Outdoor Nebraska

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEBRASKA GAME, FORESTATION AND PARKS COMMISSION Editor: Dick H. Schaffer Associate editor: William C. Blizzard Artist: Claremont G. Prilchard Photographer-writer: Gene Hornbeck Circulation: Emily Ehrlich APRIL, 1958 Vol. 36, No. 4 25 cents per copy $1.75 for one year $3 for two years Send Subscriptions To: Outdoor Nebraska, State Capitol, Lincoln 9 NEBRASKA GAME COMMISSION Floyd Stone, Alliance, chairman Leon A. Sprague, Red Cloud, vice chairman Don F. Robertson, North Platte George Pinkerton, Beatrice Robert H. Hall, Omaha Keith Kreycik, Valentine DIRECTOR M. O. Steen DIVISION CHIEFS Eugene H. Baker, construction and engineering Glen R. Foster, fisheries Lloyd P. Vance, game Dick H. Schaffer, information and education Jack D. Strain, land management and parks PROJECT AND ASSISTANT PROJECT LEADERS Orty Orr, fisheries (Lincoln) Phil Agee, game (Lincoln) Clarence Newton, land management (Lincoln) Malcolm D. Lindeman, operations (Lincoln) Frank Sleight, operations (Lincoln) Harvey Miller, waterfowl (Bassett) Bill Bailey, big game (Alliance) DISTRICT SUPERVISORS DISTRICT I (Alliance, phone 412) L. J. Cunningham, law enforcement Lem Hewitt, operations John Mathisen, game Keith Donoho, fisheries Robert L. Schick, land management DISTRICT II (Bassett, phone 334) John Harpham, law enforcement Delmar Dorsey, operations Bruce McCarraher, fisheries Jack Walstrom, game DISTRICT III (Norfolk, phone 2875) Robert Benson, law enforcement Harold Edwards, land management Lewis Klein, operations Gordon Heebner, game George Kidd, fisheries DISTRICT IV (North Platte, phone 4425-26) Samuel Grasmick, law enforcement Robert Thomas, fisheries Richard Wickert, operations Dale Bree, land management DISTRICT V (Lincoln, phone 5-2951) Bernard Patton, law enforcement Robert Reynolds, operations George Schildman, game Delvin M. Whiteley, land management RESEARCH BIOLOGISTS Max Hamilton, pheasants (Fairmont) Raymond L. Linder, pheasants (Fairmont) David K. Wetherbee, coturnix quail (Lincoln) AREA CONSERVATION OFFICERS William J. Ahern, Box 1197, North Loup, phone 89 Robert Ator, Box 141, Syracuse, phone 115 Cecil Avey, 519 4th Street, Crawford, phone 228 William F. Bonsall, Box 305, Alma, phone 154 H. Lee Bowers, Benkelman, phone 49R Dale Bruha, General Delivery, Albion, phone 356 Loron Bunney, Box 675, Ogallala, phone 247 Raymond Frandsen, P.O. 373, Humboldt, phone 2411 Carl E. Gettmann, 810 East 5th Street, Hastings, phone 2-4929 John D. Green, 720 West Avon Road, Lincoln, phone 8-1165 Ed Greving, Box 221, Rushville, phone 257 H. Burman Guyer, 1212 N. Washington, Lexington, phone Fairview 4-3208 Larry Iverson, Box 201, Hartington, phone 429 Norbert J. Kampsnider, 1521 West Charles, Grand Island, phone Dupont 2-7006 Jim McCole, Box 268, Gering, phone 837 L Jack Morgan, Box 603, Valentine, phone 504 Gust J. Nun, 503 East 20th, South Sioux City, phone 4-3187 Roy W. Owen, Box 288, Crete, phone 446 Fred Salak, Box 254, O'Neill, phone 678 Herman O. Schmidt, Jr., 1011 East Fourth, McCook, phone 992 W C. W. Shaffer, Box 202, Columbus, phone Locust 3-7032 Joe Ulrich, Box 1382, Bridgeport, phone 100 Richard Wolkow, 701 South 22nd, Omaha, phone ATlantic 0718 V. B. Woodgate, Box 403, Fremont, phone PArk 1-5715

IN THIS ISSUE:

TROUT TIME IN NEBRASKA (Gene Hornbeck) Page 3 DEATH OF A LAKE (Orty Orr) page 6 DAWN-AGE NIMRODS AND ANGLERS (William C. Blizzard) Page 9 TROUT STEAKS page n HOW FAST CAN FISH SWIM? (David Gunston) Page 12 COUNTING NOSES AT MALONEY (Bob Thomas) Page 14 DEER HAIR TO BASS BUG (Gene Hornbeck) Page 16 OPERATION NORTHERN PIKE (Bruce McCarraher) Page 18 FIELD TRIALS FOR ALL-YEAR FUN (William C. Blizzard) Page 20 FIND THE VIOLATIONS (Dick H. Schaffer) Page 23 OUTDOOR ELSEWHERE page 25 NOTES ON NEBRASKA FAUNA (George Kidd) page 26 FISH I. Q. page 28

TROUT TIME IN NEBRASKA

Tasty, tricky, temperamental, tackle-twister—that's a trout by Gene Hornbeck Photographer—Writer

APRIL marks the beginning of much activity on the fishing scene in Nebraska. As the waters begin to warm, the annual spawning urge creates an appreciable movement of fish from their winter habitat. The walleye, sauger, and northern pike slowly work their way into the shallows. Other species move later in the spring.

In spawning activities, the trout of Nebraska are somewhat different from their warm-water brethren. Rainbow trout begin their run in mid-March, but brown and brook trout are fall spawners, finishing in late November.

April brings trout enthusiasts to the streams and lakes, many to take advantage of the rainbow runs, others to try their luck on a favorite stretch of water for browns and brookies. And all indications are that the dyed-in-the-wool trout fishermen of Nebraska have a better-than-average chance of catching as many trout in 1953 as in previous years, if not more.

Hatchery operations are about the same as in 1957, with more emphasis on planting fingerling trout in the gravel pits and streams of the panhandle. Trout released in this area last year showed huge growth rates, with three-inch fingerlings reaching a length of 12 inches and an average weight of one pound.

As for 1958, some rough-fish poisoning in suitable trout waters will be done. Planting the reclaimed waters with fingerling trout should produce excellent fishing in the future.

Nebraska's trout country, although somewhat scattered about the state, has its nucleus in the panhandle-western Nebraska. Unknown, perhaps, to many residents of the state, this area produces some bragging-size fish to the man willing to learn the ways of the trout. Top trout producers in the panhandle are Nine Mile Creek, holding browns and a good run of rainbows in the spring, and Dry and Wet Spottedtail and Winter and Sheep Creeks. Fisheries men have found many natural spawning APRIL 1958 3   areas in panhandle streams, indicating that these waters are producing native trout.

Moving north into Sioux County, the Niobrara and White Rivers and Soldier and East Hat Creeks are some of the finest trout waters in the state. West into Dawes County, streams such as the Bordeaux and Little Bordeaux are good, with a fair population of planted fish in Chadron Creek and Reservoir. Morrill County's best streams are the Red Willow and Wildhorse, which have a good spring run of rainbows in addition to resident populations of browns. Cherry County, in the sandhills, offers good trout sport in the headwaters of the Snake and Boardman Rivers and the North Branch of the Loup.

Farther east, Schlagel Creek offers good brown fishing. Brown County's Long Pine and Plum Creeks produce excellent results. Hooker and Thomas Counties' Dismal River has good trout fishing in the headwaters. Gracie Creek, in Loup County, provides that area with some brown-trout fishing.

Moving into northeast Nebraska, trouting is limited to the North, Middle, and South Branches of the Verdigre, Steel Creek, and Grove Lake. Swing southwest into the reservoir areas on the Platte and Republican Rivers, and you can expect to find good to excellent results on trout in Ogallala Lake and McConaughy Reservoir. Upstream, many of the feeders produce some big rainbows during the spring run. For detailed listings of other waters, write the Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission, Lincoln 9, Nebraska, for a complete guide to Nebraska fishing.

Finding trout water is sometimes much easier than catching that cold-water fish. Trouters throughout the state are growing in numbers, as many fishermen are beginning to realize that Nebraska does have some fine trout fishing. Success on any trout excursion can be based on a man's knowledge of trout and trout habits just as much as on his fishing skill, for the two are the keys to a heavy creel.

Spring fishermen will find that fish, as a rule, are still sluggish in the cold waters. Knowing this, they should fish the deep holes and bends slowly and carefully. Patience is essential, for many a big trout can be taken from a hole passed up earlier by an angler who quit after trying for only a few minutes. A big brown may watch your offerings drift by 10 times before they come close enough to his dining room to tempt him. A sleek rainbow may lie at the tail of a pool eyeing your minnow or spoon for many casts before he comes leaping into the air with your hook imbedded in his jaw.

Still-fishing a pool does produce fish, but a good trout fisherman knows his water and cover and will OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 4   carefully work undercut banks and other likely looking hiding places.

As the season progresses and the water warms, trout become more active and begin moving more freely in search of food. The brown will begin working the shallower water nymphs and minnows, and the rainbow and brooks will be spending more time in a favorite riffle, darting out now and then to snatch a quick lunch as it comes bouncing along the bottom. May is fly time, and from then into early autumn trout feed heavily on insects of all kinds. Nymphs, May flies, moths, and grasshoppers are a few of the better-known insects used in both imitation and natural phases to take trout during the summer.

Bait is the best fish producer for early spring, with worms at the top, followed closely by minnows. Small spoons and flatfish-type lures, along with streamer flies and bucktails, will at times take many larger fish. As the fly hatches begin in early summer, fly-fishermen will have days they will far outfish the bait-fisherman. As grasshoppers become numerous, they will provide one of the top trout baits. Fished either on a floating line or submerged by a small splitshot, they will account for a large percentage of Nebraska trout.

Salmon eggs, both in clusters and singles, are used very little as trout bait in Nebraska, but early season fishermen will find they are sometimes the only bait a spring-run rainbow will take. (continued on page 13)

APRIL 1958 5

DEATH OF A LAKE For Better Fishing

by Orly Orr Project Leader

IN recent years, there has been an increasing realization that state fish and game agencies have a large responsibility in managing fishing waters for future generations of anglers. One of the most effective and widely used tools of management is that of removing an undesirable fish population by use of a fish-killing toxicant. These undesirable fishes are often referred to as weed species, and a lake can "go to weeds" as surely as can a vacant hog lot. To retain our metaphor, we prefer our fishing lakes to be free of weed species, and we like to see fat young "bacon sprouts" scampering about our hog lots.

At the northwest edge of Lincoln are two adjoining lakes known locally as East and West Oak Lakes. In earlier times, this area was a city dump, but through the process of reclamation has become a place much used for fishing, boating, and picnicking.

The total surface area of the two lakes is about 60 acres. West Oak Lake has 32 acres, and it is this body of water with which we are concerned. Beginning in late September, 1957, through agreement and co-operation with the City Park Department and the Game Commission, the lake was renovated.

The need for better lake management for fishing could not be questioned, as for some time small carp and undernourished bullheads had dominated the fisherman's catch and, as was later seen, there were hundreds of small carp for each small bullhead. Although the beginning angler does not particularly care what species he catches, there are fishes more easily hooked than small carp. The bluegill, for example, is an ideal fish for the OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   budding fisherman. In the interest of more diversified and better fishing, the decision was made to remove the stunted carp-bullhead population from West Oak Lake and restock with game-fish species.

The Oak Lake renovation was the most unusual we have experienced. Ordinarily, 1.5 parts per million of toxicant is sufficient to remove fish populations; however, in this case, much more was required.

The material used was a special preparation sold under the trade name "Fish-Tox" and contained five per cent rotenone. The effect of rotenone upon gill-breathing animals is that of respiratory paralysis: the fish die of suffocation. A common misconception has it that oxygen is removed from the water. This, of course, is not the case. Rotenone is a substance found in the roots of certain subtropical plants. Two genera of these plants are Derris and Cube. Gill-breathing animals are affected by low concentrations of rotenone, but warmblooded animals are relatively immune. For this reason, fishes killed with rotenone are considered edible and people are encouraged to come out and pick them up.

Oak Lake was first treated on Sept. 18, 1957, at the rate of two parts per million of Fish-Tox. Normally, fishes appear in distress within the first hour. On that day, though, only a few fish had appeared after two hours. By nightfall, it was apparent that further application would be necessary. On September 20, another application of two parts per million was accomplished without achieving a complete kill, and on September 23, the performance was again repeated. During the next two weeks, carp could be seen in varying degrees of distress. On October 14, toxaphene was applied at a rate of .5 parts per million and it is believed that a complete kill was finally accomplished.

Reasons for the failure of a normal treatment of two parts per million of Fish-Tox to kill the fish population of Oak Lake are not well understood. One of the factors is that the project was undertaken late in the season when water was cold; rotenone is most effective when water temperature is approximately 70 °F. Probably the principal reason was the presence of substances in the bottom silt that had a buffering effect on the rotenone.

Composition of the Oak Lake fish population was a surprise to many people, for it was believed that large numbers of big carp and buffalo were present. The assumption was based on evidence provided by an extensive summer-kill that occurred in August, 1954. At that time, a considerable number of large carp and buffalo were removed and it was assumed that there would also be large carp and buffalo when the lake was rotenoned. This was not the case. Not a single buffalo appeared during the renovation process. Apparently, all buffalo were removed by the 1954 summer-kill, and only a few carp survived to serve as a breeding population. Carp from the 1956 spawn were the most numerous of any group of fishes.

Even though the fish were small, the total fish crop that Oak Lake was supporting was very large. City Park personnel picked up an estimated 600 pounds of fish per surface acre, predominately carp. Many pounds of fish were picked up by spectators during the rotenoning. Obviously, the fish population was not being touched by APRIL 1958 7   hook and line fishing. The spawning population of carp remaining from the 1954 summer-kill was able in two seasons to create a severe condition of overpopulation. In other words, the carrying capacity of Oak Lake— probably approaching 700 pounds of fish per acre—was filled in two spawning seasons. A body of water that supports a standing crop of fish as large as 700 pounds per acre must be very fertile.

In the past, it has been the practice to stock bullheads and other species in Oak Lake on a put-and-take basis, and the lake has even been referred to as strictly a put-and-take lake. This concept is ridiculous when we remember its high level of biological productivity. Let's examine the facts: The standing fish crop in the lake was about 22,000 pounds, and during the summer of 1957, somewhat less than 2,000 pounds of bullheads were stocked. These fish were turned loose into an environment where there was no room for them. The fishes already present were using all the available food and the stocked fish in a new environment could not compete well.

As a consequence, they bit readily for a time. For a short while fishing was said to be better. When a number of the "new fish" had been caught and others became adjusted to new surroundings, fishing returned to normal. In such cases, fishermen often claim the lake has been "fished out" and want more stocking. Herein lies the fallacy of the practice. Fishermen are lured into a belief that stocking is needed when actually the body of water is full of fish within its capacity to produce. And in the case of Oak Lake the capacity is large.

The answer, then, is better management of the waters that we now have plus increased efforts in developing new fishing waters through acquisition of public access to existing water and construction of new water areas.

THE END 8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

DAWN-AGE NIMRODS AND ANGLERS

by William C. Blizzard Associate Editor

HOW long have men hunted and fished in Nebraska? Archaeologists with the Smithsonian Institution Missouri Basin Project in Lincoln say men lived in what is now Nebraska as long ago as 10,000 B. C, and may date back much farther than that.

There is no doubt they depended heavily upon hunting and fishing as a means of livelihood. The arrowheads and fishhooks they left behind prove it. "Arrowhead," by the way, is not an approved term by most of the scientifically precise Smithsonian archaeologists who since 1946 have been unearthing remains of early man in Nebraska and other areas drained by the Missouri River and its tributaries. They call them "projectile points."

These deadly bits of flaked and fashioned stone and bone, they reason, may not have been used on arrows, though quite probably on projectiles of some sort. And so the archaeologist prefers terminology he feels most closely reflects reality.

A large-headed missile, contrary to some opinion, was not required to bring down a large animal. An arrowhead (to revert to the vernacular) the size of the fingernail on your third finger is capable of killing a buffalo weighing more than 2,000 pounds. Nor were the small points necessarily used on birds and small game. They were simply used as tips for different sorts of propelling devices.

"May" and "probably" are terms often heard in the Smithsonian branch headquarters in Lincoln. Archaeologists and anthropologists, because of the nature of the APRIL 1958 9   materials with which they work and their prudent scientific attitude, are not often given to flat statements or quotation of exact dates. They work in an atmosphere of aeons. Minds must be kept open, for additional discoveries frequently invalidate previous estimates.

Despite the seeming coyness of scientific gentry, archaeology is most emphatically not guesswork. The archaeologist calls upon the geologist for dating of strata in which artifacts are found. The term "artifact," incidentally, is an archaeological word referring to any object fashioned or shaped by man, from fence posts to bead-blanks.

This geologic data furnishes at least a presumption as to the relative age of the objects buried in such strata. Radiocarbon dating, developed by Libby and associates at the University of Chicago and first used in 1949, has become a valuable tool for the study and more exact dating of ancient man.

Tree-ring dating, a complex methodology projecting into the past the counting of annual growth rings of trees, has also become a tool of those who wish to reconstruct the history of man in prehistoric times. This methodology was largely developed, in the Plains states, by Harry Weakley of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the late George Will, Bismarck, North Dakota, businessman.

What did ancient man hunt and fish for in Nebraska, and what were his methods? The animals were similar to those pursued by today's hunter, except that the bison, or buffalo, was a then staple item, providing food, clothing, domestic implements, and weapons of war. His primary weapon was the bow, although the spear may have been used (especially in early cultures) in connection with the all-all, a throwing device providing an extension of the arm, delivering great leverage and thrust.

Not so much is known of fishing. Fish remains do not lend themselves well to preservation, although they are sometimes found. But, as the accompanying photographs show, ancient man did fashion hooks from bone—and probably other materials. He angled with hook and line long before the modern fisherman assaulted the finny tribe with his elaborate gear. And most likely he told tales of the big one that got away.

Smithsonian workers, in co-operation with the Nebraska State Historical Society, University of Nebraska Laboratory of Anthropology, and Nebraska State Museum, have classified man's early history in this area roughly as follows:

BEFORE 8,500 B. C. Not much is known of this period, although many archaeologists believe man lived here at least 10 to 15,000 years ago. This is the period of the "Folsom Man" in the Great Plains.

5,000 B. C. TO ABOUT 2,500 B. C. This period is sometimes referred to as the Long Drought. For there is little evidence of man during this time, and deposits of fine sand indicate an ancient "dust bowl" of gigantic proportions, both in extent and duration. Man may have been forced to flee the area.

2,500 TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. There is ample evidence of man's presence during this era, as a hunter and forager for wild plant foods. Grinding stones indicate he prepared seeds and grain, but they were not believed to have been cultivated.

BIRTH OF CHRIST TO 500 A. D. This was the time, in this region, of small village habitation, horticulture, and the first pottery. In addition to hunting and fishing for food, man supplemented his diet with the bean, squash, and maize or corn. His culture was apparently related to that of the Woodland peoples in the East, in contrast to the western orientation of his forebears. Yet a large portion of his diet still depended upon the products of hunting and fishing.

FROM 1,100 TO HISTORICAL TIMES, man lived in what the archaeologist terms (continued on page 22)

Photo No. 1, flint knives. Photo No. 2, left to right, arrow siraightener of drilled rib, a bison-leg pick, a fleshing fool made from antelope leg, awl and two points. Photo No. 3 is of arrow-making tools. No. 4, bead-blank and shell scrapers 10

TROUT STEAKS

SMALL fish are easily prepared for the skillet by eviscerating, skinning or scaling, and clipping off the head. But once you learn to fillet your large fish you'll throw away your scaler. By filleting, you remove the skin which may have a strong, muddy taste, and retain two tasty fish steaks that are virtually boneless. These photographs show you how.

Photo 1—Place the fish, in this case a brown trout, on its side. Cut to the backbone.. A thin, sharp blade is best, but any good knife of adequate length will do.

Photo 2—Turn the blade at right angles, flat side against the backbone, and cut along bone. Clip the ribs as you cut toward tail.

Photo 3—Stop the cut when you get to the tail.

Photo 4—Flip the filtei over, then grasp the attached skin and insert knife between skin and flesh. Keep the knife at a slight angle, moving it gently from side to side while pulling on the skin with your free hand. This will separate skin from flesh.

Photo 5—Turn your fish over and repeat the steps shown in photos Nos. 1 to 3.

Photo 6—Remove the skin from second fillet as you did the first.

Photo 7—Rib ends will show on underside of fillet. Cut them off as shown. Now you have two fillets ready for a hot frying pan.

APRIL 1958

HOW FAST CAN FISH SWIM?

by David Gunston (Reprinled from Pennsylvania Angler)

MOST anglers fall into the error of overestimating the speeds of fish. The reel screams out its line, the catch struggles mightily and plays cunningly, and all the time appears to swim faster than is actually the case. Nevertheless, there are many kinds of fish which can put up a good speed, even when not hooked, and the whole subject of how fast fish can swim is a fascinating one.

To begin with, no creatures are such masters of their natural element as fish, not even birds, with their apparently effortless soaring and gliding. A fish can remain motionless for as long as it likes, it can move forward or backward an imperceptible degree, it can spurt forward from scratch at high speed, it can rise or descend with supreme grace and ease. Furthermore, the shape of a fish is ideal for swift, sinuous movement, and its underwater streamlining is perfect, as man recognized when he designed submarines and torpedoes. The simple "jet-propulsion" with streams of water ejected swiftly through the gills, the moulded body shape with jaws tightly sealed to allow no water to enter, the smooth-surfaced, inset eyes, the overlapping scales and the tapering rear quarters are all admirably suited to speedy progress through the water.

The resistance of water, by the way, is something like 700 times that of air, so the really high speeds achieved by some fish are little short of miraculous. It was formerly thought that the fins, particularly the caudal fin, and the tail were the sole and primary means of locomotion, but experiments have shown that a fish without tail or fins is far from helpless. The chief method of fish progression is through the rippling undulations of the creature's body, aided by the streams of water from the gills. The other organs are useful as steering devices, balancers, brakes, aids to sudden movement, while the swim bladder inside all fish—a kind of sac containing gas lying just above the gullet—acts as a sort of hydrostatic lifebuoy, adjusting its gas content according to the degree of water pressure experienced at varying depths. Thus a fish can move quickly up or down in the water, sometimes from quite a depth, without experiencing any discomfort at the sudden changes in external pressure as a human diver does when he gets the "bends".

Both the shape and the tail formation of fish are good guides to their powers of speedy locomotion. The fastest fish have long, tapering bodies, cigar-shaped and broad rather than high; whereas fish with short, high, laterally compressed bodies (that is the sunfish shape, as opposed to the salmon shape) are always slower moving. Those fish with deeply forked tails like the mackerel are nearly always the fastest moving over long distances, and those with square or rounded tail patterns are usually slow movers, although most of them are able to make short dashes at high speed if the need arises.

It is extraordinarily difficult to secure reliable proof of fish speeds, for there are many obstacles in the way of scientifically checking underwater movements (some of which may be swift, sudden, and brief) with reasonable accuracy. Fish speeds have been recorded with a variety of devices: by ordinary stopwatch; by a gadget called the "fish-o-meter" attached to a rod to register the speed at which the line is run out; another similar device in which tank fish are harnessed with a fine silk cord which unwinds over a large pulley actuating a sensitive relay once each revolution; by taking a cine film of swimming fish and working out their actual speed by comparison of the varying positions on each picture frame of the film; by timing a swimming fish from the known speed of a ship or boat which it passes in a recorded time; and even by calculating the speed of the current in a river and then working out the minimum speed a fish must achieve to make headway against it.

A French scientist, Professor A. Magnan, using the third device mentioned, has done a lot of work in this field, but almost all of his findings relate to the normal speeds of fish, rather than to their absolute maximum speeds. He found pike, dog fish, salmon, sturgeon, tunny, and blue shark to be among the fastest of fish. Some typical speeds he recorded are salmon 11 m.p.h., tunny 12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   14 m.p.h., and blue shark 24 m.p.h.; all of them normal rather than emergency speeds. Salmon have attracted more speed investigators than any other fish, and another French expert who coaxed fish along a specially built track in the River Vienne found the salmon an easy first, at about 18 m.p.h. The highest recorded speed for a salmon is 25 m.p.h., although some authorities claim that it has really swum much faster.

All fish speeds, by the way, should be considered in comparison with the world speed record for a human swimmer, which is 4.01 m.p.h. American bonefish have been known to swim at 22 m.p.h., and Zane Grey, the famous story teller, recounted how he once hooked one and ran along the bank toward it. In the time he took to cover 50 feet the fish had reeled out 400 feet of his line, and assuming his speed to be only 5 m.p.h., the fish would appear to have reached something approaching 45 m.p.m. in a very short time.

The fastest fish of all is the sailfish, a variety of swordfish, without any doubt. It has been known to take out 100 yards of line in three seconds, a speed of nearly 70 m.p.h., and anything over 60 m.p.h. is usual for these powerful creatures in a sudden spurt of colossal energy and rage. Tunny also rush at a good speed, recorded by some as about 44 m.p.h. maximum. Anyway, a tunny that does not spurt off at about 40 m.p.h. when it first feels the hook is an unusual catch. But for sheer impact of speed (sometimes directed straight at a boat) the thrust of an angry swordfish takes some beating. It has been shown that to drive the rapier of a swordfish through 20 inches of hardwood sheathed with copper and often faced with oak as well, takes a driving force at the moment of impact of at least 60 m.p.h.

The wahoo has been timed by stopwatch to travel 200 yards in 11 seconds, when hooked, which is an average speed of just over 37 m.p.h., while the fighting tarpon and the mako shark can both reach a good maximum of about 35 m.p.h., sometimes hurling their great bodies clean out of the water when they do so. The other really fast fish is the dogfish, to which a spurt of 30 m.p.h. comes easily.

Among the smaller species, the trout follows the salmon with a maximum speed of about 23 m.p.h., and more than one observer's stopwatch has registered a pike's mad dash at 20 m.p.h. Devilfish at 14 m.p.h. and bass at 12 m.p.h., both maximums again, are speedy adversaries, and even a minnow can swim at over 9 m.p.h.

Here are some other authentic speeds recorded for species of special interest to anglers: perch, 10.2 m.p.h.; roach, 10 m.p.h.; dace, 9.3 m.p.h.; carp, 7.6 m.p.h.; mullet, 8 m.p.h.; eel, 7.5 m.p.h.; tench, 7 m.p.h.; chub, 5 m.p.h.; it is worth remembering that even this last, seemingly slow speed is faster than any man can swim, and it is about as fast as one can walk without breaking into a run. By way of comparison the bream progresses at only IV4 m.p.h., though the picture presented by an octopus darting about at a good 4 m.p.h. runs contrary to the generally accepted opinion that these devilish creatures are slow moving and sluggish by nature.

If our authenticated records of fish speeds over short distances are all too few, those covering long periods and distances are even rarer. A marked eel, however, is known to have swum 750 miles in 93 days, which gives it an average speed of about 9 m.p.h., while a salmon has been proved to swim over 60 miles per day for more than 10 days in succession. The usual daily mileage for a salmon in the sea has been estimated at nearer 25 miles per day, however.

It should hardly be necessary to add that if any angler ever gets the chance to measure a fish's swimming speed, even over the shortest distance, it would be a great pity to neglect the opportunity of adding to our knowledge of this subject.

THE END

Trout Time In Nebraska

(continued from page 5)

Fish them on a light leader and fine hook, just as you would a worm, by casting up and across the stream, rolling the eggs along on a natural drift into holes or bends. Egging requires an extra fine touch that will try the patience of even the best fisherman, but once an angler gets acquainted with it he will have another tool to take trout when other baits fail.

Generally speaking, it is best to wade or fish upstream, rather than down. Wade or walk as carefully as possible, as vibrations of a stumbling fisherman will alert even the most bold trout and make him hard to catch. Terminal tackle on your fishing outfit should be kept as light as you can use for stream conditions, four or six-pound-test leader being the most popular for all-round fishing. As the season progresses and the waters clear, you should in turn go to finer, longer leaders.

Fisheries men list the Long Pine in Brown County, the Soldier at Fort Robinson, and the Nine Mile in Scottsbluff County as the state's top streams. If you land a trout larger than the following state records, let OUTDOOR NEBRASKA hear of it: Brook trout, 4 pounds, 8 ounces,, from Lake McConaughy; rainbow, 12 pounds, 4 ounces, Ringsley Dam; Brown, 12 pounds, 4 ounces, Otter Creek.

A full creel, and dry waders!

THE END APRIL 1958 13

14

COUNTING NOSES AT MALONEY

by Bob Thomas District III Fisheries Supervisor Photos by Loron Bunney, Law Enforcement Officer

MALONEY Reservoir is a 1,600-acre lake located in west-central Nebraska. It lies above the Platte Valley, about seven miles south of North Platte. A relatively scenic reservoir, it offers great opportunities for public fishing, camping, picnicking, and boating.

Each year, pressures on recreational facilities increase as people gain more leisure time or feel the need to get away from the routine of everyday activities. As a result, those agencies in charge of or associated with these vitally important resources face a constant challenge to maintain and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation.

This challenge is being met in different ways, an important one being in the field of fisheries research and investigation by the Nebraska Game Commission. During 1957, a research and investigational project was approved for Maloney Reservoir. Basic objectives of this project are:

(1) To obtain an estimate of the total fish population; (2) to remove undesirable fish; (3) to evaluate theoretical management practices; (4) to obtain more complete life histories of fish species present; and (5) to obtain information on effects of water-level fluctuation and turbidity in relation to fishes and basic food fauna. It is hoped that basic information gained from this study will aid in management of other water of this state.

One phase of that project—an estimate of the present fish population—was undertaken in January and February. This estimate is the first attempted in Nebraska. The state seining crew began operations in early January, using a 1,600-foot seine 34 feet in depth. This seine was set, pulled under the ice, and landed near shore through a rectangular "out-hole."

Crew members sorted the captured fish into tubs, then marked and measured them. Marking was done by clipping off the right front fin, or, in the case of walleye, a metal tag was affixed to the top of the left opercle (a bony flap that covers the gills). After being marked and measured, the fish were returned to the lake.

Subsequent seine hauls yielded some marked and unmarked fish of each species. Totals of marked and unmarked fish were carefully recorded and these totals, when substituted into a mathematical formula, yielded estimates of Maloney's total fish population.

RESULTS OF POPULATION ESTIMATE Number Pounds Per Acre Length, Over 7 inches 13 inches 10 inches 10 inches 8 inches 8 inches 11 inches 11 inches 11 inches 8 inches Species yellow perch walleye white bass channel cat crappie drum carp sucker redhorse white sucker carp 50,000 5,500 5,500 10,500 12,500 25,000 15,000 15,000 30,000 240,000 10.0 12.5 3.0 13.0 4.0 16.0 19.0 15.0 30.0 800.0

Some minor changes are expected in these estimates, as a complete analysis of the 15,000 measurements taken must be made before final estimates can be established. Preliminary results of the population estimate revealed game fish to be greatly in the minority, comprising 27 per cent of the total by number and seven per cent by weight.

This population estimate is one phase of the study planned at Maloney Reservoir. It is hoped that upon completion of this study, basic information necessary for better management of fishery resources in Nebraska will result.

THE END APRIL 1958 15

 

DEER HAIR TO BASS BUG

by Gene Hornbeck, photographer—writer

BASS are fickle. You may catch your limit one day, then return to the same lake the following day and score zero. Sometimes the bass will gobble minnows, then capriciously turn up their noses at this bait-fisherman's favorite. They may like your sure-fire, money-back, 300-octane plug, or they may, unaccountably, snub the masterpiece and fall for some outlandish creation resembling a cross between a bedraggled feather duster and the aurora borealis.

The old mossback may be 10 feet down and refuse to come closer, or he may be breaking the surface like an outboard motor. When he is in this latter mood, all fishermen wear grins almost as wide as their armspreads when giving vivid accounts of the monsters that got away. For there are few fishing thrills to match the adrenalin-surge when a large bass strikes your surface lure.

What surface lure? Why, a bass bug, of course. And you can make your own. Let's try making a deer-hair mouse. To do so, you will need the following equipment:

One No. 4/0 hook. This may be smaller or larger, depending on the size mouse you want. One spool of fly-tying thread. One small piece of duck feather (wing), or rubber band. One piece of deer hair, four by five inches square. Small scissors.

First, insert the hook in a tying vise. Then throw two half hitches at the base of the shank as shown in photo No. 1. Take three or four turns about the shank and tie another half hitch. You now select the tail, a piece of feather or a rubber band about one to one and one-half inches long. The rubber band has more action, and some prefer it to the feather.

To attach the tail, hold it between your thumb and index finger (photo No. 2), and hold it tightly against the top of the hook. Hold it so it will not roll, then make two to four wraps, letting the thread slide down between your fingers. Pull it snugly against the hook. Half hitches secure the tail. Check to see that it is firmly in place.

Now select a small amount of deer hair, removing the shorter hairs by pulling on the base while holding the long hairs between your thumb and index finger. Discard the shorter hairs, using only the long ones. This forms a more even pattern. Place in position as shown in photo No. 3. Repeat the tying process as with the tail, but let the hair roll to secure it all around the shank.

When it is securely tied, take one wrap and a half hitch in front of the hair so it will stand up nicely (see photo No. 4). When you put on the second bunch of hair, place the coarse end toward the tapered end of the preceding bunch. This tends to make a more uniform lure. Repeat this until you fill the complete shank. As you go, keep pushing the hair together (photo No. 5) to keep it tightly packed.

Now comes the tying off. Take enough wraps of the thread to make it appear as in photo No. 6. To hold your thread from unraveling, you may use three or four half hitches and apply a lacquer or your wife's colorless nail polish. If you are yourself a wife, use your own nail polish, or swipe some from a friend. You may use a whip finish instead, if you like it better and have mastered it.

Use your own discretion in shaping your mouse, within limits. That is, it should look like a mouse, not like a hippopotamus. I usually start on the bottom, as in illustration No. 7. Trim the bottom almost flat, with a little rounding on the sides. Now turn it and round out the rump, trimming toward the neck and head. Take your time on this part. It is better to take too little than too much. You can always trim it more, and you can't replace lost hair. Ask most men over 40.

On the head, leave two tufts of hair for ears. Make your handiwork resemble the mouse in photo No. 8, and you won't be far off. I have caught lots of fish on these little fakes. You may vary shapes and sizes to your own taste. And you might try rubber bands for legs. As the lure is worked, the bands give you nice action. Also, you might use more than one band on the tail.

Try making this mouse. When you have it mastered, take a stab at the other deer-hair bugs, such as the moth and frog in photo No. 9. These are guaranteed bass getters when smallmouth or linesides are splitting the surface. Flip one out and twitch it a few times. Then watch out, and hang on!

THE END APRIL 1958 17

OPERATION NORTHERN PIKE

by Bruce McCarraher District II Fisheries Supervisor

THE arrival of warmer climes in spring heralds one of the most interesting occurrences in nature. Long before the last cold blasts of the prairie winter subside, a natural phenomenon takes place under the ice cover in several large sandhill lakes. It is at this time of year that adult northern pike become increasingly aware of the longer daylight hours and the warming meadow waters which flow into the lakes. This awareness at times produces large spawning runs of mature pike into the lake shallows and inflowing drainage ditches.

At the first sign of spawning pike approaching the drainage ditches, fisheries biologists and hatchery personnel undertake the first step of operation northern pike. Fyke or bow nets are placed in several feet of water at the ditch entrance to trap the pike moving upstream. The earlier run is comprised largely of males, while the later portion of the spawning run is predominantly females. One female is normally accompanied by two male pike during the movement from lake to spawning site.

So far, the operation appears simple. But to have one continuous spawning run is the exception rather than the rule. Since spawning activity occurs during March and April, the unpredictable weather is always present to disrupt the pike run. I can well recall the turbulent March days of 1957, when three prairie blizzards disrupted all trapping operations for several weeks. With the approach of storms the pike return to the deeper sections of the lake, staying there until climatic conditions are once again favorable for spawning.

Here in Nebraska, the Game Commission has experimented with various methods of stripping pike and transporting pike or eggs to the hatcheries. From results obtained in preceding years, we have concluded that hauling the trapped pike spawners to the hatcheries for stripping results in the best hatching success.

Stripping of ripe pike is similar to methods used for trout and walleye—pressure on the forward part of the belly, and sliding the pressure backward toward the anal opening. Exertion of pressure from the front of the ovaries towards the back will expel eggs from the female. Milt from male fish is released in the same manner.

Inasmuch as many of the Nebraska pike waters are inhabited by large northerns, anesthesia. is often used on spawners, The use of a "relaxing" agent facilitates handling of the large pike.

Once the eggs have been fertilized with milt, a hardening period is necessary before the eggs are measured and placed in hatching jars for incubation. Time required to incubate and hatch northern-pike eggs is directly proportional to the water temperature. At the Valentine and North Platte fish hatcheries, water temperatures of 40° to 52 °F. are maintained throughout the hatching period. At 43°F., eggs will hatch in about 14 days. Thus, by directly controlling the water temperature, it is possible to outdo mother nature by producing a 30 to 70 per cent hatch in hatcheries, whereas in the wild the 18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   natural hatch of pike eggs is often only around one per cent.

After hatching, the young pike—called fry—have no functional mouth and for nourishment must depend for three or four days on their attached yolk sac. However, when the mouth is opened and the fry are free-swimming, the furious search for food is on. This is when fry are stocked in hatchery rearing ponds or immediately released into recently renovated lakes or new impoundments. The rearing and survival of northern-pike fingerlings in hatchery rearing ponds have been greatly advanced by recent fertilization studies conducted at the North Platte hatchery.

Survival and growth of young pike in hatchery ponds is a direct function of available food. At this initial period in the life and growth of the fish, minute aquatic organisms must be available in abundant numbers or the growing pike will perish. This is more readily appreciated when you understand that young pike consume about 12 times their own weight during the first week of active feeding.

When the pike have reached around 1.8 inches in length, they undergo a change in appetite from small insect life to something resembling other fish life. It often happens that the nearest smaller pike may meet a larger pike's appetite requirements. It is at this stage that we start draining rearing ponds to harvest the fish crop for subsequent stocking. When released in suitable waters, fish hatched in April will have grown to 6 or 7 inches by midsummer. At the end of their first year of life, northern pike reach lengths up to 16 inches. This species is Nebraska's fastest-growing game fish.

Why raise and stock northern pike in Nebraska? Why doesn't the Game Commission stock all lakes with pike? These are typical questions asked each spring.

To answer the first question involves several statements reflecting the direct values relating to establishment of northern-pike population. Foremost, pike fishing offers a year-round sport in Nebraska. The qualities of the pike as a game fish have long been recognized, with many Nebraska anglers driving hundreds of miles into Canada and the northern states in search of this species. The ravenous appetite of the pike also categorizes it as the top predator fish, thus making the toothed glutton an important management tool in thinning overcrowded lakes. We might add that, contrary to what certain duck organizations might have us believe, the northern pike in Nebraska does not commonly prey on young ducks. Studies here and in other northern states directly refute misleading information concerning the predation role of the pike on waterfowl.

The answer to the second question is simple: not all lakes and impoundments are suitable for pike production. To establish populations in all lakes, regardless of physical, chemical, and biological environment, would be wasting fish. It is the present policy of your Game Commission to first determine whether a certain body of water has pike potential, then to stock such waters with fingerlings at a ratio of about 100 fish per surface acre of water. The present demand far exceeds our hatchery stock, so it may take several more years of "Operation Northern Pike" before we can catch up with recommended stocking sites.

The future looks bright in Nebraska for this species once bias, based on ignorance, is overcome in some sections of the state.

THE END CHANGE OF ADDRESS Allow four week's notice for a change of address. Please send both your new address and your old address to OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, State House, Lincoln, 9. APRIL 1958 19

FIELD TRIALS FOR ALL-YEAR FUN

by William C. Blizzard Associate Editor

TODAY, there are new standards for old Rover. And I'll thank you not to call him Rover. He's more likely to be named Wayriel Allegheny Sport, Tysonola, Haberdasher's Crestliner, Fast Delivery Belle, or Luminary's Agrippa Ben, to quote the actual appellations of some well-known bird dogs.

There's no doubt about it, this country is going to the dogs. For every 10 human beings in the United States, there is at least one dog. Man's best friend is not only friendly, he's numerous. At the last count of cold noses, the number of tail-waggers in the land was about twice the combined human populations of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, and Wyoming.

Better than four million of these dogs are pedigreed and about 25 per cent are registered. There are about 110 breeds recognized as purebred, from tiny Chihuahuas to huge St. Bernards. How many kinds of just plain dog? Don't ask me, ask Univac.

Americans love dogs. Recall the anguished cries when the Russian Muttnik was launched into space. And look at our literature. Someone once made an intensive survey of American magazines and found that the topics featured most were Lincoln, doctors, and dogs. The researcher came to the conclusion that the most successful article, with both editors and readers, would be titled OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   "Lincoln's Doctor's Dog." If this article has been written, I haven't seen it. But the odds are in favor of Lincoln's doctor, like most other Americans, having had at least one dog.

The American penchant for canine camaraderie is not purely sentimental. There is a strongly practical side to dog ownership, for year after year hunting dogs are the numerical Abou ben Adhems of dogdom—they lead all the rest. This indicates that most of us, if we have the opportunity, like to work our dogs in the field. Hunting seasons are all too short. How, then, are we to train our dogs and spend those delightful hours in the field which are a part of our American heritage?

The answer to this problem is not new. But it is new to a lot of hunters. Some don't know about it, others don't have the time, and still other pooh-pooh it as impractical and not for the hairy chested (the man's chest, not the dog's) field-flayer, turf-trampler, and woods-wrangler. The answer, of course, is the field trial. Every year, increasing numbers of hardshell hunters turn to this fast-growing sport for companionship, recreation, dog training and, as some will admit, man training in the ways of dogs.

Dog clubs sponsoring field trials have sprung up all over the United States. There is probably one or more in or near your home town right here in Nebraska. And field trials are held for many breeds. Noted authority William F. Brown, editor of the American Field magazine, gives the following field-trial classifications:

POINTING DOG TRIALS, for such bird dogs as English setters, Irish setters, Gordon setters, Brittany spaniels, German shorthairs, griffons, and Weimaraners.

BEAGLE TRIALS, for this popular little rabbit chaser.

RETRIEVER TRIALS, for animals that retrieve game, such as Labrador, golden, and Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

SPANIEL TRIALS, chiefly for springer and cocker spaniels.

HOUND TRIALS, for fox hounds, coonhounds, bassetts, and others of the flop-eared breed.

Dogs of one sort or another were brought over by colonists from the time of the first settlement in America. The first canine companions of the white man on the new continent probably belonged to Hernando de Soto, the Spanish conqueror. They were hounds, trained to hunt Indians.

More than 200 years after this cruel hunting by a bloody conquistador, more civilized men met, in 1874, near Memphis, Tennessee, to conduct the first field trial held in the United States. Under the auspices of the Tennessee State Sportsman's Association, it was inspired by similar English trials, the first of which was run in 1865 or 1866. The Tennessee trial was for pointing dogs, judged by a "point" system something like that used to judge contestants in a boxing match.

This point system has been replaced by the "spotting" method, a more flexible means of judging a dog's merits. The dogs are drawn to run in braces, but the two are not merely competing against each other, but with the whole field. Finding birds is the most important quality of a bird dog, but how he finds them—with what sort of form and style—is also a major factor.

Judging is done by the most experienced and capable men available, but is necessarily subjective. Cases have been known where three judges came up with three different winners and had to deliberate for some time in order to come to a decision. It may be seen that a judge could find himself in the same position as a baseball umpire. The average dog owner, fortunately, is a bit more inhibited than some baseball fans or players; otherwise, the field-trial boom might wither on the vine for lack of willing judges.

Sheer "prettiness", in judging a dog's merits, is not a factor. The general criterion is to look for the qualities you'd like a dog to have in the field, and to dock him for the things you wouldn't like if you were shooting over him. That is, the field trial is thoroughly practical.

Ray P. Holland, in his book, Bird Dogs# states flatly: "I am prepared to say that the very best gun dog a man could Own would be the very best field-trial performer he could get his hands on." McDowell Lyon, Outdoor Life dog-department editor, asserts that field trials have done more than anything else to raise the quality of gun dogs, APRIL 1958   and that without them there is no certain way of measuring desirable field-dog qualities.

The chief divisions in bird-dog stakes, or events, are designated Puppy, Derby, and All-Age. The Puppy stake is held in the spring for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the preceding year. It may also be held in the fall for pups whelped on or after June 1 of the preceding year.

The Derby classification applies to dogs about two years old. Derbies are held throughout the season, in the first six months of the year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of two years preceding; in the last six months of the year for those whelped on or after January 1 of the preceding year.

The All-Age is for dogs of any age, from juveniles to grandpas. It goes without saying that contenders in the Puppy and Derby groups can not be held to the high standards of the All-Age category.

Classifications may be further broken down into those for amateur or professional handlers or for amateur owner-handlers. There are open and amateur stakes, the former being open to anyone, the latter restricted to those who receive no remuneration for handling, training, or developing dogs.

Futurity stakes are Derby events with conditions of eligibility attached. These are, chiefly, that the dam be nominated before the litter is whelped, that the puppies be registered in the Field Dog Stud Book, entered individually before a certain date, then named as starters just prior to the running.

In order to compete in a championship field trial, your dog is generally required to place in a recognized field trial in the Derby or All-Age class. To compete for the National Championship for pointers your dog would have first to win an open Derby or open All-Age stake with heats of one hour or longer.

There are usually entry and starting fees, the amount depending on the size and importance of the event. In return, there are often large purses for winners, sometimes as high as $6,000. Some of the most important national game-bird trials are:

On quail: The National Championship, since 1900, near Grand Junction, Tennessee; National Free-for-all Championship, held at various places in Alabama and Mississippi.

On Prairie chicken: All-America Club's Chicken Championship, since 1912, for many years held near Pierson, Manitoba, but also at Estevan, Saskatchewan.

On pheasant: National Pheasant Championship, since 1926, near Buffalo, New York.

On ruffed grouse: Grand National Grouse Championship, since 1943, in various locations.

There are far too many lesser field trials to be listed here. The pointing bird dog dominated the field trial scene for years. But since World War II the little beagle has come to the fore, and, according to Outdoor Life's McDowell Lyon, more beagles have been run in field trials in recent years than all other dogs combined. He estimates that 40,000 beagles are run annually in field trials, and that the beagle leads over all other dogs in numbers registered.

Retrieving dogs have attained great popularity, and the National Retriever Field Trial Club has trials rotating from East to Midwest to West Coast, then back to Midwest and East again.

Event of the year for the beagle fancier is the Spring Futurity Stake of the International Beagle Federation, run each spring over three courses in Pennsylvania. To compete, pups must come from litters nominated before they are three months old.

The coonhound man often travels several hundred miles, like handlers of other breeds, to attend a stake. Biggest is probably the Leafy Oak National Coon Dog Field Trial in Bucyrus, Ohio. In a recent year 10,000 coonhounds competed, or were there to be traded or sold. The trials take place during daytime, with a drag trail.

National field trials can be festive affairs, with whole cities participating in the excitement. In fact, the National Shooting Dog Championship at Union Springs, Alabama, has become to that town, to a degree, what the Mardi Gras is to New Orleans. This is a pointing-dog event for amateur handlers.

There are many field-trial organizations in Nebraska, too many to be included here. In the pointing-dog cate-gory, there is the Husker Bird Dog Club of Lincoln and the Platte Valley Pointer and Setter Club of Grand Island. Lovers of the retrieving breeds have the Central Nebraska Retriever Club in the Hastings-Grand Island area, the Nebraska Dog & Hunt Club in Lincoln, and the Missouri Valley Dog Club at Omaha.

Beagle men are represented by the Pineview Beagle Club in Omaha. Followers of coonhounds, too, are numerous.

Field trials are fun. They provide a way to extend thrills of the hunting season on a year-round basis. Above all, they keep your dog in good shape for the days when the wild wings whir or the raccoon trees or the rabbit streaks for that old brierpa-tch.

THE END

Dawn-Age Nimrods And Anglers

(continued from page 10)

sedentary villages. He no longer moved about so much, and preferred the river areas for his habitat. He had no metals or horses, but he did keep dogs. It is altogether likely that man's best friend aided him in the hunt as he does today. Again, hunting and fishing were still main sources of food.

The river-area preference of early Nebraska and Missouri Basin man is in part responsible for the race with time in which the Smithsonian Institution and its colleagues are now engaged. In the Autumn of 1945, archaeologists throughout the United States began to realize that the federal government's nationwide program of dams for flood-control, irrigation, hydroelectric, and navigation projects would destroy many important archaeological sites where little or no investigations had been made. Within 10 years, waters impounded behind government dams will have inundated thousands of years of North American aboriginal history.

On the wall of the Smithsonian office in Lincoln is a map showing these impoundments, both completed and planned. They climb the wall like tongues of scarlet flame, with archaeologists working desperately to complete investigations before the holocaust.

With work, knowledge, luck and skill, they will succeed. THE END.

22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

FIND THE VIOLATIONS

by Dick H. Schaffer Editor How sharp are you on laws and regulations? An easy way to find out is to read the following article. It's loaded with violations, 17 in all. You'll find them listed at the end of the story.

THE placid surface erupted as the robust trout jetted from below. Once, twice he leaped, then disappeared into the depths as free as a bird. With him went my wormed hook and the short end of my nylon line.

It was early May, and I was fishing State Lake No. I of the Fremont sandpits. Two buddies, Fred and Sig, were casting near-by. They'd promised to introduce me to Nebraska fishing, as I'd just recently moved to the state and was eager to wet a line.

First thing, though, they stressed when planning the outing, was for me to buy a permit. A Lincoln resident of two months, I purchased a combination permit. At $4, it seemed to be the best buy compared to $2 for fishing and $2.50 for hunting.

Shortly after moving to the capital city, I bought a new car and was anxious to put on a few miles, so volunteered to do the driving. With Fred and Sig directing, I had no trouble finding the Fremont Recreation Grounds, entering the area from Highway 30. I drove right up to Lake No. 1 and the three of us promptly began to fish.

Fred, using a silver spinner, connected in short order. He was reeling in when a rebellious trout struck. About a minute later, Fred had the fish ashore. It was just a little rascal, nothing he'd care to take home. He'd planned to return it to the lake but killed it trying to remove the hook, so let it lie on the sand bank and began to cast again.

Luck was with him, for he immediately tied into another rainbow, one with more flattering dimensions. This trout was a good 12 inches long.

Sig was casting to the right of me. He was batting .500, scoring on one of two strikes. As for me, not much could be said. My luck was nil. Nevertheless, I made good use of my time by asking questions.

"What about that crowd fishing in No. 6?" I queried Fred.

"That's the carp-only lake. Some lunkers in there up to 15 and 20 pounds. About as many people fish there as in any of the other Fremont lakes."

Doughball flavored with anise oil, I learned, was the big producer. Kernel corn also fared well.

Sig was unsnarling a backlash and not too receptive to conversation. Nevertheless, I inquired about swimming in some of the state lakes.

"Great sport that swimming," he said. "Sometimes better than fishing, anyway better than fighting a backlash."

I asked if he'd ever swum in any of the Fremont lakes.

"Sure, several times last summer. We fish awhile, then take a dip and cool off. Like the water here better than at Memphis State Lake; it's cooler and deeper."

Fred let out a whoop, but his enthusiasm quickly waned as his big strike produced a mere six-incher. He suggested I cut it up and try it for bait. I did, but my luck continued naught.

Then is when I used the "ole" noggin. I remembered a shovel I'd put in the car trunk for emergencies, and this was an emergency. The bank was easy digging and in short order I had an ample supply of earthworms. Switching from lures to worms changed my luck. About 20 minutes later, I had the knockdown, drag-out battle with the big trout.

During a lull, I asked Fred about motor boating. "Is it much of a sport in these parts?"

"Growing by leaps and bounds every year. Victory Lake, here at Fremont, is a real 'gone' place on weekends. Boats from all over eastern Nebraska congregate here. Personally, though, I prefer places that aren't so crowded, like Cottonmill Lake at Kearney. I motorboated there last year. At Alexandria, too."

Fred was still talking when Sig got a strike. The trout exploded once from the water, then was docile as Sig hauled him ashore.

My luck continued better. I landed two rainbows before things quieted for a spell.

"Tell me, Sig," I said, "do you do any spear fishing or bow-and-arrow fishing in Nebraska?"

"Do we?" he replied. "Man, I practically cut my eye teeth on a spear. We have an April 1 to December 1 season on all rough fish, and any hour, day or night. No limits, either."

'What about archery?"

'That's a new sport on rough fish here. Season dates are just the same as for spearing. And if you're not too accurate with the long bow, you can use the crossbow. Best time for spearing is at spawning time, when the fish wallow near the surface."

Everything Fred and Sig had told me so far about the boating, spearing, bow-and-arrow fishing, and swimming was music to my ears. I was content to "sit out" for a few minutes, so reeled in and sat on the car fender.

"Say, Fred, you're the hunter of the group. What has Nebraska to offer?"

Just about everything, I learned, including pheasants, quail, grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits, antelope, and deer.

"What about hunting dogs?" I asked. "I'd like to run my retriever, get him acclimated before the season. Are there any restrictions?"

"The usual. One that I remember in particular is that you can train or run a hunting dog only from April 1 to July 15 and during the actual hunting seasons."

"Getting back to pheasants," Sig interrupted, "I've three in the locker. Come over some evening for dinner and I'll give you a treat."

With one eye on my line, now back in the water, and the other on Fred, I inquired about servicemen.

"Only those boys born in Nebraska are exempt from buying a permit," he said. "Those nonresidents officially stationed in the state, however, may buy resident permits."

About the disabled veterans, Fred said they needn't buy permits if they are rated at least 50 per cent disabled by the Veterans Administration. He added that permission to hunt from a vehicle is even granted on special occasions to 100 per cent disabled vets.

I was bubbling with questions. Only way I'd learn about my new state.

"What about deer? I'd heard that you Cornhuskers had fabulous success in recent years, 70 to 80 per cent. May nonresidents hunt, too?"

His answer was an emphatic "no." He added, however, that this law may be changed in the future.

"First change, though," he continued, "should permit a hunter to buy both a deer and antelope permit in one APRIL 1958 23   year. Used to be that you could get only one big-game permit every three years."

I was about to pop another question when Sig called our attention to an object in the water about 30 feet away.

"A bullfrog," he shouted. He reeled in his spinner, moved over to the right, then began casting at the bullfrog, hoping to snag it. Completely ignorant of the goings-on, the bullfrog didn't move, his two bug eyes protruding just above the surface.

Sig's next cast and retrieve just whisked by the bullfrog. The next, though, caught meat. A real rhubarb ensued but Sig's hook was firmly embedded.

He spotted another bullfrog farther to the right.

"This time," he informed us, "I'll try potting it with my .22 rifle."

Versatile Sig took his .22 from the car and proved a dead shot. That did it as far as I was concerned. No honorable trout would be caught dead in the area with so much noise going on. In fact, a bunch of disgruntled fishermen across the way shook their fists at us.

We all reeled in, then Fred pulled up the stringer holding all of our fish. Next stop was home and a trout fry for three.

THE END Violations

Lines 4 and 5: "wormed hook" and "It was early May, and I was fishing State Lake No. 1 of the Fremont sandpits." Fishing at No. 1 is restricted to artificial lures from January 1 to June 30.

Lines 11 and 12: "A Lincoln resident of two months, I purchased a combination permit." Ninety days residency in state is required before applying for resident permit.

Lines 10 to 20: No mention was made of buying a recreation-use stamp, a necessity on all vehicles entering Fremont and other major recreation grounds.

Line 26: " so let it lie on the sand bank . . ." It is unlawful to leave any fish on the banks in this state.

Lines 51 and 52: "Like the water here better than at Memphis State Lake; it's cooler and deeper." Swimming is prohibited at Memphis.

Line 59: "The bank was easy digging . . ." Digging or seining for bait is prohibited on state areas.

Lines 70 and 71: "I motorboated there last year. At Alexandria, too." Motor boats not permitted at Alexandria.

Lines 80 and 81: "We have an April 1 to December 1 season on all rough fish, and any hour, day or night." Spearing permitted only from sunrise to sunset.

Lines 81 and 82: "No limits either." There is a limit of 10 carp in some state-owned lakes.

Line 86: " you can use the crossbow." Use of crossbow or similar device is unlawful in bow-and-arrow fishing.

Lines 102 and 103: " . . . you can train or run a hunting dog only from April 1 to July 15 " It is unlawful to do so from April 1 to July 15 in fields or upon lands where game birds or game animals may be found or which are apt to be frequented by game birds.

Lines 104 and 105: " 'Getting back to pheasants,' Sig interrupted, 'I've got three in the locker.' " Inasmuch as the time is early May, Sig is in violation by possessing a game bird more than 90 days after the open season.

Line 109 and 110: "Only those boys born in Nebraska are exempt from buying a permit. . ." No serviceman is exempt.

Lines 113 to 115: "About the disabled veterans, Fred said they needn't buy permits if they are rated at least 50 per cent disabled. . ." Disability rated 100 per cent is necessary, not 50.

Line 133 and 134: ". . . then began casting at the bullfrog, hoping to snag it." Violation in that season on bullfrogs is closed until July 1.

Lines 141 and 142: ". . . I'll try potting it with my .22 rifle." Use of firearms is prohibited on state recreation areas from April 1 to September 30.

Lines 148 and 149: ". . . Fred pulled up the stringer holding all of our fish." Fred is in violation as all fish are in his possession, and the number exceeds the authorized possession of seven trout. Each fisherman should keep his fish on his stringer.

MAGAZINE TO BEGIN ACCEPTING ADVERTISING

Beginning with the May, 1958, issue, OUTDOOR NEBRASKA will accept advertising. Minimum ad size will be one column-inch. Advertising rate cards are available upon request.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA is issued monthly. Copy should be submitted before the 15th of the preceding month. Send all communications to OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, State Capitol, Lincoln 9, Nebraska.

Why Is A Fish Slimy?

The slimy secretion on a fish is a mucus which acts as a protective device. The slippery nature of this coating allows a fish to swim with least resistance, and it protects the fish from its natural enemies by making it difficult for the attacker to hold the fish. The coating also aids in resisting disease.

After a fish has been handled, much of this mucus is removed. This tends to leave the fish vulnerable to possible attack by fungus which often proves fatal to the fish. In handling fish, it is suggested that you first wet your hands, lessening the chances of removing the mucus.

24 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

Outdoor Elsewhere

Spare The Shot

TENNESSEE . . . Three game biologists of the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission—Roy Anderson, Summer Dow and Jay Hammond—witnessed this oddity on Old Hickory Lake last duck season. A talented duck caller was operating from his blind. Two separate flights of ducks responded and began coming into the decoys. As the flights converged, two ducks collided in mid-air. One recovered and flew on, but the other, a mallard, fell dead. Retrieved and cleaned, the bird bore no shot marks, only a bruise on the chest.—Ducks Unlimited Quarterly.

* * * * Mouse Plague

OREGON A severe field-mice outbreak in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California has caused millions of dollars of crop damages in recent months. Losses from the mice total $5 million in Oregon alone. Estimates of abundance range from a few hundred to as many as 10,000 mice per acre in the infested part of Oregon. Many farmers blame the severe crop losses on overcontrol of the coyote in Klamath Basin as a contributing factor. Coyotes are the mice's main natural enemy, but man has nearly succeeded in his campaign to wipe out the coyote. According to the Wall Street Journal, Oregon farmers have used 60 tons of poison to combat the mice. Worries about "super mice" have cropped up, since rodent-control workers fear a strain of mice immune to the poisons will develop.

* * * * 90 Days for Pointing

CALIFORNIA . . . Pointing a shotgun at one of the Department of Fish and Game workers and firing it into the ground near his feet when the DFG aide warned him to leave resulted in a 90-day jail sentence for Henry E. Collins of Fresno. The DFG worker said Collins was trespassing on the Mendota Waterfowl Management Area and threatened him when told the hunting season was not open yet on that area. The Fresno hunter pleaded guilty of assault. In addition to the jail sentence, he was placed on probation for one year and instructed not to hunt again for two years.

* * * * Long Distance Beaver

OHIO . . . Two youngsters, Jimmy and Creighton McKittrick, Jr., of near Mound Crossing, saved a 30-pound beaver from being injured by a dog while they were skating on Laurel Run in Hocking County. The beaver was taken to the local game protector who ran a check on tags found in the animal's ears. It was learned that the beaver had been released in Scioto County by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and had traveled close to 100 miles to reach the stream where rescued by the youngsters.

* * * * Lamprey Control

MICHIGAN A demonstration of selective poisoning of larval lampreys at the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's fishery research laboratory at Hammond Bay, Mich., raises hopes for an economic control of this pest and restoration of lake trout fishery in the Great Lakes. Heretofore, chief reliance had been placed on electric shocking weirs across the mouths of rivers in an attempt to block the spawning runs of the lampreys. The new selective poison is the best of many tried, and thus far seems to kill the young sea lampreys in streams without harming useful fish or other organisms.

* * * * Iowa Wants Dove Hunting

IOWA A bill to permit hunting of mourning doves in Iowa is expected to be introduced in the 1959 state legislature. Director Bruce F. Stiles of the Iowa Conservation Commission said that the mourning dove "has the greatest potential for hunting that we have. This is probably the center of dove density in North America, yet we send these game birds south to Southern hunters."

Editor's note: Nebraska does likewise.

Sportsmen Outnumber Golfers

U. S. A. . . . Fishermen and hunters outnumber golfers nine to one, according to figures compiled by the travel and research department of the American Express Company. Four million golfers crowd onto 5,000 courses in the country, but 32 million sportsmen ply their lures from Florida to Washington and stalk game from Maine to Arizona. The figures also show that about 15 per cent of the sportsmen are women. Of 20 million fishermen in the country, more than one-fifth are women. And although hunting is primarily considered a man's sport, nearly 500.000 of the 12 million nimrods are women.

* * * * Elkhounds for Coyotes

NORTH DAKOTA . . . Warden Bob Borden, Watford City, reports that two young hunters in that area bagged what they believed to be coyotes during North Dakota's 1957 deer season. When the "coyotes" were brought to the warden for identification, the hunters were shocked to learn that their bag consisted of two expensive Norwegian elkhounds.

* * * * Not Pink Elephants

WYOMING . . . Should anyone see a large red or yellow animal bounding through the hills south of Cokeville, they should not get the notion that they're seeing pink elephants. What they might see, the Wyoming. Game and Fish Department said, is one of the more than 150 deer in the area that have been trapped, tagged, and marked with paint. The deer tagging and marking program is designed to find better ways to determine deer populations.

APRIL 1958 25

FLATHEAD CATFISH

George Kidd, District III Fisheries Supervisor

THE scientific name for the flathead catfish is Pilodictus olivaris. Common names include shovelhead cat, mud cat, yellow cat, Mississippi cat, willow cat, and Goujon. This fish is in the same family as the more common channel catfish and bullhead catfishes. There are no other species of catfish in the United States, however, in the same genus as the flathead.

The flathead superficially resembles most members of the catfish family, but a close observation will reveal many peculiar characteristics. Its lower jaw is always longer than the upper jaw. No other catfish has this characteristic except an occasional old bullhead with a misformed lower jaw. As its name indicates, the flathead has a large, broad, and much-flattened head. The flathead's adipose fin is very large and fleshy when compared with that of other catfishes. In fact, the adipose fin is as long as the anal fin which lies just below it.

The posterior margin of the tail fin is straight and dorsal and ventral edges of the tail are light to white in tone. The premaxillary teeth (in the roof of the mouth) have backward extensions, presumably to help hold the prey until it is in position for swallowing.

Coloration of the flathead is different from that of other catfishes,- with the exception of the brown bullhead. It is yellow on the topside in turbid water, dark brown in clear water. The sides are brownish with a marbled appearance caused by darker colored areas. The belly is usually some shade of yellow.

Fish weighing over 10 pounds are often pot-bellied, but smaller individuals are usually slender in appearance.

The flathead prefers larger streams and lakes. It ranges throughout the Mississippi and Rio Grande River drainages and is found as far north as Minnesota, as far east as Alabama, west to New Mexico, and south to Old Mexico. It is more abundant in the southern part of its range, indicating that it prefers warmer climates.

In Nebraska, the flathead inhabits the Missouri, Lower Platte, Lower Niobrara, Lower Republican, Blue, and Loup Rivers. It is also in Lewis & Clark and Harlan County Reservoirs. Its distribution in Nebraska fairly well indicates its preference for the larger streams and impoundments.

In North America, the flathead is surpassed in size only by the blue catfish. Flatheads weighing 20 to 40 pounds are not uncommon, and some of 100 pounds or better have been reported. Information on rate of growth is sparse at this time, but as interest increases in the species this information will certainly become available.

This fish spawns during June and July in out-of-the-way areas. It is a nest builder, and the parents guard the eggs and young fry. The young flathead is reported to reach up to eight inches during its first year of life.

The flathead prefers to spend its time in sluggish, deep pools. Usually, out of necessity, the flathead lives in muddy waters, although some of the waters where it is found in Nebraska are clear. Flatheads are generally found over hard, rocky bottom or, when over silt bottom, where silt deposition is very slow.

Food habits are quite different from those of other catfishes. It is highly predacious, the mature flathead feeding almost exclusively upon smaller fish. When young and still small, the flathead feeds on insects, crustaceans, and other small food organisms until large enough to concentrate on a fish diet. Sometimes, the flathead will utilize the same type of food as other catfishes, such as crayfish, worms, mollusks, and terrestrial animals washed into the stream. These occasions are rare, however, occurring soon after rains.

During daylight hours, flatheads are found in the deepest, most secluded areas. They usually have a homesite that is used during the day, from which they make nightly feeding excursions. Submerged stumps, hollow logs, undercut ledges, and muskrat or beaver dens are the usual homesites. If the above mentioned cover is not available, the larger flatheads will rest in "mud wallows."

At night, flatheads venture out and feed in areas so shallow that their dorsal fins stick above the water surface. Many large flatheads lie on the bottom with their mouths wide open, presumably to tempt smaller fish to use their mouths as hiding places. These apparent hiding places often serve as permanent crypts for unwary fry.

The flathead is important in commerical fishing. A high percentage of the catfish caught in the Missouri River are flatheads. In most states where commercial fishing occurs the catfish tribe commands premium prices, a tribute to its palatibility.

Depending upon feeding habits, there are times when catfish are fat and the flesh is said to have a muddy taste. Numerous methods have been used to alleviate this taste. Some recommend placing the fish in a "livebox" in a clear stream, or in a stock tank, the theory being that after several days the fish will have "lived-up" some of the fat, and the flesh will be more flavorful. Others suggest soaking the flesh in salt or soda water, or vinegar and salt, to improve taste.

Flathead angling has not reached the popularity that it deserves in Nebraska and probably for two reasons. One is the limited availability and number of the big fish. The other is the skill and patience required to catch a large flathead. There is little that can be done to increase the distribution or abundance of the flathead, but some aids to catching the fish can be given.

When deliberately fishing for the flathead, most fisherman use rather heavy tackle: 30 to 50-pound-test lines with heavy duty bait-casting or light surf-casting reels. Trotline fishermen commonly use clothesline rope and chalk-line leaders when after the flathead.

Rod and reel fishing for the flathead can be very demanding on one's patience. But the reward is high when a 20 to 40-pounder is brought home. Hook and line fishing is most often practiced in the inland streams, while trotlines are more effective in larger streams. During daylight, the bait is usually fished in the deep waters of pools or tail waters below large dams. The bait should not be moved often. In the evening, when flatheads are on the move, pools just below riffles, or where swift OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 26   and quiet waters meet, are the best bet. Bait might be a gob of night crawlers, a six to eight-inch minnow, or even chicken entrails.

Jug fishing for catfish is a growing sport on many of our larger rivers and it is generally at its best when rivers are low. August is usually one of the peak months. The jugger's gear is usually pretty simple, consisting of a large, sealed can or a big block of wood to which is attached a suitable length of staging and a large hook. Some of the new, bubble-filled synthetics make light, almost ideal floaters. It is hard to find a sport more thrilling than following bobbing "jugs" in a river "John boat."

The flathead's habit of nesting and loafing in secluded places makes it vulnerable to hand fishermen. Using this method, you literally feel for your fish by hand. It has been outlawed in Nebraska, for to take a spawning flathead from its nest in this manner is considered as unsporting as poaching a hen pheasant brooding her eggs.

Trotline fishing is for those who haven't the patience to catch them by rod and line, or who don't care for the sporting phase of catching a flathead. Almost all trotline fishermen have decided opinions as to proper baits. Five to eight-inch creek chubs, or similar baitfish, are frequently used. A good lively minnow is essential. Experienced trotline fishermen select fishing areas as carefully as they select bait, and it pays off.

Trotline fishing can be rewarding, and is considered good sport by many. The very bulk of the flathead offers a keen challenge. A large-circulation outdoor magazine not long ago ran a story concerning a fishermen who hooked a monster on a fly rod that towed him and his boat for almost 24 hours before breaking the line. The fish was probably a flathead. And it could happen to you with a happier ending!

THE END APRIL 1958

FISH I.Q.

Write in the name of each fish. Check your answer below.

1. Yellow perch 2. Black crappie 3. Yellow bullhead 4. Rainbow trout 5. Walleye