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CANOE FOR TWO

THE 15-FOOT aluminum canoe darted around a sharp bend in the Tri-County Canal and knifed into the choppy waters of Jeffrey Reservoir. A stiff wind was kicking up white-caps. Off in the distance I could barely see the handsome outline of Brady Lodge.

"Oh, no!" groaned Pat, my redheaded wife, who was paddling at the bow.

"We're in for it now. Want to stop and take a rest before we tackle this?"I asked.

Pat shook her head in a stubborn no, and our paddles bit swiftly as we headed into the teeth of the wind. Ahead lay two miles of rough water. At times, it seemed like we were losing ground. But the two of us kept plugging. Once a sudden JULY,1960 3   gust of wind poked our dancing canoe a vicious broadside blow, nearly swamping the boat. Working like Trojans, Pat and I managed to head the silver lance into the wind again, and continued to inch our way toward shelter.

At 6:40 p.m., I finally nudged the canoe into the dock at the Lodge. Tired but happy, our first day of canoeing down the Tri-County Canal had come to an exciting end.

The trip was an experiment to see how far the two of us could travel in three days. Pat and I figured that we could cover a good 60 miles with a minimum of paddling since the current of the canal would provide most of the power. I planned to camp somewhere along the canal each evening to add a bit more spice to this boating adventure.

Gear included the barest essentials—sleeping bags, small tent, rain gear, first-aid kit, life jackets, extra rope, transistor radio (to obtain the latest weather news), small axe, matches, and a Thermos jug filled with coffee. Even then, the boat was well loaded when the two of us pushed off around 9 a.m. from the Parshall Flume, southeast of North Platte.

It was a perfect day for canoeing. A warm sun splattered across the ribbon of canal water, and, though a 10 to 15-mile southeast wind kicked up an occasional spray, the boat was well protected in the narrow canal. The wind sometimes became a tail wind, and the canoe would scoot along at 3 to 4 mph.

The first portage—one of six during the trip— occurred around 10:30, when we encountered a concrete gate partially closed. Since it was impossible to go under it, I docked the canoe and unloaded the gear. Toting the 80-pound craft was a fairly simple chore, and within 20 minutes we pushed off downstream.

There's something magic about a canoe trip. Traveling silently through the twisting and winding canal, we continually surprised all kinds of wildlife. Ducks, hiding and loafing behind water deflectors, sprang up in alarm when we were almost on top of them. A bobwhite sang to us, but his music sheet must have been fouled up, as he always sang the "bob" but never finished with the customary "white". Once, scolding blue jays served as escorts for a mile, and a handsome double-crested cormorant perched on a stump watched cautiously. A few blue herons drifted overhead, and doves by the hundreds raced up and down the canal.

At 1:30 that afternoon we made a second portage at another check dam partially closed. We took a 30-minute break here. A lunch of hard-boiled eggs, coffee, and a candy bar tasted mighty good.

The canal widened shortly after we shoved off. Head winds forced us to paddle with more vigor. Pat never grumbled, and pitched in with mean paddle action at the bow. Now the land unfolded in an exciting panorama. The snaking canal sliced through cliffs which towered over us in sheer perpendicular walls of unusual formations.

Moving along at a good clip, we kept our eyes peeled for the Jeffrey Lake check gate. We spotted it by the concrete walls flanking the sides of the canal. The gate was open. Aiming the canoe for the middle, we flashed through. The turbulent action of the swirling waters reminded me of a junior rapids, only it wasn't as violent as the real thing. In less than 30 seconds, we were safely past and headed for Jeffrey Reservoir.

That night we camped at the public camping grounds. I set up the tent—just in case of rain— placed our sleeping bags inside, and headed on foot for Brady to get some food. Luckily, Pat and I managed to hitch a ride both ways. By 9 we were in the sack. Relaxing in the sleeping bag, I wondered if the next two days would be as eventful as the first. Then I fell asleep to the music of a hooting owl.

We were in for trouble the next morning. Portaging beyond the power plant at Jeffrey was for the young and strong, a good 1 1/2 miles of carrying 4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   over rough ground. Safe entry near the power plant was impossible since the walls lining the sides of the canal were sheer drop offs. Again luck was with us. Walking back to the camp after investigating the situation, we met a fisherman willing to haul our gear in his pickup to a safe launching spot below the dam.

Looking back at the trip, Pat and I agree that Wednesday was the most enjoyable. Weather was perfect, soft winds caressed us, and a friendly sun beamed down. The water was as smooth as glass, in direct contrast to that of the first day when a tail wind pushed us along.

The current did most of the work. Occasionally, I paddled in the stern, but only to keep the canoe in the middle of the canal. At each bridge crossing we found a number of fishermen. This was a common scene along the entire trip. Anglers sported stringers filled with hefty northerns, walleyes, and catfish.

Two 200-yard portages were all that were required. I had learned to spot the concrete walls which told of the check gates ahead. This way, we had ample time to head for shore if a gate was down. We rode through one gate when I figured it was safe to make the shot.

About 4:30 we called it a day and picked a scenic woodland glade near Little Reservoir to pitch our camp. After relishing a meal of roasted frankfurters, we set out set lines.

Minnows supplied by two friendly ladies fishing on the bank when we came into shore put us in business. Pat got the first fish, a nice two-pound catfish.

The Little area contains a couple of good-sized lakes, south of the canal. These looked like good hiding places for bass and northerns.Pat and I took the canoe and tried these waters with artificial lures. After an hour of casting, which produced a fist-full of nothing, we gave up and headed back for camp.

While Pat rustled up some grub for a late snack and rekindled the fire, I (continued on page 24)

PRODUCTION'S THE THING

HUNTERS, GET SET for what could be another top year of gunning. Pheasant and quail spring populations, though down from 1959's banner mark, are above average counts for the past 8 and 12 years, respectively. The real test, of course, will lie in the success of the nesting and brooding season. But if production comes off without mishap, hunting should be good.

This early, optimistic forecast, courtesy of some 694 rural mail carriers working in co-operation with department technicians, comes at a time when many sportsmen expected the worst from a long, hard winter. The survey shows that the situation is indeed encouraging. There are more pheasants in the field this spring, for example, than there were in 1958 when 1,148,500 ringnecks, or an average 1.34 birds per hunter per hunting day were bagged. This kind of hunting is prime in anyone's book.

Rural mail carriers have proven valuable to the Game Commission. For 15 consecutive years, they have assisted in counting Nebraska's wildlife.

Over a four-day report period during the last week in April, the carriers furnished information on the number and sex of pheasants seen, the numbers of bobwhite quail, prairie chickens, sharp-tailed grouse, cottontails, and other wildlife observed on their mail routes.

They reported seeing 22,819 pheasants while driving 179,595 miles, or 12.7 pheasants per 100 miles. These counts indicate that the spring pheasant population was down 24 per cent from the 1959 census figure. Most of the other wildlife reported was also below the 1959 spring counts.

The severe 1959-60 winter resulted in the loss of quail in many areas. In some areas, the losses were slight. In others, generally local, they were more severe.

Counting of whistling-male bobwhite provides the best practical index for state population trends. However, these surveys are not conducted until July. The spring carrier surveys are not as reliable for bobwhite, but they provide an indication of comparative populations.

According to the spring counts, the state-wide bobwhite population is higher than any of the last 12 years, with the exception of 1958 and 1959. The southeast,ourprimaryrange,washitsomewhat

THE GREAT ADVENTURE

THE BLEAT of a tiny horn and the rolling cadence of hoofbeats brought the Box Elder station agent and the stock tenders tumbling from the cabin. The bay mare at the hitching rail, saddled and bridled for an hour, caught their excitement and rared back,eyes white.

Foam flying, the now-wearying steed pounded to a stop, the rider half out of the saddle. Swinging the mochila onto the waiting mare, a wiry youth, barely 19 years old, spurred the fresh mount westward. In the mochila was President Lincoln's inaugural address, and the Pony Express was delivering it to California in a record 7 days, 17 hours.

This month the Pony Express rides again in a centennial celebration of the days that saw Wild Bill Hickok gun down David McCanles, 15-year-old Buffalo Bill Cody supposedly make a record-setting 384-mile run, and every Express rider in Nebraska and the other states repeatedly risk life and limb to take the mail through.

By proxy, the bay mare galloped 24 times around the world before her rider swung the mochila off her back for the last time. The Pony Express had spanned Nebraska and seven other western states with the nation's mail, twice-weekly for 18 months, night and day, summer and winter, through Indians and blizzards.

Back in 1860, the Pony Express was an enormous undertaking even for the company that monopolized freighting to the far-flung outposts of the West, the company that had 7,500 oxen and 2,000 employees. Although a financial failure (Majors, one of the organizers, later estimated that it paid not a tenth of expenses)the Expressfocusednational attention 8 OUTDOORNEBRASKA   on the central overland route, through Nebraska, for the fastest communication between the East and West.

California, bustling with miners and settlers eager for news from home, was supplied at first with month-old steamer-borne mail carried through Panama. The overland stage was faster, but subsidies were frightfully low, and the stagecoach companies had to furnish their own armed escorts in Indian country. Maintaining a schedule was impossible; in winter service was discontinued.

But William Russell had a dream—of a lightning-hoofed courier service. And he whipped the reality of his dream together in just 65 days.

In that brief period the company of Russell, Majors, and Waddell established 190 express stations over the 1,966-mile route, stocked and equipped the stations with everything from saddles to blankets and flour, hired over 200 station keepers, 80 riders, and purchased some 500 of the best Kentucky-blooded and Western mustang horses in the country.

On April 3, 1860, a half-wild steed burst out of a ring of cheering admirers, clattered down the streets of St. Joseph, and headed west. At the same time, a pony and rider started east from Sacramento. The "great adventure" had begun.

Every 75 to 100 miles along the way was a "home station" where the rider could rest a short time before starting back over his route with the mail running the other direction. Each rider covered the route between two of these sites, changing horses at relay stations six or eight times.Horses were kept at a grueling dead run when at all possible; no longer than two minutes were allowed for changing mounts at each stop. Allowances were made for nothing, not even Indians. Scheduled time for a one-way trip was 10 days in summer, 12 in winter, more than halving the stage's 25 days.

Minimum age originally set by the company for riders was 20. Average age was 19 with many even younger. Western youth were not above fabricating to become a part of the West's most exciting adventure.

In Nebraska, the route closely followed the Oregon Trail, entering the state near the Gage County-Jefferson County line, meeting the Platte near Fort Kearny, dipping down to Julesburg just across the Colorado line, then up past Courthouse and Chimney rocks, Scotts Bluff, and out of the state at Horse Creek.

For the most part, the Indians were merely puzzled by the hurtling riders. They couldn't "savvy a lone rider pelting across the country at such a speed, with no particular object in view." Some Sioux even worked at the relay stations as stock tenders.

But the trail wasn't easy. Nebraska riders got lost in driving snow, wolves followed them, horses fell.

Individual feats of heroism were almost commonplace. William Campbell, one of the better-known Nebraska riders, stayed in the saddle 24 hours, taking the mail beyond his home station. The snow was two to three feet deep, with the temperature down to zero. Many times Campbell dismounted and stumbled ahead on foot. The only landmarks he had to follow were the tops of weeds along the trail.

But Campbell had other worries on his western Nebraska run—buffaloes, by the thousands. "If a rider ever ran into a herd, he was gone," he reminisced later. Wolves were numerous, too. "One winter night I saw 15 or 20 of them around a crippled horse they had killed. They followed me for 15 miles to the next station."

Campbell rode between the Valley Station, 11 miles east of Fort Kearny, to Box Elder Station, three miles west of Fort McPherson. He was 16 at the time.

Melville Baughn, another rider into Fort Kearny from the east, was hung as a murderer at Seneca, Kansas, a few years later. Jim Beatley, riding the wildest horses in the area, had the route into Nebraska from Kansas. A year later he was killed in a showdown in Jefferson County.

Jack Keetley, riding to Big Sandy on the Little Blue, once had to double back for another rider, covered 340 miles in 31 hours without stopping to rest or eat. He was pulled from the saddle sound asleep.

One of the Company's few encounters with Indians in Nebraska happened to Joseph Wintle who rode between Fort Kearny and Cottonwood Springs. One dark night he rode into a camp without warning. With a bravado he did not feel, he handed the reins to a warrior, and entered a lodge. A short time later he came out, handed the warrior a small present, and rode off.

But one time Indians chased him to the next relay station.His horse dropped dead from the effort.

Legends are legion of Old West showdowns that occurred during the Express' short life. Few, however, can top that which grew from the Hickok-Mc-Canles gun fight at Rock Creek Station.

Cause for the killing is almost obscured in charges and counter charges of descendents, and stretching of Wild Bill's yarn, (continued on page 24)

FLY WITH A TWIST

FISHERMEN ARE often asked: "If you had a choice of just one fly, what would it be?" For my family, the answer is easy—the Lazure-tied white-hair-wing Royal Coachman. As far as my boys and I are concerned, it's one of the deadliest all-around flies for crappie, large bluegill, perch, carp, bass, and trout. It may prove your favorite, too, once you tie and test your own.

The Coachman is truly an angler's fly, as enticing to him as it is to the fish. It is particularly effective in eastern Nebraska's murky waters where it can be easily spotted. Proof-of-the-pudding lies in the number of fish caught. My two oldest boys, Baz Ken and LeRoy, and myself have given the fly a real workout during the past few years, and have nearly always scored.

We don't use this favorite all the time. Nymphs take over during ice fishing. But even then, a Royal Coachman nymph is excellent — made by omitting the hair wing when tying. A pink bucktail nymph, with a fluorescent-green body, fluorescent-pink bucktail, and a 2-B split-shot head gets plenty of use. In the summer, dry flies, hair bugs, and poppers are good for quiet water. There are two times in the year when the Coachman is not so effective—just before freeze-up and about two weeks after the ice melts. Then, the water temperature is below 40° F., and the fish are in a semihibernating state.

You might want to include white-hair-wing Royal Coachman flies, streamers, and nymphs in your tackle box. Here's how you make them. First the fly:

Wind lead, copper, or fly-tying wire around a No. 10 hook. This provides the weight that makes the fly sink. For just-below-the-surface fishing, make 8 to 10 turns. Make 15 to 20 turns for a faster-sinking fly. Tie the wire down with thread. If the wire fits loosely about the hook, wrap the shank first with thread and then wrap on the wire. Tie on 5 golden pheasant fibers for the tail. They make the fly dressy and realistic.

Now tie six peacock herls in above the tail. Wrap the herls about halfway up the hook and tie. This done, tie on two inches of fluorescent-red gantron body material. Wind it toward the eye of the hook. Any bright red material is good, but I like the fluorescent material for visibility. The red-gantron fire fuzz (like fine wool yarn) or the fire fiber (like very fine silk floss) may be purchased from various fly-tying equipment outlets.

Tie down the red-gantron band, wrap the peacock herl near the eye of the hook, and tie down. Sufficient space must be left for the hair wing. Now tie in 10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   about six golden pheasant fibers underneath and at the front of the body- After the head has been wrapped, you have a Royal Coachman nymph.

Now for the hair wing for a completed Coachman. Bunch the white calf tail between the forefinger and thumb. Bring the tying thread up tightly under the thumb and leave a loose loop over the hair. Press the thumb tightly against the hook and pull the thread between the forefinger and hook, then tighten the loop as you push the hair upward. Following the same procedure, make a second loop around the hook. This places the hair high enough so that the body may be seen by the fish. The herl and red band are fluorescent and contrast with each other, the white hair, and the water. Once the head is formed, the fly is ready to use.

Instead of the golden pheasant fibers, the fly may be hackled fully around the hook with rooster hackle. Also softer hen hackle may be tied below the body for the pheasant fibers.

The hair wing may be made from calf tail, polar bear, other white hair or material. Mr. Willis Slau-son of Omaha maintains that opossum hair is tops. One night, Bill was pulling in big crappie at Carter Lake with an opossum-hair Royal Coachman, making me look terrible with my calf-hair creation.

The streamer is tied with just the weighted body, including herls and red fluorescent material, and white-hair wing; it is also tied on a longer hook than the wet fly. The streamer is used to simulate a minnow, whereas the wet fly may be taken by the fish as either a minnow or a fly.

Now to the open stream to try your creations.

Since the fly tied as a wet streamer appears as a minnow to the fish, it should be drawn through the water to simulate the live bait. The streamer is tied in such a manner that an ordinary steady pull will give a slight darting action. Thus, it appears to the fish as a "minnie" being chased in the water. Toss the streamer among a school of young fry and watch the fish pick it out from thd school. Since it moves slower in the water than the fry, it is easy prey for the feeding fish.

Fish the fly 6 to 12 inches below the surface when water temperatures are about 50° to 70° F. Drop deeper into cold water or during hot weather when fish are lying low. For deep(continued on page 27)

BOBBERS AND FLOATS

EACH FORM of angling boasts its rash of fish-getting gimmicks, but none can top those that make the still fisherman's already easy chore easier. Where else can you utilize a rig which lights up when a fish strikes? Or, even more surprising, what outfit can top the float triggered to reel in a biting fish?

It's no surprise that still fishing is the most popular form of angling. Both young and old can partake in the sport, and with a minimum cash outlay. Don't get the idea that the fish will jump in your creel. There are days when the nibblers will drive you crazy.

How a fish can steal all the bait and still not get hooked seems a mystery. Actually, they are able to accomplish this larceny because bobber and float fishing, like all other forms of angling, still requires basic know-how.

Successful anglers have made a science of the sport, adopting a variety of slick tricks that pay off in more fish on their stringers.

Bobbers and floats, announcers of fish nibbles, come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Each has a definite purpose. Take the case of the bait stealers. There are a number of ways to deter a fish from nibbling without getting caught.

As a starter, follow this simple set of rules: Use the right hook size and leader for the fish sought, attach only enough lead to sink the bait. Above all, use a bobber just large enough to float your terminal gear.

This system has many advantages. The right size of hook allows the fish to take the bait easily. The use of just enough lead to sink the bait cuts down the visibility of the rig which could spook the fish. The right bobber or cork will indicate the bite better by being easily pulled under. It also offers less drag on the taking fish.

A bobber is used by many spin and bait-casting enthusiasts when fishing bait. Even the fly-rod fan sometimes resorts to a float in trout fishing under certain conditions.

The spin or bait-casting rod has some advantages over the cane pole for bait fishing in that the angler can cast the float and bait into spots that the cane pole can't reach. A distinct disadvantage is setting the hook when there is a lot of line drag between the rod and the float.

Slip casting with a float offers the caster a versatile way of bait fishing with the spinning or casting rod. He is able to cast the float and bait much easier, because the float is down toward the leader or hook.

There are many types of slip-cast floats, but their functions are alike. The button on the top of the float is compressed and moved half a turn so that a loop is formed for the line to slide through. A tiny split shot or bead is attached to the line at the desired depth, allowing the line to run through the loop until it hits the shot.

Spin casters use a small plastic float as a casting aid when using a lure too light to cast. The bubble, as it is sometimes called, is a definite aid in trout

fishing when the stream is shallow and clear. The fisherman sets the bubble at a predetermined depth and floats it ahead of him to the spooky trout.

The bubble can be partially filled with water for weight, and yet it will still float. This system is used for fishing small bass bugs and flies with a spinning outfit.

Small, pencil-type floats are generally used for pan fish. These bobbers are easily submerged.

If you are a night fisherman, don't feel that you have been forgotten. There are a couple of floats on the market that light up when the fish bite. Other types have a luminous glow and can be recharged with a flashlight.

If you really like to relax and let the float do the work, there is one style made for you.A fairly recent inovation is a float with a trigger which the maker claims will set the hook when the fish bites. What more could a man ask for?

Jug fishing is still another way of using floats. It's an ancient method and has probably been practiced by man since he began fishing with a hook and line. In this method of leisure angling, a sinker is attached to the end of line with a number of hooks attached between it and the float.The hooks are baited and the rig is dropped in the river or stream to float on its merry fish-catching way.

When the fish hit the bait, they pull the jug under for a short time. The floating robot, because of its size, soon wins the battle and comes popping to the surface with its catch secure. This is but one method of jug fishing. There are others such as the "floating trot line". This entails the use of two large floats with a line and heavy weight in each float. The floats are placed some distance apart, and the fishing line is tied between the two so that the bait is just off the bottom.

There are many novel float-catching tricks. The use of a good size float has been used to keep tabs on schools of fish, such as crappie, perch and walleye. When one fish is hooked, the angler marks the catch depth. Then, running a hook under the fish's dorsel fin, he ties the line to a float, and returns the catch to the water. The fish will return to the school and swim with them as they feed. The fisherman's "bird dog" works for him with this setup, as the float points out the whereabouts of the school.

A balloon serves as another novel float in jug fishing. It has several advantages. The balloon floats high in the water, takes up very little space in the tackle box, and is so buoyant that it is tough for a fish to pull it under. Incidentally, a balloon also works well as a bird dog.

Good technique is a must for the floatfisherman. Learntousethe right floats. Measure the depth of the water you are fishing, and then set the bobber so that the hook is about Choosing is job, wilh one for each fancy, such as night-lighter, pan-fish types six inches off the bottom.If there isn't any action, move the bobber up, a foot at a time.

It should be concluded that a cork is a cork.If you want to make your own float out of varied-size chunks of cork or balsa, it takes only a few minutes of your time to rig one to fit your fishing.

Even the most ardent fly purist must admit one thing. The sight of a bobber as it plunges for the depths stirs even leisure-loving anglers.THE END

FANTASY OF FACES

IN THE Band Lands, and more particularly, Toadstool Park, reality is of another world. Here, in the far northwestern tip of Nebraska, nature on the loose has chiseled out a domain so grotesque and weird even Satan would claim it as his own.

The park is a kind of beautiful Hell, the remains of another age that died when the earth changed faces. Today, Toadstool has its own brand of faces. Pocketed cliffs give way to a grandstand of countenances. As the sun arcs the sky, each sandy boulder becomes a grisly mug shot of the famous and not-so-famous, depending on your point of view. Giant toadstool-like formations stretch out in endless procession, created by myriad gullies that lace the land. When one tumbles, spilling out bones of creatures JULY,1960 15   that once roamed a tropical land, another forms to take its place.

What you see deceives you, for in a breath vistas change before your eyes. The sun plays tricks with its spectrum. What should be dull explodes in an array of seldom-seen hues. And when it rains, these colors give way to others which are even more startling.

No other formation can match Toadstool. But it is inviting—the place where you can discover the past, possibly get a glimpse of the rocketing future.

The Sioux called the area ma-koo-si-tcha, "difficult road to travel". They, and outlaws who used its shadows as a base of operations for raiding settlers, knew what they were talking about. A trip to Toadstool is for the adventurer. Though the 17-mile drive from Crawford on State Highway 2 is comparatively easy (five miles are now being paved), the trek, once into the park, is at best difficult.

The luxury of sight-seeing from a car window is out of the question. But the lure of Toadstool will make you take a closer look. If you're vacationing west this summer, route your trip through Crawford. The silent, other world of Toadstool Park should prove a memorable vacation panorama. THE END

OUTDOOR ELSEWHERE

OHIO . . . The experimental collection of walleye eggs by a "vacuum cleaner" suction device has been termed successful by Charles Selden, Ohio wildlife biologist. Designed by Selden, the de-vice recovered walleye eggs in 40 feet of water in Lake Erie. Eggs are collected to learn more about distribution and abundance of spawning areas. The eggs are later returned to the lake.

MISSOURI . . . Thanks to vacationers, the "show-me" state pulled in a hefty $575 million last year. Forecasters are predicting a substantial increase in visitors which may make the vacation industry the state's No. 2 moneymaker this year. Top attractions to tourists were the lakes and mountainous region. Tourist promotion pays large dividends.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ... A bill sponsored by Congressman George Miller of California providing anglers with a federal stamp or license is being received with mixed emotions. The bill, if passed, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue a federal stamp for sport fishing in national parks. The purchaser would attach such a stamp to a valid fishing license of his home state and write his name across the face of the stamp. The stamp would be available at all post offices. Many roving fishermen will extoll the virtues of H.R. 11410, but it is recommended that they read the fine print first.

PENNSYLVANIA ... In the antlered deer season a three-point and a five-point buck were considered trophies by the hunters who took them though there was nothing exceptional about their antlers. These bucks were pure albinos, from their pink eyes right down to the white hoofs. In the antler-less-deer season another pure albino, a yearling doe, was also bagged. Two more albinos evaded hunters throughout the last season. One was a six-point buck and the other a doe deer. A doe shot during the antlerless season had swallowed a 1941 penny.

WASHINGTON, D. C. . . . Over $50,000,000 of your tax funds are spent each year to remove litter from primary highways, says "Keep America Beautiful, Inc." Last year about 3,000,000 extra dollars went to clean up litter from our national forests. The cost of litter-caused fires throughout the country is more than $70,000,000 annually. Litterbugs also cause the loss of human lives. Between 750 and 1,000 Americans are killed, and 100,000 are seriously injured each year as a result of cars striking or swerving to avoid hitting objects thoughtlessly thrown on highways, according to KAB.

TEXAS ... A record traveler logged a whopping 245 miles in one year recently. This would not be so unusual except that the tourist was a 7 1/2-pound drum caught along the Texas coast. The drum surpassed other Texas-tagged fish records by 100 miles, but gained only little more than a pound during the trip. The migrating fish was further evidence for the Texas Game and Fish Commission that drum congregate in certain areas during drought periods, and spread out to other bays during wet years.

OKLAHOMA ... A crash in his house trailer made little impression upon a minister driving near an Oklahoma wildlife refuge. A mile later the continued racket aroused the parson to investigation. He found a shambles, and a panicky buck deer who greeted him at the crushed door of the trailer. All windows were broken and the furniture smashed. The minister won out in the end—he had venison steaks.

MISSOURI . . . It's not uncommon during hunting season to hear reports of cows being mistaken for deer but that type of confusion had a new twist recently in Chariton County. Conservation Agent Harris White received a call in the night asking him to check on a deer killed on a highway. He found the "deer" to be a Jersey heifer, killed by a car driven by a woman from New Jersey.

MISSOURI . . . They're catching preseason frog fishermen with radar now. A highway patrol radar car gave chase to two cars that had passed it, west of St. Clair, going 90 miles per hour. When the trooper stopped the cars, he noticed eight frogs and four bass in one of the cars. The driver had no fishing permit. Result: Two convictions on traffic violations and two on violation of fishing regulations.

OREGON . . . It's a slightly mixed up grouse that will begin laying eggs in the middle of the winter and rarer still to have a successful hatch with all youngsters doing fine. That's what happened at the Hermiston game farm. The grouse laid a complete clutch of 14 eggs and began setting October 26. On November 18 the proud Francolin appeared with 13 downy chicks. The weather during most of the incubation time hovered well below the freezing mark with six of the days only a few degrees above zero. Incubation of the eggs was in a shallow depression on the frozen ground.

PUG UGLY

LAUGH AT the carp if you choose, but you'll be in the minority, for most fishermen are treating the scaled fighter with growing respect. Each year, more anglers are discovering there are many sporting angles to the taming of these miniature submarines.

The carp is abundant throughout the state, but particularly in the eastern streams and ponds where game species have a rough "go". Don't get the idea that he's a soft touch, or that you can discover a bait which is always effective. Many an angler's ego has wilted because of the carp's special bag of tricks.

Although the carp isn't a thing of beauty, what with his sucker-type mouth and big scales, the bruiser is highly suspicious. He'll pick up a bait and drop it at the slightest indication of a hook. Anglers have observed carp swim around a bait, nosing and moving it for more than two hours before biting.

When it comes to food, the carp just asks that it be edible and small enough to get into his puckered mouth. He will take insects, crayfish larvae, dead fish, crustaceans, and worms, sucking them up from thebottomandblowing outtheinedibles.

Favorite haunts are shallow weedy spots and muddy bottoms in lakes. In rivers, carp frequent those parts where the water is either still, slow moving, or stagnant. At night, they forage among the weeds and reeds close to shore. Each moves along sucking with his thick lips, and the suck-suck sound can be heard from great distances. At night he is not too selective, and can be easily fooled.

Unlike the bass, trout, and other gamesters, the carp neither breaks water nor leaps high. But he's strong, a real back-alley brawler. Small hooks, light sinkers, and a light leader are best for top results. The line and leader must be strong enough to stop the bull-like charge which can send the line humming through the water and empty a reel. Many anglers use a medium to heavy-action casting rod with level-wind reel. In this state, 15 or 20-pound-test line will work okay.

It's touch and go for the spinning enthusiast when he hooks a carp. You have to play him cautiously when using 8 or 10-pound-test line. The best spin tackle would be in the heavy class with a 12-pound-testline.

The dough ball is the most popular bait. Because many anglers feel the carp has a sweet tooth, they use sugar, honey, molasses, or corn syrup in the ingredients. Some add anise oil which is perfectly legal. The size of the dough ball depends on the size of the fish present. For smaller carp, only a pinch of dough is molded on the point and the barb of the hook. If the fish are large and biting hard, cover the point, barb, and about halfway up the shank. A pear-shaped dough ball, covering the entire hook, can be used in a current or when the fish are very large.

There are hundreds of formulas for dough balls, depending on the individual preference. The basic 18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   ingredients, though, are flour, corn meal, water and maybe some kind of flavoring or sweetening. The following concoctin has been used effectively:

Pour 1 cup of water in a pan, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, and bring to a boil. Add a heaping cup of yellow corn meal and stir constantly until the dough works into a stiff ball (5 to 10 minutes). Remove the mixture from the fire, add a sprinkling of corn meal, and work it into the cooked dough. Now place the mixture on wax paper, knead thoroughly, and form into a large ball. To keep the bait fresh, wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator. When you arrive at your favorite fishing hole, just pinch off as much as you need to make a dough ball.

Worms rate as one of the top baits for this maverick. Some anglers prefer soaked grains such as corn, wheat, and barley. Young sweet corn is exceptionally good. Others use vegetables, partially cooked, such as carrots, potatoes, and parsnips with good results. Dried green peas and lima beans can be soaked and used as bait.

Knowledge of the water is a prime essential. And because carp are bottom feeders, that is where the bait should be, without getting buried in the mud. Most anglers do away with a bobber and instead use a rather tight line for these gentle feeders. A bobber, such as a light quill float, can be used to keep the bait just off the muddy bottom.

Give the carp plenty of time to take the bait. Let him move off with it, and then firmly set the hook. When first hooked, the carp will usually come to the surface and, with the dorsal fin cutting through the water, run downstream or across to the opposite side. Suddenly he may make a spiral dive to the bottom, often shaking his body vigorously as he dives. Many lines have parted when the carp pulls this caper.

In the evening, you can float a piece of bread or marshmallow on the top of the water, and the carp will suck it in. This is an exciting avenue for the spinning fraternity. Also, this homely critter has been known to take flies and plugs. You can spot carp in the evening by watching for their wake as they plow along just beneath the surface or with their dorsal fin cutting the surface.

There are always new horizons in carp fishing. Because the carp is still sneered at in some circles, not too much copy has been devoted to the art of catching him. Experiment to find new ways of hooking the carp. For example, you can use cooked pearl tapioca or elm seed. When the seeds are falling, it's not unusual to see a school of carp swimming on the surface and sucking in seeds. Use small hooks, No. 12 or 14, and float the bait out on the water.

When berries ripen on bushes overhanging lake shores, many fall into the water. If carp are around, they will feed on the dropping food. Use a berry or a fly about the same color as for bait, and you are in business.

For those anglers who despise the carp, they should remember it's not the carp's fault that he is here. In 1876, the United States decided to import carp from Germany, and one Rudolph Hessel was assigned the job. Hessel imported 345 fish and they were placed in public ponds at Baltimore and Washington, D. C.

Congressmen, senators, and fish specialists from practically every state and territory clamored for the carp. Here was a species, the experts said, that anyone would be happy to raise, catch, eat, sell, and cherish. So young carp went into private ponds and public waters of 25 states and territories.As the fad wore off and they failed to live up to advance billing, the first murmurings of discontent spread. The carp became a scapegoat, and all the ills of fishing were heaped upon him.

Spawning is the carp's top trump. A large female can drop one million eggs.

When carp become overabundant they are harmful to game-fish populations, for they compete with them for food — food young fish need for proper growth. A fast grower under optimum conditions, a carp will be four to six inches long by the end of the first summer and will weigh a pound when one year old. Because of this, the carp soon loses his value as a forage fish. Anglers could help the situation by harvesting more carp.Actually,carptakenfrom clean water can be table delicacies if cleaned and cooked(or smoked)properly.

Give carp fishing a try. It can provide both sport and new interest in angling. Don't sell the ugly fellow short. He can give a good account of himself in any brawl.

HALSEY

THE NEBRASKA National Forest is a "dream come true" for the men who dared think that trees would grow in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. Bessey Division of the forest at Halsey is living proof that this was no idle dream. Covering 90,350 acres in Blaine and Thomas counties, it is sometimes referred to as "The Oasis in the Desert," or "The Little Rockies".

The ranger district lies between the Dismal and Middle Loup rivers, covering an area that at one time was almost entirely "blow sand". Today, the same area supports a beautiful forest and numerous pastures of grass-covered range land which furnishes feed for nearby cattle ranchers.

How did the forest come into existence? Through the work and effort of such men as Dr. Bessey, University of Nebraska; William L. Hall; Charles A. Scott, U. S. Forest Service; and President Theodore Roosevelt. As early as 1890, Dr. Bessey had expressed interest in tree-planting programs. In 1901, he helped with a reconnaissance survey of the Sand Hills. His dream started unfolding with the establishment of the Nebraska National Forest by "Teddy" Roosevelt on April 16, 1902. Two divisions were established,the Niobrara inCherryCounty containing some 116,000 acres, and the Dismal River Division. The Dismal River Division was later renamed the Bessey District in honor of the man who did so much to help establish the forest. Popularly, the section is known as Halsey Forest.

Much of Halsey is planted to trees. This is probably one of the largest man-made forests in the world.

Forest operations have been carried on over a period of 58 years. During this time many experiments have been carried out in the plantations. The OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 20   results of these findings are being used each year in the practice of "plains forestry" in the establishment of shelter belts and windbreaks.

Jack-pine stands are now producing 3,000-5,000 posts each year for forest fence maintenance. Present plans include a sale of approximately 2 million linear feet of post and pole materials in the near future. The entire forest will furnish in the next decade about 1,550,000 posts. With these, one could build a fences 4,430 miles long, the distance from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles and back.

The district also provides grazing for locally-owned cattle. A few areas also are used for other purposes, such as recreation, research, wildlife, and nursery production. A major portion of the division is divided into 30 pastures or allotments. These are used by 28 stockmen permittees. The range carries about 5,300 head of cattle each summer, or a total of 28,500 animal-months use.

Recreation use has grown rapidly in recent years. Halsey foresters are aware of this fact and are trying to meet the challenge. The picnic area has been enlarged and improved, as has the swimming pool. A 12-unit campground and trailer park are completed. A small picnic area also has been built at Scott's Lookout. This past summer, some 45,000 people used these sites. More recreation land is being included through the "Operation Outdoors" program. Another complete unit will be added to the picnic grounds in the next 2 or 3 years.

Wildlife is another phase of the multiple-use program, and improvements to aid this resource are planned and developed. Fish are found in the rivers on both the north and south sides of the district. Additional ponds are planned along the Middle Loup River.

Big game animals consist of mule and white-tailed deer, plus a recent release of 72 antelope by the Game Commission. Such animals as coyotes, bobcats, badgers, porcupines, opossum, skunks, and prairie dogs also can be seen. Game birds include pheasants, ducks, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chickens.

The Forest Service co-operates with the Commission in managing game resources. Presently, deer may be taken during open season. It is hoped that more hunting than is permitted at present will eventually be offered.

Fire is the worst enemy of the forest, and can destroy in a few short hours what it has taken years to build. That is the primary purpose of Scott's Lookout Tower.

The tower also is a great tourist attraction. Visitors can obtain a "bird's-eye view" of the forest from here. About 6,500 people from every corner of the nation and from foreign countries climb the tower each year.

Close to 5 million coniferous-seedling trees are produced each year at the Bessey nursery located at forest headquarters. Most trees are sold as 3-year-old stock. This means having some 17-18 million trees in the nursery at one time. Species produced are ponderosa pine, Austrian pine, pinon pine, eastern red cedar, Rocky Mountain cedar, spruce, and others. These trees are used for replanting National Forest areas in South Dakota's Black Hills, Colorado, and Wyoming. They are also used by the ranchers and farmers of three states for windbreak and other type plantings.

A dream of 58 years ago is today, a show place for all to see. Through multiple-use, several different activities can be carried out in the same area, offering maximum benefits from our National Forest lands.

Plans are to continue along these same lines for the next half century. With new methods and ideas ever present, the forest should continue to be one of Nebraskaland's prime attractions. Stop and enjoy the Nebraska National Forest; as a citizen, you are part owner.

BITS OF ALL AMERICA

NORTH TO the fabulous Sand Hills, south to the land of big reservoirs, west to the legendary Pine Ridge, east to the verdant Missouri, Nebraskaland offers an infinite array of scenic vistas that makes it unique among states. A border-to-border sweep presents an ever-changing panorama, affording sights that on other trips would require state-to-statetouring.

Nebraska is laced by a host of state and federal highways, assuring access to even remote areas. But no matter what road you travel,you're in fora treat.

In the southeast, U.S. 6, 34, 75, 77, and 81 and State Highway 2 afford miles of sight-seeing pleasures. Corn and milo fields offer a patchwork symmetry to the rolling, tree-bordered land. The broad Missouri, grinding its course through imposing bluffs, presents a lush scene. Stately oaks, maples, and cottonwoods provide cooling shade. Apple orchards add still another sparkle of color to the fertile land. Closer inspection shows coveys of quail within the cover of scarlet-leaved sumac.

The towering 400-foot-high State Capitol at Lincoln can be seen for miles around. Classed as one of the world's 10 finest examples of architecture, the limestone spike stands as a symbol of an agriculture-rich state. Also in Lincoln is the University of Nebraska and its Morrill Hall where the world's largest mastodon collection is on display. The State Historical Society Museum is another "must see" spot. Here western Americana from stone-age Indian to sod-dwelling settler is dramatically told. S.A.C.'s Lincoln Air Force Base is a major attraction with sleek B-47's and giant tankers ever "on the ready".

In the spring and fall, great flights of ducks and geese move into the many lakes and streams. The rain-water basin southwest of Lincoln provides a haven for thousands of migrating birds. But waterfowl do not lay full claim to the land. Pheasants abound throughout the region.

Omaha, Nebraska's great commercial center, offers an endless variety of things to see and do. The world's largest livestock market, the world's largest cattle market, and the world's largest meat-packing market are all open for inspection.

Though bustling, the state's largest city has many cultural attractions. Joslyn Memorial Museum houses one of the Midwest's finest collections of contemporary and pioneer art. Fontenelle Forest offers quiet splendor on bluffs high above the Missouri. West of the city is world-renowned Boys Town.

The Ak-Sar-Ben horse races during the summer and rodeo and horse show later on are prime attractions.So, too, is Offutt Air Force Base where 22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   the Strategic Air Command plots the nation's defense.

A host of interesting spots unfolds as you move into northeastern Nebraska. The entire sweep of the Missouri as it shapes the state's eastern border is outstanding, and there's many a spot where you can pull off the main byways to enjoy its beauty.

Omaha and Winnebago Indians, come September, trade modern-day garb for colorful ceremonial costumes to relive the dances of their ancestors. The Winnebago powwow is held during the first week, the Omaha's, the second. Mammoth Lewis and Clark Lake, created when the Missouri was impounded at Gavins Point, presents the ultimate in sight-seeing and outdoor fare. Camera addicts will have a field day, capturing shimmering, boat-studded waters and rugged bluffs. The country just south of the big lake is also a haven for the tourist, with much of the timbered, canyon country in a raw, rugged state.

Moving west from O'Neill, where countless stacks crown the land as wild-hay capital of the world, the first of the fascinating Sand Hills come into view. Actually, the change is so subtle from cropland to grazing land that you will not notice it until you're well into this cattle-country domain. Covering 20,000 square miles, the lush area is bordere d by U.S. 20 on the north and U.S. 30 on the south. This terrain continues into the panhandle and a strip occurs in the southwest corner of the state.

State Highway 2 pierces its vast heart land. Once you travel the road, you'll discover why no other area quite matches its special blending of rolling, grass-covered hills and sparkling "wilderness" lakes.

Its waters prove a duck factory for mallards and blue-winged teal. Skittish antelope can be seen far out, their white rump patches reflecting in a brilliant sun. Prairie dogs play hide-and-seek in many a "town", and a lonesome coyote sings his song under a star-studded sky. Prairie chickens, a rare sight for most, hang close to countless haystacks, and sharptails wing their way far out ahead.

Great herds of Herefords fatten in the Sand Hills' lush greenery. Roundup and branding work is done in real western fashion. So, too, are rodeos at Burwell, North Platte, and other Sand Hills towns. Burwell is one of the 10. best, and the nation's top cowboys tame broncs and brahmas.

The Loup, Middle Loup, South Loup, Calamus, Dismal, Snake, and Niobrara rivers originate in this area. The Snake and Niobrara are probably the most scenic, both twisting their way through miles of imposing canyons. Snake River Falls, southwest of Valentine, presents a roaring crescendo, while Smith Falls, northeast of the city, cascades in a silvery veil from a towering cliff in a Niobrara tributary.

The Dismal and Middle Loup rivers border the Bessey Division of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. This area, off State Highway 2, is one of the country's largest man-planted forests. Created at the turn of the century, great trees now spread over some 90,350 acres of land. The forest is a popular touring spot. Camping, sight-seeing, and fishing are all part of the fare.

The state's panhandle easily vies with the Sand Hills. Using Crawford as a(continued on page 25)

CANOE FOR TWO

checked the set lines and found one had two catfish on it.Both were over two pounds.

Thursday was the roughest day of the entire trip. A blustery wind sprang up during the night. It fought us all day after we launched our canoe beyond the check gate. Pat and I had to paddle almost constantly to make any headway, and we made more than one stop to ease our aching muscles.

At 1:30 we stopped at a welcome sand bar which jutted out into the canal for rest and some chow. While eating, I heard the sound of thrashing fish in the shallow water of a small inlet behind us. Gulping down the last of a candy bar, I took a small spear and headed for the cavorting fish, figuring it might be spawning carp.

There wasn't one but hundreds of carp breaking the surface. They were so thick I could almost walk across the tops of their backs. When I speared the first one, they scattered like wild broncs and tried to head for open waters. I "outfoxed" them by placing myself between them and open water. In the next few minutes I had a ball, spearing 10.

Pat watched the show from the canoe. Prowling through the shallow waters, I went after more carp. Just then, I heard one of the most welcome sounds of the entire trip—the harsh growl of an outboard motor heading our way. I made up my mind to ask for a tow, as Pat was in no condition to continue fighting the wind and choppy waters which blocked usfromreaching MidwayReservoir.

As the chugging boat neared, I recognized Gene Hornbeck, the Commission photographer who had trailed us along the canal taking pictures. He had waited for us at the Midway resort for a couple of hours, and when we didn't show up, he became concerned.

Borrowing a boat and motor from Cal Hockley, the resort operator, Gene came looking.

Hockley met us as we came into the boat slip. Grinning he aked Gene, "Where were they?"

"About a mile away, and both of them were ready to call it quits."

"We've had enough," Pat replied. I added a silent "Amen".

Although we hadn't reached our goal—we had aimed at Johnson Lake—our canoe trip had spanned 47 miles of fun, adventure, and yes, a few anxious moments. In view of the dangers along the canal, the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District does not approve or encourage boat travel of any kind on these waters. It's up to the in dividual. We chose to make the trip and it turned out to be the most exciting adventure of our life. It could be yours, too.

THE GREAT ADVENTURE

At the time of the incident, David McCanles was in the process of selling his station to the stage firm running the Pony Express. Originally, he had built the way station and a bridge for emigrants. Whenever he demanded his money from the company's stationmaster at Rock Creek, he was always refused.

According to the report 66 years later by McCanles' son, 12 years old then, McCanles, irritated by the delays, called for a showdown. Wild Bill answered him, in friendly enough terms, but dodged back into a cabin as McCanles, spying a movement inside, ran to another door. McCanles was shot, says his son, by Hickok from behind a curtain with his own gun.

McCanles' nephew and a rancher were also killed, finished with a hoe and a load of buckshot when they came running. Charged, but released on a plea of self-defense, were Wild Bill, Stationmaster Wellman, and J. W. Brink, a stock tender. Recent evidence shows that Wild Bill was not a company employee at the time, having been paid off a short time before.

Wild Bill, although a quiet-spoken man the rest of his life, evidentally fancied up the murder for the benefit of a tenderfoot writer. McCanles and his companions became a "gang of desperadoes, horse thieves, murderers, regular cutthroats." Bill shot the leader before they "rushed" the cabin. In the fighting, "two got in close to me, their eyes glaring out of the clouds (of smoke) ... I broke with my hand one man's arm. He had his fingers round my throat . . . Then I got ugly . . . striking and slashing till I knew that every one was dead."

The Pony Express came officially to an end on October 26, 1861, two days after the completion of the transcontinental telegraph. In that brief period, its riders had covered 616,000 grueling miles to carry messages of life and death to a country torn by civil strife. The company and its riders left an indelible in the tattoo of the bay mare's hoofbeats as it pounds record in Nebraska history, one that will ever echo up the Platte River Valley.

Experience the excitement of this short-lived but momentous page in history by seeing the Pony Ex press ride again. Gothenburg, famed Express site, is celebrating the centennial in colorful, week-long ceremonies, July 18 through 23. William Russell's modern-day counterpart will ride in in a flurry, swap horses, and strike out on the trail west. This, and other equally stirring events, will be long remem bered.

BITS OF ALL AMERICA

base camp in the northwestern corner of the region, you can see the weird wind-sculptered creations of the Bad Lands and Toadstool Park. Or, traveling due east on U.S. 20, you move into the entirely different scene of the Pine Ridge country. Here steep ridges are blanketed with ponderosas. The valleys are alive with sparkling-clear trout streams. Mule deer nimbly move about its borders.

Rock hounds will find no end to opportunities in the agate and fossil beds near Agate. Here some of the finest specimens of prehistoric animals have been collected.

The rugged country soon gives away to countless miles of golden wheatland as you near the North Platte River. And vieing for economic attention is the rash of oil wells throughout the area.

The Wildcat Hills extend from the North Platte River on southward. Here you'll relish to a famed Chimney, Jail, and Courthouse rocks. Elk and buffalo, once common to the area, can be seen at the Wildcat Hill's State Game Reserve.

The drive east from Kimball on U.S. 30 presents miles of green rolling hills, and once to Ogallala, you're introduced to the first of the Platte's great reservoir chain. Lake McConaughy, a few miles north of the town, is held in check by one of the world's largest earthfilled dams. On the lake's miles of placid waters, you'll find fishermen, boaters, and skiers. Eight other smaller reservoirs provide the same kind of fare as you drive eastward. The entire Platte watershed is a haven for ducks, with many settling there during annual migrations.

Southwestern Nebraska boasts its share of top recreation waters. Enders Reservoir south of Imperial produces top fishing as does Swanson Lake near Trenton and Harry Strunk Lake south of Cambridge on U.S. 6 and 34. The area offers some of the state's best pheasant hunting; with McCook serving as a base camp for many hunters. Nor does the southwest lack in sights to see. Level prairie breaks off into surprising canyons. The bottoms, once so effective as a hideout for warring Indians and outlaws, now prove a mecca for a man with a camera.

Harlan County Reservoir, one of the hot spots for fishermen and boaters, is a big attraction in southeast Nebraska. Easily reached from Holdrege on U.S. 183-383, the area is fast becoming popular with Nebraska and Kansas outdoorsmen.

This summer, head out on any one of the dozens of highways that blanket the state. You'll discover a whole host of scenic vistas right in your own back yard—vistas that you might have thought could only be seen after a long, expensive journey.

SPEAK UP

"Sometimes the simplest things make the best bait. And the handiest. Take the fellow fishing for carp in Fremont lakes. He couldn't get a strike, so he took the fig bar he was munching on, removed the figs, and shrped the crust into a dough ball. Wham, he latched on to a big one.

"Then there was the time a group of us were fishing and picnicking on the Elk-horn. Fishing was slow. As a joke, my husband put a whole weiner on the hook, all the time being razzed by the rest of us. The laugh was on us when he hauled in a 27-pound catfish.

"Garlic juice is -good for bait. So is horse mint. And bait rubbed in dark rum is excellent. You might try one of these concoctions the next time you go out."—Mrs. Harold Woodall, Blair, Nebraska.

"George Schildman in the summer issue of the 1956 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA told what he knew about squirrels. I agree with his comments, but not all the way. For instance, he says squirrels like insects and grubs. Nuts, corn, buds, tree bark, seeds, — correct. Fruit and berries— correct. But not oranges and grapefruit.

"Furthermore, Schildman stated squirrels eat bird eggs and any young birds. They do not eat meat or eggs of any kind. Once, my neighbor, Floyd Hendrix, kept four squirrels penned up in a wire cage for five days. We tried to feed them meat and eggs and they almost starved, but when we gave them corn and peanuts they sure went to town.

"People shouldn't believe all they hear about squirrels. One chap claimed he watched a squirrel carry a chicken that was big enough to fry up a tree. Another told me he saw a squirrel go up a tree while clutching a hen's egg. Another told of squirrels eating young pigeons and cleaning out the box. A squirrel won't clean out its own nest, let alone a dirty box.

"Squirrels are like people. You think that they look alike but they don't. Each one is different."—Frank J.Casey,Albion.

"I am interested in obtaining the latest information about bullhead fishing near Brown County. Could you tell me where to go and what success I might enjoy?" —Myron J. Bena, Omaha.

There are several lakes in Brown County which you might try for bullheads this summer. Long Lake, Rat Lake, and Enders Overflow are all open to public fishing, and seasonably provide fair fishing. Camping facilities are available at Long Lake. Another lake close to Ainsworth—and one which the Game Commission is in the process of purchasing— is Hofelt Lake located about 13 miles southeast of Ainsworth. It contains an expanding bullhead population.

According to D. B. McCarraher, District Fisheries Supervisor, there is a need of more bullhead fishermen in the Sand Hills to help harvest the fish crop. Far too many fish never reach the creel because of the light fishing pressure and poor harvest methods. It is estimated that anglers annually remove only about 16 per cent of the catchable bullheads in the most heavily fished Sand Hill lakes. A minimum bullhead harvest of 40 percent annually is needed in order to prevent overcrowding and direct competition with other game fish.—Editor.

"I would like to know if it is lawful to trap turtles for a profit."—Stanley Schied, Raymond

Turtles are not protected in Nebraska and may be trapped for a profit. However, it is illegal to take turtles by fish net, for, with several exceptions, the possession or use of nets is unlawful. The only ones you can use without a commercial fishing license for the Missouri River are landing or minnow nets.—Editor

Notes on Nebraska Fauna

REDHORSE SUCKER

THE TERM "sucker" means different things to different people. To the kinder-gartner, it means sweets; to the outdoorsmen, mixed feelings toward a large group of fish that are abundant in state lakes and streams.

The sucker family, Calosiomidae, is known to fishermen through the many varieties found here. These include the big-mouth buffalo, small-mouthed buffalo, carp sucker, common white sucker, highfin carp sucker, golden redhorse, Moxosloma eryihrurum, and the shorthead red-horse, M. aureolum. Those called the slender suckers include the white, hog, and redhorse varieties.

Redhorse in Nebraska are not large fish; neither are they abundant. The greatest number are found in the large, clearer reservoirs along the Platte River Valley. Even there, redhorse are found in insignificant numbers.

The red or pinkish color in the fins make identification of the golden and shorthead fairly easy. Accurately separating them from one another, however, is something else.

Golden redhorse are scarce. A few have been taken in the Platte River near Schuyler during a fish population survey. Shorthead were more numerous but comprised less than 1 per cent of the total fish collection there in the summer of 1959.

There are approximately 18 species of redhorse in the United States.As yet, they are imperfectly known to fisheries biologists.The characteristics that separate the various species are not distinct or overlapping inscale count sor measurements. In size, redhorse adults usually range from about 12 to 20 inches in length and weigh from less than one to five pounds. This is comparatively small when considering that 80-pound buffalo have been taken.

Young grow slowly and provide forage for predaceous species. Spawning occurs in early May when the water temperature has reached a suitable level. The species prefers to run up clear streams and will spawn in shallow, clear, ripple areas. If streams are not available for runs, the redhorse will seek out inlet areas where some current is present.

Spawning activity is similar to that of most members of the sucker family. The redhorse, along with the rest, is a random spawner. Males and females collect in an area where water is clear and flowing over gravel or rock. Spawning then consists of simultaneous extrusion of egg and milt. This done, the two move downstream, leaving the young when born to fend for themselves. The fertile eggs are adhesive and stick to the rocks and gravel until they hatch.

After hatching, the young fry soon begin to feed on minute organisms either attached to rocks and gravel or floating free in the water. Gradually the fry move downstream from the small tributaries, feeding as they go. If the young are hatched at the inlet areas of reservoirs, as many are in the Platte River reservoir system, they soon move into the lake. A large number, however, may remain in the inlet stream for many weeks.

Food consists largely of larvae of aquatic insects, snails, and mollusks. The sucking, protractile mouth enables the redhorse to garner its food from the bottom ooze, off rocks, plants, submerged logs, and roots. Since the fish feed on the bottom, mud and organic debris is usually present in stomachs.

Unlike many of the suckers, the redhorse can be taken by hook and line. Worms and other live bait work well. This sucker provides plenty of action when light tackle is used. Though bony, the flesh is quite firm, and if scaled and cooked in deep fat, provides tempting fare. Large redhorse are especially good when well smoked.

Because the species is relatively slow-growing the young provide forage for game fish. Minnows are not good for use as bait since the young die quickly. The adults also are easily killed. Redhorse do not survive even in the presence of industrial pollution that will leave bass unaffected. Following heavy rains, large numbers have been found dead. It is believed that heavy siltation caused by flood water is lethal to redhorse, because their gills are not adapted to taking oxygen from silt-laden water.

In the Great Lakes, the redhorse and white sucker comprise the major part of the commercial catch of mullets, particularly in Lake Erie, although less than 30 per cent are redhorse.

Though not a particularly desirable fish, redhorse serve a purpose in providing food for game varieties. They provide exciting action on light tackle. Prepared properly, they prove good eating. The red horse, along with other non-game varieties, could well be better utilized.

FLY WITH A TWIST

fishing add a shot on the leader above the fly. To balance the Coachman for longer casting, put a tiny split shot about 18 inches above the fly and another a foot above the first.

Give accentuated darting action to evoke interest from the fish. When fish are not striking well on slow, short darts, try speeding up the action.

The Coachman tied on a smaller hook appears as an insect as well as a small "minnie". As a dry fly floating downstream, it looks like a winged insect. As a wet fly floating, it may appear as a drowned insect. Therefore in stream fishing for trout, let it float without drag (line pulling on fly). When using the streamer, I usually float it downstream and pull it back with short darts. For a larger stream, I cast it quarteringly upstream, let it drift downward without drag, and pull back in darts.

As a nymph, the peacock herl pulsates in the water. This gives a sort of breathing action, so it looks realistic except for the red band. The red band is for contrast and attraction. Normal sizes for the nymph are Nos. 8, 10, and 12 hooks, regular strength wire, and about 2X long.

I hope you will enjoy the same results with your white-hair-wing Royal Coachman that LeR.oy, Baz, and I have with ours. Fly-tying is most enjoyable, but when you create a fly that brings in bonus creels to boot, you're on top.

KNOTical KNOW-HOW

THE NEBRASKA outboarder knows the basics of the more than 13,000 knots, ties, and splices known if he masters the half dozen shown here. The bowline is used for a permanent loop in the end of the line, as when making fast to a pier. Alternate tension and slack will not loosen it. A clove hitch is used for temporary moorings. An other method of making fast is the two-half-hitch knot; a half hitch makes fast to a cleat. A fisher men's bend will secure your anchor or buoy. The sheet bend is used to tie together lines of different sizes.

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