Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-15
Prospects Are Bright for
Plentiful Supply, in Spite
of the Drought Of Last
Summer - Open Winter
Shared the Fish.
THEY'VE Been Jumping" for
Two Months, and That's a
Good Sign-Sport Has I'M
nroved in All Parts of State,
Anglers Declare.

snont see" muttered the younger of
,vo men in the smoking car of train
-, pulled out of Reading Terminal
s,tore dawn this morning, "why they
.s,r invented the rule about not being
.uored to take more than 40 trout In
one day
arorty trout in one day. yelled his
,,nanIon. an over-serious angler of s.,
.';,h grizzled beard and spectacles. Say,
,,,hai,s the way you, as a new beginner,
s.s about IT, you oughtnt to be going
~ pike County; you ought to go to
nslrlum You're not a fisherman; you're
4 murderer.
ANYWAY" he added you'll be lucky
n YOU get four.
Tha point about the open season for
,tout which began today and will last
ustil .1uly 81, Is sport. The mere acqulsi-
,on of fish, from commercial or even
sulinary standpoints is not considered, and
n the fish are not plentiful in some
streanis that will only be an incentive
10 skill and not a discouragement to
sndeavor In most parts Of the State a
6ne trout season is expected.
Comparatively few fish died from lack
Of water in the drought of last summer
rains filled the streams( and winter came
,he weather was not Severe enough to
freeze them solid. Thus there was
enough water to give the trout play in
their lodging of enemies, particularly
the destructive mink.
DUMPING" FOR TWO MONTHS.
Trout have been Jumping" for two
months. That proved two things; first,
that there were plenty of trout, and sec
ond. that there were insects to jump for;
and when insects visit the streams so
long before the official opening of spring,
that is a sign that the backbone of winter
10 broken and that the trout are being
well fed up for their athletic bouts with
the angler.
For trout's no fun unless he puts up
good fight, These aristocrats among
fish are as highstrung as race horses, and
that is what the angler wants them TO
be-he wants to play" these agile gladi-
ators OF the brooks.
SO there was a great testing of delicate
split bamboos-siX or eight ounces in
weight, and many of them, worth $50: of
silver reels and silken lines, the oiled.
enameled lines, and catgut leaders, thin
ner than mandolin strings, the part of
the line nearest the hook.
1t is not only the great fight the trout
puts up to get away that makes the
sport; 1t is also his elusiveness in being
marked down and of being persuaded to
bite and bite right; for, as they say, "if !
one trout gets away he runs and tells all |
the other trout in the pool and then they |
all are WISE
II stream has a large flow and Is |
Ipread leave 1t; they prefer a meadow
ltream with deep holes and pools and |
pyerhanging banks. They leave streams
running through wooded sections where
The woods have been cut away, raising |
he temperature of the water, for trout |
10 not thrive in water over 55 degrees.
DON'T LET TROUT SEE YOU.
The fisherman must keep out of sight,
keeping, II possible, a short distance from
he bank until he gets to the place at
which he wants to fish
Cautiously he should approach the
'tream, sometimes crouching, and perhaps
hiding behind a bush.
The sport has improved in all parts of
The State in the last few years because
10 fish but those able to take care OF
themselves have been released in the
itreams Commissioner Butler stopped
he planting of fry, millions of which had
'een planted every year for many years
Without any appreclable increase in the
Iupply of fish. They were a prey 20
Serything that came along, from high
Vater to cells and grass pike, and a very
mall proportion grew to catchable size
TX inches.
But the releasing of fingerlings and
dults which can be placed in water of
igher temperature than fry will stand,
aused immediate Improvement in the
npply. More of this is desired, espe-
ALLY In certain parts of Pike County,
mere the trout suffered most in the last
lought' the streams in many instances
INNING entirely dry.
lehigh County is particularly for
lhate In trout fishing facilities, the Lit
e Lehigh being considered one of the
nest trout streams in the country. Its
eadWaters are owned by an enthusiastic
yer OF the sport, Colonel Harry C.
IeAler' who bought the old TroxeIl
pIlng when the State abandoned 1t as
natehery' and has made of II the finest
ssehery IN the country. He has spent
oost o 10000 on the improvement of the