styles and eventually became a staple for Catskill anglers, particularly when Isonychia mayflies were hatching.

Terry Hellekson, in his book Popular Fly Patterns, ascribes origination of the Coachman's best-known variation to John Haily, a commercial fly tier in New York City. A customer had requested a Coach­man dressed with a red silk center band and Haily complied. The result was a fly that captured the fancy of both the tier and his client. In fact, Haily became so enthusiastic about the new pattern that he sent a sample to Charles F. Orvis in Manchester, Vermont, who admired it and promptly named it the

7 Tie in the thread behind the eye and wind it toward the bend to a point

about one-fourth of the shank length behind the eye. Cut a medium-size bunch of hair for wings and hold it by the tips while removing the fuzz and short hairs from the butts. Then hold the hair along the top of the shank, tips pointing forward, and bind with five or six close, firm turns for an effective wing length equal to the shank length. Trim the excess hair butts. Pull the hair upright, wind the thread forward and make several turns in front of the wings to maintain their vertical position. Then separate the hair into two halves and wind between them with figure-eight turns.

2 Wind the thread back to the bend. Cut a small bunch of hair for tails

and tie it in for an effective length equal to the overall hook length. Wind over the hair butts and trim any excess hair. Wind the thread back to the bend. Select three peacock herls and tie in the tips at the bend. Trim the excess.

^ Twist the herls and wind four or five ^J turns over the base of the tails to form a narrow ruff. Tie it off. Then tie in a three-inch length of red floss next to the ruff. Trim the excess floss. Then hold the herls against the shank and wrap over them with the thread to the mid-shank. Don't trim the long ends of the herl.

20 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

Royal Coachman. That's how the most popular of all fly patterns was born. But the evolution didn't stop there.

Word of the Coachman flies spread westward, and soon anglers in the Rockies were fishing with their own variations— both wet and dry—dressed with white deerhair wings. They called it the West­ern Coachman. Meanwhile, still farther west, the California Coachman came into being— similar to the Royal except for a yellow center band that replaced the red. From various parts of the country came modifi­cations of the Trude patterns—dry flies with white deerhair downwings, sporting Coach­man or Royal Coachman bodies.

Back in the Catskills, someone came up with the Fanwing Royal Coachman, a large dry fly dressed with wings of broad, curved duck breast feathers. The Fanwing Royal enjoyed a brief stint of popularity after it was reported it would bring large trout to the surface when Green Drakes were emerg­ing. But fly fishers learned the hard way that fan wings had to be set impeccably straight—otherwise, the fly would twist the leader in a most disastrous way. They were fussy flies, requiring constant attention, both

on the stream and in storage. To stuff more than a few of these flies into a single fly box compartment was a distinct no-no because they were so easily rendered mis­shapen.

There were many other variations on the Coachman theme, and even though most are dressed as wets and dries, a few are tied streamer-style as well. I'm fairly certain that if you were to gather together a sample of each pattern and all its subpatterns, you could easily fill a fly box with only Coach­man flies.

But perhaps the most effective of the lot— and certainly the most rugged—is the Royal Wulff, Lee Wulff's version of the Royal Coachman.

Typical of the Wulff series, the Royal is designed for maximum flotation in rough water. Deer hair wings and tails provide buoyancy and contribute to the pattern's durability. The original Royal Coachman had tails of golden pheasant tippets, but they were relatively fragile and provided dubious support on the water.

Generally, Wulff patterns are characterized by dense hackling to enhance their float­ing qualities. However, your own needs

should dictate the fullness of dressing. That is, if you fish placid waters you need sparser hackling, or for broken water, full hackle. For my own use, a single genetic hackle (if it's long enough) or two or three shorter imported hackles suffice.

It's difficult to determine why the Coach­man patterns, particularly the Royals, have been so popular over the years. Even to­day, when anglers are paying more atten­tion to entomology and dressing flies to represent specific insects, they continue to be in demand in fly shops all over the country. Perhaps there is a subliminal influence in their names. The sound of "Royal Wulff' and "Royal Coachman" carries the sugges­tion of something special, or of particular value. In any case, they are "user-friendly" flies—easy to see on the water and suffi­ciently attractive to hook their share offish.

The Royal Wulff is an excellent attractor fly, useful on those many occasions when insects are not showing and the trout need something extra to bring them out of their lethargy. Come to think of it, that's enough justification for the pattern's popularity.

Dressing: Royal Wulff Hook: Standard dry fly, sizes 10 to 16. Thread: 6/0 brown pre waxed. Wings: Thin, white deer body hair. Tail: Sparse bunch of thin, natural

brown deer body hair. Body: Peacock herl and red floss. Hackle: One brown genetic hackle or

two to three imported.

A Wind the floss evenly to the mid-TT shank, tie it off and trim the excess. Again, twist the herls and wind another ruff- Tie it off and trim the excess herl.

5 Select a hackle (or hackles) with barbules about 1 1/2 times as long

as the hook gape. Strip off the webby lower barbules and tie them in behind the wings at a right angle to the shank and with the dull side behind the eye. Then bend the butt of the stem forward along the shank and tie it off in front of the eye. Trim the excess stem.

S Grip the hackle tip lengthwise with \J the hackle pliers and wind all but the final turn in back of the wings. Tie it off after the last turn in front of the wing. Trim the hackle tip. If you 're using more than one hackle, carefully wind each subsequent hackle through the first. Avoid binding down already wound barbules. Then wind a head behind the eye. Whip-finish and apply head lacquer.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 21

V\<AJ-LE"rES

The popularity of walleyes as a Pennsylvania gamefish is growing, so it isn't surprising that some anglers extend their walleye fishing activity into the winter months. Walleyes bite surprisingly well in cold water temperatures, making them a prime species to seek through the ice.

Ice fishermen have enjoyed major improvements in equipment and knowledge. Once considered a "better-than-sitting-around-watching-TV" affair, ice fishing has entered the world of high tech. Specialized fishing gear and support equipment are avail­able, as well as well-researched books and videos on the subject.

This, coupled with the rise in popularity of walleyes as a gamefish in the Commonwealth, creates the perfect time to tap a relatively untapped fishing resource. Of course, anglers need another ele­ment, one somewhat absent the last few years: Winters cold enough to produce thick ice.

Frank Hager of Ebensburg is a walleye fanatic, one who fishes for the species year-round. Cambria County's Glendale Lake— the center of attraction of Prince Gallitzin State Park—serves as Hager's proving ground. Hager has enjoyed both the advance­ment in equipment and the blossoming walleye population at Glendale Lake. The Fish and Boat Commission began intense annual stockings of walleyes back in the mid-1980s to improve what had been a marginal walleye fishery. The effort succeeded. The current walleye population is very healthy, boasting good numbers of fish, many of which are over the 15-inch minimum size.

Equipment Recent technological surges in ice fishing equipment equate

to increased efficiency for the hard-water walleye angler, and a more comfortable environment while pursuing the sport.

Not so long ago a typical array of ice fishing equipment in­cluded some homemade jigging rods and a few crude tip-ups. Today, you can buy economically priced yet sensitive jigging rods spe­cifically designed for ice fishing. Several companies offer ice shelters that are easy to erect. More efficient tip-ups are avail­able, as well as a wide assortment of presentations focused on ice fishing.

Walleyes have by no means been ignored in this wave of ad­vancement. Fact is, in most cases, 'eyes have held center stage.

Consider jigging rods. The tip section of a discarded fishing rod was once the nucleus of an ice fishing rod. This wasn't sim­ply a choice of economy. There wasn't much of a selection in commercially produced ice jigging rods. Such is no longer the case.

One manufacturer who specialized in ice fishing rods makes three models ranging from 24 to 32 inches in length. Coupled with lightweight spinning reels loaded with supple four- or six-pound-test line of a premium brand, these outfits serve as ideal tools for actively searching out walleyes.

The term "active" is worth noting. When ice fishing was con­sidered a complacent sport, the idea of drilling lots of holes may not have been considered necessary. Today, walleye fishing is a mobile activity, and the quest of searching out active fish doesn't stop when the' lake is covered with ice.

Effective hand-powered augers, plus lightweight gas augers, make the chore of drilling holes a much more pleasant affair when compared to the days of ice spuds. Some folks may protest turning the ice into Swiss cheese, but covering a wide scope of depths and areas is what makes for effective walleye ice fishing tactics.

Strategies Hager's basic game plan is a sound one, similar to what he would

do on Glendale in open water. He covers several depths to de­termine where any active walleyes are located.

His basic tools include five fishing devices—in this case four tip-ups and one active jigging rod. Here's a typical approach Frank uses on walleye-attracting structural elements (a large point, for instance) on Glendale Lake.

Starting from shallow to deep, Hager drills a series of holes over water varying in depth by about five feet. Over four of these holes he rigs tip-ups. The fifth hole is for active jigging with a spinning rod. The tip-ups are reconnaissance tools. The jigging rod furnishes a more active presentation, and samples water "off line" of the tip-ups. He drills more holes in the same pattern until he finds walleyes. It's a process of elimination that often calls for drilling lots of holes.

For rigging tip-ups, Hager uses a "high-low" rig, in which two droppers are spread near the end of the line. The first snell is located about six inches from the bottom; the second, 18 inches farther up. Size 6 short-shank hooks are tied to each snell, to which medium-sized fathead minnows are lip-hooked. An appropriately sized (depending on depth) splitshot is pinched on the end of the rig to anchor it lightly to the bottom. In addition to the walleyes, the high-low rig is effective on yellow perch.

The jigging Rapala is a standby ice lure, and Hager finds it effective on Glendale Lake. Other active jigging presentations include the Swedish Pimple, Rocker Minnow, Walleye Hawger and leadhead jigs. Hager uses the jigging Rapala plain, but he dresses the spoons and jigs with fathead minnows.

The basic tactics Hager uses on Glendale Lake can work on other Commonwealth waters. Glendale has an excellent mix of deep and shallow water. "Deep" is a relative term. In Glendale the primary creek channels vary from 20 to 35 feet in good win­ter walleye zones.

Here is a list of other Pennsylvania walleye waters worthy of consideration for ice fishing. In some instances the lakes are tra­ditional hotspots for those of the ice fishing fraternity targeting walleyes. In other cases, the walleyes are there, but not often caught through the ice.

22 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

f 1

- *

*

Fiiliing Tips in o Nuhhell

• Cover several depths with four tip-ups and a jigging rod.

• Place the tip-ups from shallow water to deep water with high-low rigs. Set the first hook about six inches from the bottom; the second, about 18 inches from the bottom.

• Use size 6 short-shanked hooks and medium-sized fathead minnows. Crimp splitshot near the hooks to keep the baits down.

• Jig lures like the Swedish Pimple, Rocker Minnow, Walleye Hawger, Jigging Rapala, and plain leadhead jigs.—JK.

Ice Safely No discussion of ice fismns No discussion of ice fisffing would be complete without con­

sidering the safety factor. Most experts consider four inches of hard, clear ice to be the minimum thickness necessary to support a single angler. Even if ice conditions seem ideal, always wear a personal flotation device.

Flood control lakes, because of unstable water levels, warrant special caution. Shore ice can be thin, or elevated above the water's surface ("bridge ice").

At the Allegheny Reservoir, leaking subsurface gas wells serve as "aerators," pushing the warmer bottom water toward the surface. This causes random pockets of thin ice. Offi­cials at this lake strongly discourage the use of ATVs and snowmobiles on the lake's surface.

In an innovative program, the Allegheny Water Safety Council has made available to anglers—free-of-charge—ice awls for | the purpose of self-rescue.

The awls are two short pieces of shovel handles with large I wood screws embedded in them. A short length of rope con­nects two of the awls, and the angler drapes the rope around the shoulders. In an emergency, the victim can punch the awls into the edges of the ice to elevate oneself out of the water.

The devices are available at tackle shops around the wa­terway. In the three years of the program's existence, 1,500 awls have been distributed to anglers.—JK.

Technological lur jei in

ice fhhing equipment

increate efficiency for

hard-water walleye WJ L

Where to Cotch Woll D

eyei on Ice 1. Allegheny Reservoir

2. Pymatuning Lake

3. Youghlogheny

Reservoir

LUZERNE }f ^ ^ ^ 4 . Dutch Fork Lake %\COLUMBIA| (n\ MONROE .

•%. \ J> y WC "'S" Point Lake <V 6. Glendale Lake

7. Lake Nockamixon

8. Lake Wallenpaupack

• Allegheny Reservoir. Straddling the Pennsylvania/New York border, the Allegheny Reservoir produces mega-sized walleyes during the ice fishing season. The current state record walleye was pulled through Kinzua's (the lake's more popular name) ice back in 1980. That fish weighed 17 pounds, nine ounces. Just last year another 17-pounder, just a few ounces off the record, was taken here by an ice angler. According to Kinzua officials, some skilled ice anglers consistently catch walleyes in the 24-inch class.

Much of Kinzua's hard-water notoriety comes from produc­ing lunker walleyes, but this may be one of the top seasons ever for numbers offish. Recent surveys conducted by federal biolo­gists revealed one of the best overall populations in years, with more than half of the walleyes over the 15-inch minimum size.

First ice is perhaps the most productive time to be on Kinzua's frozen surface. This usually occurs in early January, though the lake doesn't freeze at the same time. Bays ice up first, then the Kinzua Arm, and finally the main (Allegheny) arm.

Popular ice fishing areas include Chappel Bay, Dunkels Cor­ners, Webs Ferry and Hooks Brook.

• Pymatuning Lake. Over the mountain ridge west of the Allegheny Reservoir lies Pymatuning Lake, another perennial favorite among hard-water walleye anglers. Kinzua is a steep-sided, deep mountain impoundment. Pymatuning is broad and shallow.

Walleyes are considered the premier species of Pymatuning year-round, and anglers enjoy consistent action during the winter. The lake has the reputation for producing oodles of sublegal walleyes during open-water fishing. This trend is somewhat reversed during ice fishing season, when many anglers catch legal-sized walleyes. These are fish in the 18- to 20-inch range, so don't expect to catch a wallhanger.

Good walleye action is available all along Pymatuning's 16-mile length. Focus on the main river channel at this time of year.

• Youghiogheny Reservoir. The Yough provides one of the better walleye fisheries in southwestern Pennsylvania, and wall­eyes are taken through the ice—when there is ice.

The relatively mild winters of recent years have severely lim­bed the length of the Yough's ice fishing season. Most of the action

that does take place occurs where access is good. The lake sec­tion off the western shore near the dam is the most popular spot. Walleye anglers concentrate on depths around 30 feet.

• Dutch Fork Lake. Dutch Fork would have to rate as one of the "sleepers." This is a 91-acre Fish and Boat Commission lake located in Washington County. What makes it noteworthy is that it received the first of the Commission's stockings of saugeyes, a walleye-and-sauger hybrid. The results of these plantings should be reaching legal size.

• High Point Lake. Because of the high elevation of High Point Lake, it freezes up before other area lakes. It also has a healthy walleye population, including some large fish.

High Point is large for an "electrics-only" body of water. This limits an angler's effectiveness during the open water season. It follows that this situation could make High Point a prime candi­date as a good ice fishing walleye lake.

• Glendale Lake. See the article text. • Lake Nockamixon. Mild winters have limited ice fishing

in southeastern Pennsylvania, and water quality problems once limited Nockamixon's walleye fishery. Even though the weather is in the hands of nature, Nockamixon's walleye fishery is again a force.

Improvements in a sewage treatment facility on Nockamixon's feeder stream have substantially improved the water quality. The high nutrient loading, algae blooming and oxygen depletion of a few years ago are now a thing of the past.

The lake has come back strong, with the walleye population representative of this surge. Catches include fish in the 20- to 30-inch range. If the weather turns cold this winter, Nockamixon is a waterway worth checking out.

• Lake Wallenpaupack. Enter this one also in the "sleeper" category. Ice fishing is popular on Wallenpaupack, with the at­tention focused on jumbo perch. A few walleyes are caught by the perch fishermen.

Wallenpaupack has a good walleye population, with outstanding potential for trophy fish. Could it be that walleye catches are uncommon simply because anglers aren't fishing for them? Wallenpaupack is one of those possible frontiers.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 25

Bearly swimming While patrolling Raystown Lake on the

evening of Sunday, August 2, DWCO Ri­chard Hudy and I were treated to a most memorable experience. At about 8 p.m., near milemarker 10, just south of the Seven Points Recreation Area, we saw a large black bear swimming in the lake about 150 feet from the shoreline. The bear was headed toward the far-side mountain. As we ma­neuvered our boat alongside the bear, it abruptly made a u-turn and returned to the nearby shore. Then it quickly headed into the thick lakeside underbrush.—WCOAlan D. Robinson, Huntingdon County.

Pretend fishing On March 1 all approved trout waters

close to fishing until the opening day in April. As I drove to Lake Rowena in Ebensburg, I noticed an elderly woman fishing with a small youth. I got out of my patrol vehicle and started to walk toward them, and I noticed something odd about their "fish­ing rods." As I approached them, I couldn't believe my eyes. They had two sticks with blue yam tied to them and cheese tied on the end of the yarn—no hooks. I asked the grandmother, who was "fishing" with her three-year-old grandson, what they were doing. She replied, "This is how I take my grandson out for some pretend fishing." All I can say is that it's the first time I've seen this, and I'll leave it to your imagination.— WCO Robert L. Kish, Cambria County.

Stash your trash A recent report of the Center for Marine

Conservation reviewed results of 1991 clean­up efforts in international coastal areas, including Pennsylvania. A total of 30 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and 13 other countries participated in the effort.

Many distressing summaries were given, but one that many of us can help alleviate is that 34 percent of all wildlife entangle­ments reported were caused by monofila-

26 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

ment fishing line. There were no signifi­cant changes in marine debris, and it was reported that at the current reduction rates, it would take 50 years to see an end to plastics on beach areas. Other "boating and fish­ing wastes," along with six-pack rings, were noted as the biggest threat to marine wildlife.

Many anglers have seen balls of discarded monofilament in and along our waters. More anglers seem willing to pick up what they know is a threat to local wildlife, but we need to make even more of an effort. Practice more self-discipline and remind your neigh­boring angler to pocket that "bird's nest" so it doesn't become a (rue bird's final nesting place. Please pocket your tangles and trim­mings of fishing line, and pick up any trash along the way.—Brian B. Burger, WCO, Centre County.

Fireworks This past July 4, WCO William Carey

and I were on patrol in Walt's Cove at Lake Wallenpaupack. Officers Triol and Bendock were at Epply Island, where fireworks were being set off. Just after 9:00 p.m., Offic­ers Triol and Bendock radioed our boat, telling us there had been an explosion on the island and we were to respond imme­diately.

Maneuvering around the boats that had been anchored to watch the fireworks, we could see more explosions and a fire that had broken out on the island. As we passed one of the boats, they informed us that there was a doctor on board. We brought the doctor aboard our patrol vessel and con­tinued to the island, where a fireman met us and directed the doctor to the victims.

We then moved the patrol boat away from the site to maintain a safety perimeter, with assistance from the Coast Guard Auxiliary. A short time later, we transported one of the victims to the Wayne County shore where an ambulance was waiting. After return­ing to the island, our vessel and the patrol vessel of Officers Triol and Bendock were used to move the remaining personnel off the island. Then the Coast Guard Auxil­iary and our two patrol boats secured the area until security personnel had arrived.

The following morning we were back on the scene, and with the help of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, maintained a safety zone while the remaining fireworks were disas­sembled and removed from the island. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.— Jacqueline Carey, DWCO, Pike County.

Boot-leg trout During a law enforcement detail that

corresponded with an inseason trout stock­ing, WCO James Lauer of Lycoming County apprehended an over-eager angler who creeled eight trout and tried to take four more by placing two down each hip boot.— Brian Burger, WCO, Centre County.

Safe boating course Last winter I presented a safe boating

course to 7th graders at various schools in my district. At the end of each course, I handed out a short questionnaire for stu­dents to fill out to see if they had learned anything. In reviewing the questionnaires, some of the students had some interesting answers:

1. You should always have enough PFDs for the number of people on your boat. Boat accidents can be prevented by using common sense, and always use proper safety mea­sures while operating a motorboat.

2. An alcohol level of .10 and above means you are really drunk and will be put behind bars.

3. You should always have enough PFDs in your boat, and no one should drive a car or operate a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

4. People can die if they aren't safe.— WCO Robert L. Kish, Cambria County.

Smokey the patriot On July 4, 1991, a few weeks after re­

turning from Operation Desert Storm, I found myself searching for a change of plans. A thunderstorm had deluged my Centre County district, and the usual holiday boat safety patrol requirements suddenly became unnecessary.

While patrolling native brook trout streams in Bald Eagle State Forest, I no­ticed a pickup truck somewhat hidden in a shale pit where garbage dumping had been an occasional problem. I had just parked to approach on foot when the truck took off. A hasty look revealed several oil cans that the two occupants had apparently used for target shooting. Running back to my patrol vehicle, I was sure that the parties leaving were now well off to points un­known.

I had gone a mile or so when I spotted the pickup truck stopped in the center of the state forest road, its occupants in the woods. They were watching a black bear

flaunting itself in Independence Day splen­dor—and inadvertently lending a hand to this officer. The would-be litterbugs slowed up long enough for me to secure an admis­sion to their untimely deed.

I wonder if the black bear was truly a fellow patriot, or an aspiring deputy can­didate?—Brian Burger, WCO, Centre County.

Dedication Every so often I am amazed at the steadfast

dedication of our volunteer deputy water­ways conservation officers. DWCO John Ford did not vacation or study at an exotic institution while on sabbatical leave from his teaching job. Instead, he planned and implemented a comprehensive aquatic ecology course, complete with a local, long-term stream habitat improvement project with the State College Area School Dis­trict (SCASD). My compliments to Of­ficer Ford, landowners, sportsmen, busi­ness supporters and the administrators of the SCASD who are enabling the project.— Brian Burger, WCO, Centre County.

Natural high It was a Friday night, and my son, Joshua,

and I decided to get up early the next morning and fish the delayed-harvest area of the Loyalsock Creek, Lycoming County. We awoke at 5:00 a.m. and quietly left the house, trying not to disturb the rest of the family.

Josh is 14, and since a Montana fishing trip last summer, he has turned into a real fisherman. We live on Route 87 along the Loyalsock Creek, and the delayed-harvest area is only 10 minutes away.

When we arrived at the Sandy Bottom parking area, it was just getting light. Just as we got out of the car, Josh whispered, "Look, Dad, look!"—not more than 30 yards from us stood a large black bear. I think he was just as surprised as we were. We watched him for a few minutes. Then he strolled away. What an exciting start for the morning!

At the creek, we spread out on a nice riffle. I began fishing with streamers and my son used a wooly bugger. It wasn't long be­fore I had a nice brown trout on my line. Josh began yelling excitedly that he had hooked a fish but had lost it. We fished with streamers for a while, and then changed to March Browns.

The action really started to get hot, and

every 10 minutes Josh was yelling to me that he had one. Watching him catch and release those trout sent chills down my spine. I've taught my boys how to tie flies, be good fly fishermen, and to be gentlemen on the creek. I was proud of how my son was following my teachings. This day was perfect—the weather was great, we had spotted a bear, geese were flying overhead— it was a beautiful day to be fishing. There was an excitement that every father hopes will take place between him and his son.

I floated a March Brown along the bank, and it wasn't long before I felt the tug of a large fish. I called to Josh that I had a big one on the line and he came running. I played the fish for a while and then handed Josh the rod. He was so excited you could see it in his eyes, and probably in mine, too. The fish was an 18-inch brown trout, which we quickly released, hoping to meet it again some day. I teach my sons catch and re­lease because I believe it's the way to fu­ture trout fishing.

That morning was very special to me and I'll never forget it. My son and I became a little closer to nature and each other. I made a point of telling him I loved him, and how proud I was of him as a fisher­man and as my son.

I think of the problems with drugs and alcohol that other kids have, and I hope it never happens to my sons. I wish all kids could experience a day like that morning with their fathers. I'm a Lycoming County deputy sheriff and a member of the Com­mission Volunteer Education and Informa­tion Corps. I see many young lives ruined by drugs and alcohol and hear lots of sto­ries about them, but I don't hear many stories about fathers doing things like fishing with their kids.

I hope my two sons have learned to pick up a fly rod instead of a needle or a can of beer. To you fathers reading this, I hope you will or have experienced a day like the one I had with my son. I'm glad the Fish and Boat Commission has places like these where families can go and have fun.—Steven Hall, Volunteer E & I Corps, Williamsport, PA.

Ninja snapper? Recently, our secretary paged the garage

looking for one of the biologists. A caller had a question about a snapping turtle that was in her yard. Fisheries technician Tim Copeland was about to take the call when

the secretary added, "The lady says there are chains hanging from its shell, and she wants to know what to do." Tim made a hasty retreat from the garage to find an­other phone amidst a flurry of advice from bystanders: "Sounds like a Teenage Mu­tant Ninja Turtle." "Tell her to stay out of reach of the chains, and look out for ka­rate kicks." "I'm not sure if Michelangelo or Donatello is the one with the chains."

If you're not sure what those comments mean, just ask your kids. Meanwhile, let Tim know if you spot any turtles wearing headbands or carrying swords hanging from their shells.—Charles Rupert, Supervisor, Maintenance Area III.

New Zealand readers Angler contributor Chauncy K. Lively

wrote to say that the outdoors editor of the Detroit Free Press was in New Zealand recently. The outdoors editor said that he walked into a dentist's office there, and on the table was a well-annotated copy of Pennsylvania Angler!

The Angler is read around the world. Our subscriber list shows addresses in Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Iceland, En­gland, Australia, New Zealand, the Phil­ippines, Norway, Sweden and Cuba.—Art Michaels, editor.

T*IL OfiCKTfiLK BfiCKTflLK

Would you like a photograph of you and your catch to appear in Pennsylvania Anglerl Send a photograph of you and your catch to the Angler for publication consid­eration in the "Currents" section. Please send only snapshots and prints, either color or black-and-white. Please—no slides and no pictures larger than 8x 10. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want your picture returned.

The Fish & Boat Commission also in­vites you to write letters to the editor in this space if you have an idea on Pennsylva­nia Angler content, a question or concern about the Commission or about fish and fishing, or a helpful idea for anglers or boaters. Letters are edited for clarity and space considerations.

Address correspondence to: Art Michaels, Editor, Pennsylvania Angler, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1673.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 27

Father/son team My young (fishing fanatic) son and I really

enjoy the Angler. We sit together and read it cover to cover each time it arrives. In fact, my son got so excited about the winter fly fishing article in a recent issue that we just had to try it on a cold, below 0 (it seemed) day on Tobyhanna Creek, but that's another story. Thanks for the great fish tales.—Seth and Don Miller, Cresco, PA.

Thanks for "On the Water" I almost always read the Angler back­

wards, starting with your column, "On the Water." I want to say a heartfelt thanks for your words of encouragement to the grassroots volunteers you've folded into your columns so often.

Maybe I'm more receptive than most to the positive reinforcement of our unpaid heroes, but this is a time when we need all of them more than ever before. Without our clubs, the real backbone of the sportsmen's movement, we'd be in a very precarious position.

Thanks, Dave, from all of us.—Bonita Hoke, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.

Thanks for Petri article I wanted to comment on Bob Petri's

article, "Two-Way Trout," in the Septem­ber issue. I'm from Erie, and I have re­cently come to enjoy his articles in the Erie Times newspaper, as well as his editorials in the "Trout Unlimited" newsletters. I'm glad Bob and Erie have gotten some rec­ognition. His name shows up more and more when it comes to our area coldwater re­sources. Thank you for publishing Bob's article. He has true talent!—Laurie Mook, Erie, PA.

28 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

,JL

23

24 28

Pennsylvania Fishes Clues

ACROSS I. Popular species, originally from Germany. 5. Golden-colored opening day

catch. 6. Minnow family member,

common trout stream inhabitant.

10. Stizostedion canadense, walleye relative.

II. a.k.a. freshwater drum. 12. Many are caught on stinkbaits,

coagulated blood and liver. 16. Commercially caught Lake

Erie species. 17. Lepomis macrochirus, often a

youngster's first catch. 18. Rainbow trout that migrates. 19. Second largest freshwater fish

in Pennsylvania. 22. Susquehanna salmon or

goggle-eye. Only Pennsylvania gamefish with two state record categories. Esox lucius. Anadromous Delaware River gamefish.

30. Creek or river. 31. Black or white. 32. Small relative of American

shad. 33. A salmon, a.k.a. silver. 34. Pennsylvania state fish. 35. Baitfish, member of herring

family. 36. Sunfish family member,

bright-red eye.

DOWN 2. March catch in streams. 3. Golden or common. 4. Many succumb to dip nets in

spring. 6. Allegheny River prize for

nighttime anglers. 7. Pennsylvania's largest sunfish

family member. 8. Mottled or slimy. 9. Opening day catch, tolerates

somewhat high temperatures. 13. Most popular Susquehanna

River gamefish. 14. Recently re-introduced into

SW Pennsylvania. 15. Atlantic, shortnose or lake. 20. Longnose or spotted. 21. Catadromous Delaware River

species. 25. Large species, closely related

to brook trout. 26. Chain or redfin. 27. Black-mouthed kind of

salmon. 29. a.k.a. bronze battler.

Fish & Boat Commission Meeting Minutes

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Com-mission held its fifth meeting November 8 and 9,1992, at Magee's Main Street Inn in Bloomsburg. Newly elected Commission president J. Wayne Yorks, of Benton, presided over the meeting.

The Commission considered the following agenda items:

Boating—proposed rulemaking • Agreed to eliminate the current special

regulation permitting waterskiing on Connoquenessing Creek Dam, Beaver County, and establish a lOhp restriction.

• Established additional Slow Minimum Height Swell speed restrictions in Hunters Run Cove, at Foster Sayers Lake, Centre County.

•Approved a Slow Minimum Height Swell speed restriction between Barbadoes Island Bridge and the Norristown Dam on the Schuylkill River, Montgomery County.

• Established speed restrictions on Lake Wallenpaupack, Pike County.

• Modified special boating regulations on Felix Dam, Schuylkill River, to simplify regu­lations and provide safety to its users.

Final adoption •Approved special boating restrictions on

Long Pond, Wayne County. • Changed regulations concerning back­

fire flame arrestors to eliminate Coast Guard certification and comply with current fed­eral regulations.

• Extended the city of Pittsburgh (Allegheny County) Slow No Wake Zone to the West End Bridge.

• Amended a special regulation on Cowanesque Lake, Tioga County, on opera­tion of motorboats on the upper reaches of the lake.

• Amended boating regulations on Lake Winola, Wyoming County.

• Prohibited the unlawful display and use of boat registration certificates, numbers and validation decals.

• Approved an amendment that would clarify the authority of the Commission to recall dealer registrations.

• Required the surrender of a registration certificate when the registration is suspended or revoked.

• Tabled establishment of boating restric­tions on Laurel Lake, Susquehanna County.

• Imposed a lOhp maximum on Pine Creek,

Lycoming and Tioga counties. After January 1, 1995, only electric motors will be permit­ted in this area.

• Approved an electric-motors-only restriction on Tripp Lake, Susquehanna County.

Fisheries • Approved a three-mile section of the East

Branch Tunungwant Creek, McKean County, from the confluence with Pigeon Run down­stream to the McMullan Street bridge in Lewis Run to be included in the Trophy Trout pro­gram, effective January 1, 1993.

• Changed regulations on Conewago Lake (York County) and Lake Arthur (Butler County) from Conservation Lake to Big Bass regula­tions, effective January 1, 1993.

• Increase the minimum length for trout and salmon from seven inches to nine inches in Lake Erie tributaries (introduced as proposed rulemaking).

Final adoption • Approved miscellaneous special regulations,

Shenango River, Mercer County effective Janu­ary 1, 1993.

•Approved miscellaneous special regulations, Bridgeport Dam, Westmoreland County. Effec­tive on publication in Pennsylvania Bulletin.

• Approved additional Lake Erie commer­cial fishing regulations.

• Imposed a 13-inch size limit on the impor­tation of weakfish.

• Removed special regulations on Lake Took-A-While, Luzerne County, effective January 1, 1993.

• Changed special regulations on Harris Pond, Luzerne County, from Conservation Lake to Big Bass regulations, effective January 1,1993.

Bureau of Property and Facilities Management

• Approved disposition of property at Minsi Lake, Northampton County.

Final adoption • Increased fees at Walnut Creek Marina, Erie

County.

Bureau of Education and Information • Approved cooperative agreements with

nature/environmental educational centers. •Approved special promotional offer of Com­

mission magazines. The Commission also established meeting

dates for 1993 as follows: January 22 & 23—Harrisburg; April 25 &

26—State College area; July 25 & 26—Har­risburg; and October 24 & 25—location to be announced.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 29

Field Identification Guide Available The Snakes of Pennsylvania, by William B. Allen, Jr.,

is a 33-page field guide containing information on all poisonous and non-poisonous snakes native to Pennsyl­vania, snakebite treatment, history of snakes within the state, and the biology and ranges of snakes. The publi­cation contains range maps and full-color photos, along with a comprehensive description of each snake and its habits. Copies sell for $6.50, with quantity discount rates available to sportsmen's and outdoor education groups. For more information or to order your copy, write to William B. Allen, Jr., 371 Celeron Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15221.

(answers to page 28 crossword)

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f ingler's N o t e b o o k ty Sam Ewntt

Early-season wet fly patterns that you might want to tie this winter include a Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, March Brown, Royal Coachman, Light Cahill and Dark Cahill.

Knit watch caps, scarves, high-neck coats and sweaters are necessary winter wear to prevent body heat from escaping through your head and neck. Estimates suggest that 30 to 50 percent of body heat is lost through the head and neck in cold weather.

Beware of "stick-ups" on ice-covered water­ways—trees, stumps, branches, pilings and aquatic vegetation, for example. Fish often gather near structures like these, but the ice around them can be thin.

This winter tie some nymphs and wet flies on keel hooks. The keel gives the hook a weedless quality, so the flies can be worked deeply in spring with fewer snags.

Did you store your boat battery in your base­ment last fall? Measure the charge with a hydrom­eter. If it's below 60 percent capacity, charge the battery. Measure the charge again in spring just before you put the battery back in the boat. If the charge is below 60 percent, recharge the battery again.

Now is an excellent time to sharpen the hooks on your flies and lures. Razor-sharp hooks best ensure solid hook-ups.

Take your PFDs out of your boat and hang them indoors. Mice that live in garages, sheds and other outdoor storage places quickly find the warm in­sulation that's used to make PFDs.

In addition to lubricating your reels in prepa­ration for this season, you might want to replace the drag washers. Plain wear and keeping them set tight keep the drag from working smoothly— a necessity when you hook a big fish.

Buying your fishing license and trout stamp now might help you avoid long lines as the weather warms and the opening of trout season nears.

Fish fact: The scientific name for striped bass is Morone saxatilis, which means "living among rocks." That's why stripers are also called rock-fish. Stripers are anadromous—they live in salt­water and ascend freshwater streams and rivers to spawn. They are also diadromous—they can change their physiology to live either in freshwater or saltwater during some portion of their life cycle.

The lower Delaware River is Pennsylvania's only tidal water. Gamefish feed more in tidal water when the tide is moving. This action brings baitfish and food to them. Generally speaking, the best ac­tion occurs two hours on either side of high tide. Area bait shops can provide you with tide charts so that you can time your fishing trips during the season.

"Red, right, returning" is a helpful saying to remember that's part of the nautical rules of the road. It means that when you are returning to port from sea, or from out in a waterway back to the dock, the red daymarks, buoys, lights and other navigational aids will be on your right. The green aids will be on your left. Similarly, when you head away from the dock, the red aids will be on your left.

illustration- George Lavanish

The mission of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is to

provide fishing and boating opportunities through the

protection and management of aquatic resources.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE Edward R. Miller, P.E.,

Executive Director Lawrence W. Hoffman,

Executive Assistant C. Blake Weirich, Aquatic Resources

Planning Coordinator Dennis T. Guise, Chief Counsel

John Arway, Division of Environmental Services

Joseph A. Greene, Legislative Liaison

Lois J. Telep, Executive Secretary

COMPTROLLER Ross E. Starner

BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

717-657-4522 Allison J. Mayhew, Director

Rafael Perez-Bravo, Personnel Glen Reed, Federal Aid

Mary Stine, Fishing Licenses

BUREAU OF FISHERIES 814-359-5100

Delano Graff, Director Rickalon L. Hoopes, Division of Research Richard A. Snyder,

Division of Fisheries Management Dennis C. Ricker,

Division of Trout Production Martin T. Marcinko, Division of

Wartn/Coolwater Fish Production

BUREAU OF PROPERTY AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

814-359-5100 James Young, P.E., Director James I. Waite, Division of

Construction & Maintenance Services Eugene O. Banker, P.E.,

Division of Property Services

BUREAU OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

717-657-4542 Edward W. Manhart. Director

BUREAU OF BOATING 717-657-4540

John Simmons, Director Virgil Chambers, Division of Boating Safety & Education

Andrew Mutch, Division of Boat Registration

BUREAU OF EDUCATION & INFORMATION

717-657-4518 Stephen B. Ulsh. Director Larry Shaffer, Publications

Kimberly S. Mumper, Education Carl E. Richardson, Education Dave Wolf, Media Relations

Art Michaels, Magazines Ted R. Walke, Graphic Design

30 January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler

Qtt V ^ URi^S with Dave Wolf

Curing Our Social Ills

It has been over 15 years since the old Volkswagen Bug broke down along the interstate. My son was only seven at the time, and he and a neighbor remained in the car while I was given the unpleasant task of finding someone who knew how to fix this foreign invention I had been driving. My car looked like the inside of a trash receptacle and the woman, some 40 years my son's senior, with good intentions asked my son to help her clean up "the mess."

My son complied and they did an excellent job uncovering floor mats that were deep beneath a pile of junk mail, styrofoam cof­fee cups and fast-food wrappers. He delighted in the accomplishment until his elder told him to gather the bags and help her "chuck them over the guard rail."

"No, you can't do that," he said. "We don't litter." The woman insisted, but my son held his ground to the point

that not only would he not throw trash out of the car, but he would not allow her to do it, either.

When I returned the woman was quite miffed. She became even more insulted when I congratulated my son on his behavior. If I remember correctly, she muttered something about respect for your elders beneath her breath.

To this day I remember the occasion as a milestone in the life of my son, because he was not simply following his father's or­ders. He had a deep commitment to the "no littering" ethic. He would not consider littering or any other unethical water or land use—a commitment I'm sure he will share with his children and grandchildren.

Sure, everyone likes to brag about children, but that is not the point. The point is that we can all help cure our social ills by simply teaching our children good land ethics.

Many, and thankfully so, have taken on the gigantic task of turning around social ills that have existed since the beginning of man­kind—and many have become frustrated when the human race does not comply with what W^f- .,--.' g!S|L>'W,"i.r '.-*< many consider new stan­dards of living. Many of us with "Type A" person­alities cannot except foot-dragging, or those who do not fall in line or consider our "preaching" to be over­bearing and a downright in­convenience.

But I find that those who have taken on the task of teaching ethics and appre­ciation of the environment and its inherent problems successfully grind it out a yard at a time. Sure, the quarterback has been sacked a time or two, but

they have rehuddled and regained the yardage and then some to make another first down.

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold is a book that has become dog-eared by most conservationists. It seems that Leopold was well ahead of his time. Consider, too, that the man died a year before the book was printed, in 1949. Imagine the anguish this great conservationist and author must have felt, not know­ing that he indeed had played his part in winning the battle through his published works. Perhaps he was fortunate not to live through the 1950s and 1960s to witness the destruction of the resources that nature had offered.

Consider, too, the pride he would have felt today—a time when Americans believe the environment is a key issue and our social ills concerning land and water protection should be addressed and resolved. His son, Luna, gathered the team necessary to edit and publish the works of his deceased father. By doing so, he may have hurled the "Hail Mary" touchdown pass that allowed con­servationists without Leopold's experience and training to help keep the come-from-behind victory in sight.

Today, conservation, ethics and appreciation of the environment has reached the school systems. Education programs such as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Keystone Aquatic Resource Education (KARE) program, along with a host of oth­ers initiated by conservation groups throughout the country, should go a long way in teaching our children and grandchildren the need for nature and its bountiful resources. But as often quoted, "Education begins at home," and all of us must help grind it out a yard at a time by example and teachings.

The game is long from being over, because big business and enterprising individuals think that the destruction of our natural resources remains necessary to cure our economic woes. They are a strong lobby with funds to fight the battles and convincing arguments—but most realize by now that the destruction of our natural resources has resulted in short-term gain for the privileged few, leaving the rest of the populace behind to care for the wound of the ailing land.

Curing our social ills concerning environmental problems may go into overtime, but consider how far we have come in the last 15 years, and realize that in time the game will be won. In the meantime, we must content ourselves with grinding it out a yard at a time—for the goal line is in sight.

January 1993 Pennsylvania Angler 3 1

Eastern Pennsylvania

Trout Stream Insect

Emergence Guide

(within one to two days)

by Bill Feddock

Fly

Little Blue Midge

Blue Quill (mayfly)

Iron Blue Dun (mayfly)

Early Blue Quill (mayfly)

Quill Gordon (mayfly)

Little Black Stone Fly

Natural insect's scientific name

Diptera

Baetis Vagen

Paraleptophlebia mollis

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva

Epeorus pleuralis

Taeniopteryx Maura

Red Quill (mayfly) Ephemerella subvaria epeorus pleuralis, Iron fraudator

Hendrickson (mayfly)

Little Black Caddis

Olive Sedge

Red-Legged March fly

Smokey Alderfly

Black Midge

Light Stone Fly

Grey Fox (mayfly)

Penns Creek Caddis Fly

Black Quill (mayfly)

Minute Blue-Winged Olive

Early Brown Spinner (mayfly)

Yellow Spider (crane fly)

Stone Fly

Spotted Sedge (caddis fly)

Pale Evening Dun (mayfly)

March Brown (mayfly)

Great Red Spinner (mayfly)

Green Caddis

Dark Green Drake (mayfly)

Brown Drake (mayfly)

Ginger Quill Dun (caddis fly)

Pale Evening Spinner (mayfly)

Ginger Quill Spinner (mayfly)

Green Drake (mayfly)

Black Drake (mayfly)

Gray Drake (mayfly)

Iron Blue Dun (mayfly)

American Grannom

Jenny Spinner (mayfly)

Brown Quill (mayfly)

Little Sulphur Dun (mayfly)

Blue Bottle Fly

Whirling Crane Fly

Orange Crane Fly

Golden-Eyed Gauze Wing

White Mayfly

Leadwing Drake (mayfly)

Light Cahill (mayfly)

Little Yellow Dun (mayfly)

Olive Cahill (mayfly)

White-Gloved Howdy (mayfly)

Yellow Sally (stone fly)

Golden Spinner (mayfly)

Willow Stone Fly

Stonefly Nymph

White-Winged Black Quill

Big Orange Sedge (caddis fly)

Yellow Drake (mayfly)

Ephemerella subvaria

Chimarra alterrima

Rhyacophila bosalis

Bibio femoratus

Sialis infumata

Glyptotendipes lobiferus

Isoperia signala

Stenonema fuscum

Brachycentrus numerosus

Leptophlebia cupidus

Baetus levitans

Leptophlebia cupidus

Antocha saxicola

Neophasganophora capitata

Hydropsyche slossonae or alterman

Ephemerella dorothea and rotunda

Stenonema vicarium

Stenonema vicarium

Rhyacophila lobifera

Hexagenia recurvata

Hexagenia recurvata

Stenonema fuscum

Ephemerella dorothea and rotunda

Stenonema fuscum

Ephemera guttulata

Ephemera guttulata

Ephemera guttulata

Leptophlebia johnsoni

Brachycentrus fuliginosus

Leptophlebia johnsoni

Siphlonurus quebecensis

Epeorus vitreus

Lucilia caesar

Tipula bella

Tipula bicornis

Chrysopa occulata

Stenonema rubromaculatum

Isonychia bicolor

Stenonema canadensis

Heptagenia hebe

Stenonema nepotellom

Isonychia albomanicata

Isoperia spp.

Potomanthus distinctus

Leuctra grandis

Acroneuria lycorias

Tricorythodes stygiatus

Neuronia postica

Ephemera varia

White Caddis Leptocella exquisita leptocella albida, leptocella spp.

Little Yellow Stone Fly

Deer Fly

Green Midge

Black Caddis

Isoperica billineata

Chrysops vittatus

Chironomus modestus

Dolophiloides nigrita

Emergence date

Mar. 1, Jun. 8, Aug. 2

Mar. 1, Jun. 1

Mar. 15

Apr. 5

Apr. 7

Apr. 15

Apr. 16

Apr. 16, 17

May 1

May 1

May 1

May-Sept.

May 1

May 8-25

May 13

May 15

May 15, 16

May 15

May 15

May 15

May 16

May 20

May 20

May 21

May 21

May 21

May 23

May 24

May 25

May 26

May 26

May 28

May 28

May 28

May 28

May 29

Jun. 1

Jun. 1

Jun. 2

Jun. variable

Jun. 2

Jun. 2

Jun. variable

Jun. 2

Jun. 5

Jun. 12

Jun. 12 through Sept.

Jun. 25 through Aug.

Jun. 27

Jun. 28

Jun. 28

Jun. 28

Jun. 29

Jun. 30

Jun. 30

Jul. 1

Jul. 1

Jul. 2

July variable

Jul. 4

Aug. 1 through Oct.

Light Evening Sulphur Heptagenia minerva Aug. 2 through Oct.