the BEST time is NOW

IN THE FISHING fraternity I'm an outcast, a misfit, a maverick, and perhaps even a bit of a clod. I absolutely refuse to have anything to do with such scientific balderdash as sun and moon charts, barometers, depthometers, sonic locators, or any other gadgetry that is supposed to tell when and when not to fish.

To me there's only one time to fish and that's when I'm fishing. If my lack of scientific acumen has prevented me from catching my share of fish, I don't know it and I don't believe the fish do either. Day, place, weather, moon phase, and the state of my id be hanged. I'm going fishing whenever I have the time and if I haven't time, I'm going to take it. If I catch a creel full, good. If I don't, I've got a ready-made excuse to try again.

I wonder why all the writers, inventors, and users of forecasting tomfoolery don't pool their talents and come up with something really useful. For instance, an encyclopedia of 10,000 sure ways to con the boss, wife, and other unsympathetic jailers into letting you have the day off for trouting would be great. Maybe the draftingboard drudges could come up with a gadget that unsnarls a backlash on a dark night when the mosquitoes are hungry. Even better would be a device that rescues that last Royal Coachman from a too-high branch just as the trout are rising.

Those who want to do something for fishermen should see to it that all wives must clean and scale the catch under pain of divorce without alimony. Any one of these accomplishments will enshrine the man in the hearts of fishermen forever.

This fetish of best time would be laughable if it wasn't so pathetic. I once had a fishing buddy who was an important figure in a tough, competitive industry. Every day he made decisions involving thousands of dollars and the livelihoods of hundreds of people, yet he refused to fish on his precious free days if the solunar charts said no. The little cardboard squares with their red and black fish had him under their spell and he accepted their message as the gospel. Think of all the wonderful hours of relaxation he has given up to someone else's goofy theory.

I know another guy who is as smooth with a fly rod as they come. He can do all of the casts. He knows the tricks of enticing big trout with streamer, spinner, or fly. He can skitter an Adams across the surface like it was born there and drop a black gnat in your hat at 30 yards. He fishes a worm like he invented it and can play a five-pounder on a 3-X tippet like Eugene Ormandy conducting an orchestra. But there's one catch. He steadfastly refuses to start fishing until the maple leaves are as big as a mouse's ear.

One early spring day after he had refused my invitation for a day on the stream with the mouse bit, I innocently asked him if he ever measured a mouse's ear. He didn't speak to me for a week.

There are some who will fish only during that wonderful hour between first light and sunup when the day is so enchantingly new. Soon after sunrise, they 4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland leave the water, convinced that the climbing sun has some mysterious influence on piscatorial appetites and that any further effort to whet them is a waste of time. There are others who fish only at sunset, letting a whole day go to pot without wetting a line.

Fishermen are somewhat of an addlepated lot in their superstitions, beliefs, and convictions. The rain worshippers insist that fishing is best during or immediately after a rain. Others claim rain ruins fishing for days. Some characters fish only when the barometer is falling; others, only when it is on the rise.

Good sportsmen and fine people, anglers have one common fault. They are set in their ways. No arguments, demonstrations, or examples will bend their beliefs and it's a waste of friendship and time to try. Take the moon cult. These guys argüe loud and long that the dark of the moon is the only time to fish. There are others who are so ardently committed to the full of the moon that never the twain shall meet.

This blind faith in best times stems from a variety of reasons. Some anglers are readers and have their favorite author, "the last word" in all things pertaining to fishing. If Phineas Frogwater claims that fish bite only when the sickle moon is 10 degrees above the horizon and in conjunction with Mars, then the Phineas fans are sure that this is the only time to fish.

There is the school of computer manipulators. Unwilling to spend the time and painstaking effort that it takes to become a consistently successful angler, they believe a machine is a short cut to the hard-won skill of the veteran. If they fail, the machine is a scapegoat; if they succeed, the machine comes in for faint praise. Either way, the seed is sown, at least in the subconscious, that the gadget knows more than they do.

Perhaps there are best times and poor times to fish. We all have days when the fish catch themselves and days when we can't buy a bite, but that's part of the game. If every fishing expedition was a creel filler, the fascination of angling would soon palé.

But to deny yourself the fun of fishing because conditions may not meet the requirements of a syndicated outdoor writer or the leanings of a reformed poacher, seems ridiculous. The best time to fish is when you're fishing.

PLATTE OF PLENTY

IF A PERVERSE earthquake destroyed all of Nebraska's fishing waters except the Platte River reservoirs, the state's line dunkers would still have more than enough good fishing to keep them happy. In numbers and species, the harnessed waters of the historie Platte are hard to beat in any league.

Fish populations in the fertile reservoirs run the gamut from eight-inch bluegills to tackle-busting northerns that sag the scale to the 30-pound mark. There's a lot of fine game and non-game fish in between, all aching for a fight.

These teeming reservoirs are easy to reach, since the Platte is paralleled by two major highways, U. S. Highways 30 and 26. Highway 30 is tied to the Platte from Fremont in the east to Ogallala on west. Highway APRIL, 1964   26 skirts the North Platte from Ogallala to Morrill. Most of the impoundments have boat-launching facilities provided by the Game Commission. Many of the older lakes and dams offer bait and equipment facilities in nearby towns.

Johnson Reservoir, south of Lexington, is the first link in the Platte chain. This 2,800-acre lake is coming into its own as a walleye paradise. Walleyes up to 15 pounds are available while five pounders are not too uncommon. But the fishing doesn't end with the marble eyes. There are lots of crappie up to 10 inches and a flock of channel "cats" that will hit 10 pounds or better.

Bluegills in Johnson are made to measure for younger anglers. They average about eight inches, but what they lack in size they make up in appetites. Yellow perch, considered by many to be the best panfish of the bunch, are numerous. A 12-incher is a good one but there are plenty of 8- and 10-inch beauties, too.

There are northerns in the lake to jar the unsuspecting angler and at times a bumbling largemouth makes 8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland a mistake and adds his weight to the stringer. In another year or so, smallmouths may be added to the creel.

Walleye fans at Johnson have an added incentive this year. The Lexington Chamber of Commerce has tagged and released 130 marble eyes in the lake. If you catch one, examine his lower jaw for the metal tag. Turned in, the tag is worth a prize.

Cozad is the jump-off spot for Midway Reservoir. The dam is nine miles south of town. This is the spot for channel catfish. The bewhiskered ones run large and plentiful in this relatively small impoundment, but they do not have the water all to themselves. Crappie, running to 10 inches or better, are anxious to steal the bait away. White bass, walleye, drum, and yellow perch populations are fair to good. Crappie fishermen are often jolted out of their wits when a high voltage northern rips up their terminal gear. Largemouth are present but not in numbers to insure a weighty stringer.

Gallagher Canyon Reservoir, southeast of Cozad, is similar to Midway but smaller. Fish are fairly plentiful and generally follow the pattern of Midway. Crappie fishing is rated fair to excellent in the 189-acre lake.

Next link in the Platte chain is Jeffrey Canyon Reservoir, south of Brady. Here, channel cats are champions, but there are plenty of contenders, including some bruising walleyes that can hit eight pounds on an honest scale. Small drum, bluegills, white bass, and crappie populations are rated fair. Bullheads are present but they are not considered important members of Jeffrey's finny community. Yellow perch, suckers, and carp won't let you come away blanked.

North Platte paints a bold stroke on the fishing canvas with its Lake Maloney, located south and slightly west of the city on Highway 83. If crappie is your quarry, Maloney is the place to fish. Even conservative anglers hang an excellent tag on the crappie fishing. The sporty ones average about eight inches and every inch is full of fight.

The walleye population is rated as very good and before the summer fishing fever wanes, some 12-pounders will leave the lake forever. Check your catch carefully. If he's wearing a red or yellow plástic tag, he's worth a prize in North Platte.

Channel cats lurk beneath the surface, sharing their watery domain with a few northerns and largemouth bass. Carp, suckers, shad, and bullheads are numerous. Inquiry at North Platte tackle shops will set you straight on what bait or lure to use.

Late fall draining for repairs leaves Sutherland Reservoir a question mark for this year. Located south of Sutherland on Highway 83, (continued on page 44)

TROUT IN WAITING

BIG FISH in small streams is the story of Nebraska's trout. Most of the state's browns, rainbows, and brookies live in the shallow tributaries of three drainage áreas in the Panhandle and the north central áreas. Knowing trouters pack their gear and head for the Pine Ridge and the valleys of the North Platte and the Niobrara rivers for their bouts with the big ones.

Trout waters in the Pine Ridge of northwestern Nebraska are concentrated in the Hat Creek and White River drainages. The streams are small with only a few miles of prime trout water on each but what they lack in size they make up in scrappy fish.

Typical of the Pine Ridge trout bonanza is Monroe Creek, north of Harrison. Only four miles of the stream are rated as tops for trout but don't let this discourage you. Some of its rainbows are big and full of fight, ready to square off against the best of anglers. The shallow creek also harbors browns and a scattering of brookies.

Besides Monroe, 11 other streams in the rugged Pine Ridge offer fair to excellent trouting. They are Sowbelly, Hat, Soldier, Chadron, Big Bordeaux, Little Bordeaux, Beaver, White Clay and Larrabee creeks. Good trout are taken regularly from Chadron Reservoir and White River. The smaller tributaries of the White are always worth a try.

Pools separated by shallow riffles is the pattern of Pine Ridge streams. Trout are confined largely to the pools where they lurk in the undercuts beneath the sloping banks. Without the shelter of rocks, deep water, or fast riffles, the trout are spooky. Consistent catches depend upon the quiet approach, the use of small hooks 10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAíand and thin leaders. Wise anglers pay attention to sun and shadow, too.

Minnows, worms, and summer grasshoppers are favorite baits. The streams are too narrow and the pools too small for effective fly casting. Spring and fall fishing is considered the best but fishing is available the year-round. Fishing pressure is usually light, except for a brief flurry in the spring. Winter fishing is good with salmón eggs. Inquiries at Chadron or Crawford will give the visitor a straight steer to good angling.

Scottsbluff is the hub for a web of trout streams in the North Platte River system. The spring-fed streams offer excellent brown trout angling with sizable rainbows a cióse second in popularity. The 'bows move in to Lake McConaughy in late spring and early summer.

Nine Mile and Red Willow Creeks are the most noted hot spots, but other streams with reputations are Lawrence Fork, Blue, Greenwood, Wild Horse, Stucken Hole, Sheep, Spotted Tail, and Winter creeks. Large rainbows are a regular occurrence in the tributaries of the North Platte. The run begins in October, peaks in mid-November and tapers off with tail enders in January.

The Niobrara and Loup Rivers with their tributaries are the champ big trout waters of NEBRASKAíand. In Sioux County, the Niobrara provides top action. Its tributaries as far east as Antelope County in northeast Nebraska harbor good trout populations. The brown is king in the Sand Hills spawned streams on the south side of the Niobrara.

Waters to try are Long Pine, Plum, Coon, Schlagel, and a portion of Gracie Creek. A small impoundment at the mouth of Gracie Creek has fine rainbow and brown populations. Bragging-sized trout lurk in the North Loup River, northwest of Mullen, the Dismal River pits, and the Dismal itself from Highway 97, south of Mullen, to the headwaters. Some of these áreas are suitable for fly fishing. Since some of these trout waters flow through private land, permission is necessary.

In a few years, the upper Snake River will provide plenty of top trouting. Rough fish were removed last year and 90,000 four to six-inch browns were stocked in the renovated waters. With the closure of Merritt Reservoir, 300,000 rainbows are expected to reach keeper size in a hurry since they have the impoundment to themselves.

Eastern Nebraska boasts trout in parts of three sepárate streams where browns and rainbows are for taking. Fishermen in the know head for Steel and Verdigre creeks. Another stream is Big Springs Creek, northeast of Orchard.

Lake McConaughy heads the list for big-water trout action. It reaches a peak in August when big rainbows seek the cooler water at the face of the dam. A weighted flatfish trolled deep and slowly will put customers in the creel. Bait fishermen pin their luck to the spinner-night crawler rig. The mouth of Otter Creek is always worth a wet line or two.

Anglers with limited time and a yen to tie into trout can fish the trout lake at Two Rivers State Recreation Área, not far from Venice. This put-and-take lake offers good fishing under a fee system. Special limitations are imposed and the angler must stop at headquarters for his special permit. Bait and equipment are available to the neophyte at the privately owned concession stands.

Good trout know their way around Nebraska, but there's always a fisherman or two that can outguess them. How about you?

RALLY ROUND THE REPUBLICAN

FISH ARE where you find them and one of the best spots in NEBRASKAland to toss a line is the state's great southwest with its action-packed reservoirs. Outdoorsmen can find their hearts' desire on the Republican River impoundments. The five man-made lakes boast some 23,627 surface acres of water and a variety of game fish. Walleye, crappie, and white bass are the most popular with anglers, but other species such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, yellow perch, catfish, drum, and bullheads do their part in luring the fishermen to these lakes.

When the fishing bug bites, the best cure is a trip to the spot most likely to produce a full creel. You'll find the right medicine in the southwest's waters.

Most of the fishing is done in the major impoundments, with the smaller lakes receiving relatively less APRIL, 1964 13   pressure. In 1960, there were only 38,762 licensed resident fishermen in the big área, far too few to utilize the existing fine angling opportunities.

June seems to be the month when most anglers dust off their tackle, but peak periods of fishing success occur throughout the year. Avid anglers try their luck almost every week end and very few fail to land fine catches.

Perhaps the most popular spot among the five is spacious Harían County Reservoir, which has elbow-room to spare with its 13,468 surface acres. Growing quickly in public acclaim and hounding the heels of Harían is the smallest and newest of the quintet, Red Willow Reservoir. But the other three, Enders, Swanson, and Medicine Creek are also tops as far as the fishing clan goes.

Harían County offers not only great fishing, but camping and picnicking facilities, boat ramps, cabins, boats, food, and swimming as well.

Two miles south of Republican City, the big impoundment supports an excellent population of walleye. Also found in abundance are crappie, white bass, and channel catfish. Other fighters adding variety to the creel are largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, drum, and flathead catfish.

Although the U. S. Corps of Engineers is making temporary repair on the dam and Harlan's water level is somewhat below normal, fisheries technicians do not expect this to hamper angling. Predictions are excellent for walleye, white bass, catfish, and fair for crappie.

With miles and miles of jagged shoreline, up-and-coming Red Willow Reservoir promises plenty of action.

Located eight miles north of McCook, the new lake boasts vast quantities of northern pike, largemouth and 14 smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and channel catfish. Fishermen who prefer to do their casting from a boat will find 1,600-acre Red Willow to their liking. Boat ramps are readily available. Whether you seek just a day's outing or a week or two with the sun and water, you can find accommodations. Camping sites and picnicking áreas are handy. Also cióse at hand are concession áreas where baits, boats, and food can be obtained.

Between Red Willow and Harían on Medicine Creek tributary of the Republican River is Medicine Creek Reservoir, another hideaway for big, battling lunkers. Just 10 miles north of Cambridge, the 1,850-acre site offers quanity and quality. Offering the best action are crappie and channel catfish. Walleye, bluegill, and big drum add to the sport and don't be surprised if you creel out a largemouth, northern, smallmouth, white bass, bullhead, or yellow perch.

Medicine Creek is easily accessible and food, baits, and boats are available nearby. There are boat launching facilities near the dam. Picnic facilities and a camp site make the living easy for those who want to stay cióse to the action.

Farther southwest on the Republican is bragging-sized Swanson Reservoir. Located three miles west of Trenton, it is the second largest of the Republican quintet with almost 5,000 surface acres of water.

The bulk of the catches at Swanson are black and white crappie, channel cats, drum, and bluegill. Anglers can frequently land yellow perch (continued on page 45)

RECORD-BREAKING MISSOURI

THE MISSOURI carves out NEBRASKAland's eastern border, the biggest and bawdiest of the state's many waterways. And she offers the biggest and most varied creéis. The Mighty Mo has been known for her fishing since Lewis and Clark carne this way in 1804. Today it's the most alluring of Nebraska's 11,000 miles of streams and rivers. Within the last four years, she has surrendered lunkers that broke four state records, and a sauger that shattered the world mark.

You can choose almost any kind of fishing in the Missouri. If you go for really big-water angling, there's Lewis and Clark Lake, a sprawling 33-mile-long impoundment. For tops in sport fishing with light tackle, you can take your pick of the numerous oxbows and backwater lakes. But if you go for the rod-busters, you'll want to fish the river itself.

Lewis and Clark, with its 104 miles of scenic shore line, is the top fishing attraction of northeast Nebraska. Gavins Point Dam traps the waters of the Missouri to form a reservoir brimming with walleye and sauger. Plying your angling skill beneath the towering cliffs that ring the lake, you'll also encounter northerns, catfish of all kinds, crappie, drum, and other species.

Both bank and boat fishing are popular at Lewis and Clark. If you choose the latter, there are state launching ramps at Santee, Bloomfield, Weigand, and South Shore. Also, numerous commercial docking facilities are available. Boat rentáis as well as bait and supply shops will 16 OUTDOOR NEBRÁSKAIand add to your angling convenience. If you fish from a boat on the lake, make sure you have a valid fishing license issued by the state from which you enter the lake and to which you return.

Nebraska's largest recorded sturgeon, a 26-pounder, was taken just below Gavins Point Dam in 1960 by Reverend Richard L. Jobman of Norfolk. Here, too, the state's record paddlefish, a 72-pound lunker, was landed by Lyle Sawatzke of Crofton in 1961. The paddlefish, by the way, is the largest recorded fish ever caught by sport fishermen in NEBRÁSKAIand waters.

Winding south and east from Gavins Point, the Missouri forms Nebraska's border for some 300 scenic miles. Oxbows and backwaters along the timbered water course account for some of the finest fishing in the eastern part of the state. These waters were formed with the rechanneling of the river.

The cutoff ponds, which vary from small pools to large lakes, are the Missouri's answer to the prayers of fly and spinning tackle fans. The oxbows are especially productive for big crappie and bass. The cutoffs also offer catfish, sauger, drum, and carp.

When fishing these spots, you're not bothered by the tricky currents that plague anglers on the river, but chances are that you'll need a boat to get to the oxbows. Many of them can't be reached any other way. A chart of the river, which can be obtained from the Corps of Engineers at a small cost, wrill guide you to the fishing havens. Also, residents of the towns along the river will be glad to point out the backwater regions.

A reciprocal agreement between Nebraska and Iowa makes fishing and access to the Missouri simple and easy. Fishermen or boaters may enter or leave the water from either state, so long as they comply with the laws and regulations of the state that issued their license. License holders from either state can fish any waters of the Missouri, including oxbows, cutoffs, and sloughs which draw their water from the Missouri River proper. Oxbows separated from the Missouri by land are included only if the state line passes through some part of such an oxbow. Anglers may transport fish taken from the Missouri through the neighboring state, provided they return home by the most direct route.

When it comes to heavy-tackle angling for the big ones, the river itself is the place to fish. The Missouri is haunted by lunker flatheads, sleek channel cats, and occasional blues.

A heavy casting rig with a minnow in tow is favored for walleye and sauger. Catfish anglers choose a wide variety of baits, depending on the time of year and the kind of cat they're after. As with oxbow fishing, a boat is needed in most cases to reach the most productive áreas of the river.

The Missouri is easily accessible, with state-owned boat ramps at Omadi, Brownville, and Nebraska City, and many natural launch áreas. Marinas and private and commerical docking facilities line the banks of the Mighty Mo. Since the river is considered navigable, its waters are public property, so boaters needn't worry about trespassing while afloat.

The Missouri is the only waterway in the state where snagging is permitted. The snagging season is in swing from November 1 to April 1, with both game and non-game fishing legal. Another point to remember is that the bag limit for walleye and sauger is higher at Lewis and Clark and the other waters of the Missouri. The combined bag limit is 16, compared with a combined limit of eight in the rest of the state. In all cases, the combined possession limit for the two gamesters is 16.

Longbow fishing in the shallow regions of the Missouri's backwater stretches offers the kind of angling that appeals to archery fans, whether they're neophytes or pros. The carp and drum thrive in these pools, and other game and nongame lunkers may be encountered. The bow-and-arrow season lasts from April 1 to December 1. Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset.

From the hardy commercial fishermen of the southeastern river towns to the Scuba-divers at Lewis and Clark, the queen of rivers offers an unending variety of angling choices. It's easy to join the fraternity of Missouri River anglers, no matter if you fish from the cushioned chair of a 36-foot yatch or the rough seat of a John boat. Chances are you and the river will develop a lasting friendship.

SAND HILLS BONANZA

LOADED WITH potential that's mostly untapped, the lakes and streams of the Sand Hills spread their angling allure over more than 16,000 square miles of NEBRASKAland. Fishing in this vast región ranges from trouting in cold, twisting creeks to warm-water catfishing in the Niobrara and other rivers that lace the rolling hills.

The blue ribbon winners of Sand Hills angling, however, are 170 fishable lakes that stretch from one end of the región to the other. Because of the many varieties they support, these are year-around hot spots.

If you haven't heard much about Sand Hills fishing, it's only because not enough people have taken advantage of the angling that is available. The región is made up of sprawling ranches, just a few towns, and not many inhabitants. Much of the fishing potential has never been utilized.

The size of the región and poor roads have made many an angler shy away from the fish-rich Sand Hills. Many of the good lakes are easily accessible but some are miles from good roads. The access trails to them, for the most part, are fit for horses, mules, Jeeps, and pickups. Some expert guidance from local residents can be utilized to pin-point these áreas.

Getting to the lakes may be a challenge, but once you arrive the fishing will make you forget the trip in short order. There's another bonus, too. The Sand Hills offers scenery that can't be matched anywhere. The rolling, grass-covered área stretches endlessly in

When you reach the lake of your choice, you can be assured that you won't be bumping elbows with anyone, save perhaps a stray steer. About 75 per cent of all fishing is done in just five of the lakes. Obviously, the anglers are spread pretty thin over the other 165 producers.

Depending on the season, the lakes offer catches of northerns, perch, crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, and bullheads. A few of the waters hold walleye. Now northerns, bluegill, crappie, perch, and largemouths will make up the bulk of your creel.

Most easily accessible of the Sand Hills lakes are those on the Valentine Wildlife Refuge Área, some 17 miles south of Valentine. There are 26 fish-supporting lakes within 10 miles of the refuge headquarters on Hackberry Lake. These are big waters, with a combined área of more than 10,700 surface acres. Good roads lead to all of them. You can find out what species are hitting hottest when you check in at refuge headquarters.

Many of the far-flung Sand Hills waters are on private property and you'll often have to use private roads to get to some of the remote hot spots. Chances are you won't have any trouble obtaining permission from the ranchers, but be sure to ask. Make certain, too, that you cióse all the gates you encounter along the trails. Don't let stray cattle spoil future fishing for yourself and others.

Some 30 miles southwest of Ainsworth lies another brace of lakes that offer some top Sand Hills fishing. Access is by graded road and trail. Bass often hit two to three pounds in Long Lake, which is managed by the Game Commission.

There is a legión of other Sand Hills producers that are worthy of your attention. Many are underfished and the big ones are begging for takers. For a more complete listing of the Sand Hills lakes, get a 20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland copy of the Game Commission's pamphlet, "Where to Fish NEBRASKAland."

In the number of trouting waters, the Sand Hills are shaded by the Panhandle área. But for quality, the rainbows and browns of the hills don't play second fiddle to anyone. The tributarles of the Niobrara and Loup rivers teem with trout. Like the lakes in the región, however, the trouting waters are remote.

One of the best streams is Long Pine Creek, a tributary of the Niobrara, just west of Long Pine. This cool, tree-shaded creek harbors trout that sometimes hit eight pounds. Long Pine has been a favorite of Sand Hills trouters for years.

Other top trout waters in the región include Plum Creek, west of Ainsworth; Coon Creek, north of Bassett; Gracie Creek, north west of Burwell; Schlagel Creek, north of the Valentine Refuge; the North Loup River, northwest of Mullen; the Dismal River from Highway 97 south of Mullen to the headwaters of the river; and the Dismal River pits.

After its rehabilitation in 1963, the Snake River promises to be a top trout streams. The Snake was cleared of the rough fish that threatened to take over the river, and heavy trout stocking was done. At the headwaters of the river, where a few trout were found before the renovation, some 90,000 browns were released. Along the rest of the river to the new Merritt Reservoir, approximately 300,000 rainbows were planted. With their way cleared for fast growth, the rainbows and browns will offer fine trouting. Merritt Reservoir, once it is filled, should also be outstanding.

The upper reaches of the Calamus River, south of Ainsworth, not only claim trout but the finest northern angling in the Sand Hills. This river is tough to reach, but once you get there you'll be surrounded by beautiful scenery and hungry gamesters. The headwaters of the Elkhorn River also offer good northerns.

There's yet another aspect of Sand Hills fishing that deserves specia] mention. The Niobrara, below the Valentine power dam and the Spencer dam north of O'Neill, will appeal to you if you're hungry for the big channel cats. And bayous along the river also contain some topnotch largemouth bass angling. Hungry cats also abound below the many diversión dams of the Loup Rivers. Below Milburn Dam, walleyes as well as catfish are taken in respectable numbers.

If you want some unusual fishing opportunities in a truly unique part of NEBRASKAland, set your sights on the Sand Hills. Fishing this huge región isn't for the Sunday afternoon angler, but for someone who wants a taste of the unspoiled outdoors, the hills can't be trumped. The unchanging Sand Hills will more than make up for the extra effort neded to find and fish them.

NEBRASKAland's RAINBOW OF FISH

FEW MEN have seen their prey in his natural element. First introductions most often come when the fish breaks water in a splash of fury. With the help of color photography, OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland changes all this and takes you to the deep for a close-up study of the famous and not so famous fighters that end up in your creel.

Anyone who has ever dropped store string and bent pin into the pond will recognize the slab-sided bluegill, one of the state's most abundant fish. Fun on the rod and a delight on the píate, the bluegill is a favorite.

More has been written about the colorful rainbow trout than any other fish that swims. He sparkles and flashes in the cold waters of the Panhandle and the angry currents of northern NEBRASKAland. Dedicated anglers rate him tops for action.

Almost but not quite a walleye, the sauger is most at home in the big waters of Gavins Point but other rivers know him as a frequent visitor. Once an import, the brown trout has earned his NEBRASKAland citizenship. Somewhat more tolerant of warm waters than other trout, he flaunts his challenge to anglers in streams and lakes where others of his clan cannot survive. A fighter, he asks no quarter of rod and reel.

White bass and Lake McConaughy are synonymous in this state, but he is found (continued on page 31)

in other lakes and impoundments, too. An active feeder in the evenings, he travels in schools to give anglers red-hot action.

Eons mean little to the sturgeon. He's very much the same critter today that he was in earth's primitive days. He calis the Missouri River home but is found in other rivers in Nebraska.

Yellow perch, drum, and crappie are a co-operative trio of panfish in NEBRASKAland. Easy to catch, they offer relaxed and carefree fishing at its best for young and oíd.

Gorging on all manner of living and dead material, the channel catfish has inspired ardent anglers to experiment with everything from ripe chicken guts to lively minnows to entice this fine-flavored fish to their hooks.

The largemouth bass is a fish of many moods, all of them vile. He's mad when he's hungry, and hungry when he's mad. At times he sulks and ignores every lure in the tackle box. Other times, he smashes at anything he sees.

Nature was thinking of the kids when the bullhead was created. Widely distributed and cosmopolitan in appetite, the easy-to-catch bullhead is tailor-made for kids, cañe poles, and lazy summer days.

Another throwback to the prehistoric is the paddlefish of the Missouri River. Looking fierce enough to eat a steer, the paddlefish instead depends upon minute plant and animal life for his daily diet.

The flathead catfish received his ñame for obvious reasons. A fine table fish, he grows large and cantankerous.

To other fish unlucky enough to share his habitat, the northern is the assassin. A voracious feeder, he likes his grub raw and wriggling and woe betide the minnow or frog that ventures near his underwater lair.

A walleye is really a perch whose mother was frightened by a northern. His sloping head and needle-pointed teeth are responsible for his nickname of walleye pike. Carnivorous, his angling fans use minnows to entice him to the stringer.

These outstanding photographs of fish, taken in their natural element, is another in OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland's continuing efforts to bring readers a colorful portrayal of their big and vital state. Next month, you'll be treated to a never-to-be-forgotten study of NEBRASKAland's world reknown state capitol.

Pinch of Salt

ANGLERS IN southeast Nebraska have long suffered from a chronic shortage of fishing spots. But a cure-all known as the Salt Watershed District is taking care of the trouble better than a silver dollar's worth of your favorite medicine man's snake salve.

Although none of the lakes in the district are very large, together they add up to a sizeable dose of fishing fun. The reservoirs, with one exception, are located in Lancaster County, and they're easily accessible to sportsmen from a wide área of the eastern part of NEBRASKAland.

The pair of Salt lakes that promise the hottest fishing this year are No. 4, located 2V2 miles west of Sprague, and No. 8, 2V2 miles east of Hickman. These new lakes were stocked with fingerling fish just a year ago, but foot-long bass and scrappy bluegill and pudgy bullheads should be the order of most angling days this spring.

Another reservoir in the Salt chain, No. 17, located within Lincoln's city proper, will be opened for fishing this year if spring rains fill it sufficiently. It was stocked by the Game Commission, and now is under supervisión of the city. The reservoir will become a part of Lincoln's new Holmes Park.

Other impoundments in the Salt system will soon be ready to meet the fishing fancies of state anglers. Reservoir No. 9, a mile south of Hickman, is partially stocked and should offer good fishing by late fall. Lake No. 2, two miles east of Kramer, and No. 12, a mile north of Dentón, will get heavy doses of game fish as soon as their water levéis are high enough.

And if that isn't enough to satisfy your angling appetite, construction on two more reservoirs in the district will get under way this year. Two other Salt dams are on the drawing boards, but have yet to receive Congressional approval.

But to get back to the lakes that are ready right now, the 325-acre charmer known as Lake No. 4 will yield bass ranging from 10 to 13 inches this spring. Bullheads should run between 9 inches and a foot, and bluegills will measure 6 to 7 inches. Both channeí cats and a few walleyes should hit the pound mark.

Should you choose to dip a minnow in the waters of Lake No. 8, you can expect about the same results. Game Commission checks at No. 8 have shown a good 32 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland growth of northerns, although the great majority will be too small to take home. This year northerns must tape at least 24 inches if they're landed in eastern Nebraska east of Highway 81. This new regulation, meant primarily to protect the northerns in the Salt lakes, doesn't apply in the waters of the Missouri River and its oxbows.

Except for the bullheads, all the species that you'll be taking were stocked by the Game Commission. The northerns were planted on an experimental basis, and have made good gains in the reservoirs. More fingerling fish will be stocked as the newly constructed lakes fill.

Aside from the good fishing you can expect, maybe the best feature of the impoundments is that they're easy to reach. The only drawback is their lack of romantic ñames. It's hard to imagine turning to your bride on a warm spring morning and saying, "You get a line and I'll get a pole and we'll go down to No. 10A." The number designations were assigned by the Corps of Engineers, and haven't yet been changed.

Aside from this very minor problem, the reservoirs are easy to reach, the fish are eager, and the surroundings are pleasant. The Game Commission is developing the lands adjacent to the lakes to make them attractive to people as well as to wildlife. The land, once planted in crops, is being replanted with cover for game.

Fishing in the lakes will be especially hot this spring and fall. You can expect angling success to suffer the summer doldrums experienced in most warm waters. Even so, fishing will still be good.

There're no particular secrets to landing the lunkers in the Salt System. Minnows, worms, and other live baits will be successful on most days, and artificial lures will also play a part in filling your stringer. The largemouths, northerns, and bluegill are generally suckers for the charms of plugs, spinners, and flies.

Other facets of outdoor recreation have opened with the development of the reservoirs. Besides offering a fishing jack pot for anglers from a wide área, some of the lakes are being developed for boating, skiing, swimming, and picnicking.

Reservoir No. 4 has been outfitted with two boat ramps, docking facilities, a parking lot, fireplaces, and water and sanitary facilities. Lights will be installed in the área. Lake No. 8 will boast bath houses and sandy beaches for swimming fans. Boats operating at more than 5 mph will not be allowed here.

When the Salt reservoir program is completed, perhaps by 1965, the district will add more than 4,000 acres of recreational land to southeast Nebraska. Although the lakes were originally intended for flood control only, state sportsmen paid the nominal cost of developing the facilities with Game Commission funds.

The system brings to the heavily-populated área of southeast Nebraska a gigantic windfall of outdoor opportunities. So pack up the rod, reel, and wife and head for your pick of the lakes. There's sure to be at least one that'll suit your fishing fancy.

CACHE IN CATFISH

A DOUGHTY angler runs his John boat up the peaceful Big Blue, stopping every few hundred yards to check his trotlines. The first two are stripped bare but when he comes to the third line, his sun-wrinkled face turns into a toothy grin as he spots a 30-pound flathead snared on his line.

Two hundred miles away, a much younger man impatiently flicks a minnow into the restless waters of the Republican below the Trenton Dam spillway. As the wiggling minnow sinks toward the bottom of the stilling basin, a seven-pound channel "cat" swoops on it. The man, armed with a light spinning rig, has a battle on his hands.

Along a muddy little creek that runs through the middle of a pasture, a 10-year-old boy unceremoniously plops a worm-covered hook into the water. The creek, which isn't even graced with a ñame, yields a two-pound channel cat.

It makes little difference who you are. where you go, or how you fish—your chances of a NEBRASKAland meeting with a member of the catfish clan are excellent. This native of the state has put down stakes in about every water that's deep enough to cover his foggy eyes.

Whether you fish for browned fillets or just for the fun of it, the catfish is hard to top. He's a dogged fighter, a worthy adversary for any angler of any age, regardless of the equipment used in the battle.

NEBRASKAland offers an abundance of waters to the catfish angler. Cat-infested rivers span the eastern half of the state, and natural and man-made impoundments dot the región. "Big Mac"—more formally known as Lake McConaughy—and the giant reservoirs on the Republican River drainage also contribute a share of the state's catfish take each year.

Almost every lake and large river in the northeast and southeast offers catches of cats, but the tops in Nebraska catfishing is in the winding, swirling waters of the Missouri River. The river has yielded the state's record blue cat, a 67-pound, 8-ounce lunker taken last year near Wynot, and the largest flathead (yellow) 34 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland catfish, a 59-pounder, was taken from the Missouri in 1961.

The state's biggest channel cat on record was landed in 1944 at Lake Ericson, a small power company impoundment near Ericson on the Cedar River. The record-buster weighed in at 31 pounds, 12 ounces.

From the headwaters of Lewis and Clark Lake to the river towns of southeast NEBRASKAland, the Missouri dishes up a bountiful supply of cats. The king of all catfish, the blue, is found only in and near the Big Mo, but catches are becoming rare. The blue sticks to the big, fast moving waters, and the construction of dams and river polution are giving him trouble.

Lewis and Clark Lake and the fast waters below Gavins Point Dam also deserve special mention as catfish hot spots. Oxbows created from channel stabilization also offer heavy stringers for the skilled angler.

The many smaller rivers in the eastern part of Nebraska also are favored stomping grounds for big cats. Some of the best fishing is found in the Little and Big Blue Rivers, where set-line enthusiasts can snare 30- and 40-pound flatheads. Other slow-moving rivers that catfish cali home are the Elkhorn, the Little Nemaha, the three forks of the Loup, and the Republican downstream from the Harían County Dam.

More top-notch catfishing can be found below the spillways of the big lakes in southwest Nebraska, where faster-moving water stirs up the cats and plenty of action for you. Numerous ponds and sand pits are also haunts for the bewhiskered fighters.

If, by now, you've got the idea that there are catfishing spots about everywhere you turn in NEBRASKAland, you've hit the nail squarely on the head. The sleek channel cat will make up the bulk of your catch, but flatheads and an occasional blue will contribute real poundage to the stringer.

Once you've picked the spot that looks good to you, and hopefully to the fish, learn something about the habits and home life of the cat. The catfish normally seeks food during the night, then hides himself under a bank or log in quiet water during the sunlight hours. Sometimes he'll break the nocturnal feeding schedule, especially when increased flowage from heavy rains brings in a fresh supply of food. Daytime fishing after a rain usually is worthwhile, but during dry, hot weather night fishing will be best.

Spring and fall weather are ideal for catfish action. The summer heat usually slows down fishing success. Prime catfishing occurs just before and during the spawning period. Water temperatures must rise above 75° before spawning begins, and the length of incubation is 6 to 10 days. Cats prefer obscure, still places to deposit their eggs, such as undercut banks, rock ledges, and even large tin cans.

The kinds of catfishing gear are just as varied as Nebraska catfish waters. Favored for flathead river fishing are trotlines and jugging, as well as heavier combinations of casting rods and reels. For trotlines and jug fishing, the ñame and address of the owner has to be attached to the gear. Also, the use of glass floats on jug lines isn't permitted.

When it comes to landing the smaller channel cats, sport fishing with a spinning outfit or even a fly rod is hard to top. On light tackle, catfishing offers just as much action as any other kind of angling in the state.

Whether you run a John boat up the Big Blue checking trotlines, or toss out a minnow below the Swanson spillway, you're in store for action that has made Nebraska catfishing a legend. It's been that way for a hundred years, and, with two state catfish records being broken since 1961, things aren't apt to change.

DOCTORS OF PISCATOLOGY

IT'S NO ACCIDENT when a string of fat bluegill is creeled at Red Willow Reservoir, a battling smallmouth landed at McConaughy, or an eight-pound northern hooked at Smith Lake. The topnotch fishing at lakes on the Valentine Refuge, Grove Lake, Verdón Lake, and other waters is no coincidence, either.

Thanks to a long-range fish management program, all of these waters are producers. Technicians are continually striving to provide as much sustained fishing as possible throughout NEBRASKAland, then make sure state anglers get in on the bonanza.

Newly-impounded Red Willow Reservoir in southwestern Nebraska is a good example of how management pays off in great fishing. If the Game Commission had let nature take its course, the new lake would have been clogged with rough fish. Pre-impoundment surveys showed undesirables claimed Red Willow from the dam site 50 miles up to its headwaters.

Technicians knew that carp and other undesirables would undoubtedly get first crack at the reservoir after the dam was closed. There was a good chance that the adult rough fish would genérate hundreds of thousands of young that would utilize much of the available food, leaving little for the game fish.

Just before the dam was closed, fishery personnel moved in. They rotenoned the entire stream and many ponds in the watershed, drastically reducing the number of undesirable fish. After the reservoir was partially filled, thousands of fingerling game fish were stocked. The food was available, and the growth was excellent. This reservoir will offer good fishing for years to come, but the picture would have been different without fisheries management.

Another good example of this technique was the renovation job on the Snake River. The Snake was teeming with rough fish before rotenone cleared out the unwanted species from the river's headwaters to the new Merritt Reservoir. As a result, both the Snake and the reservoir should be prime trouting spots.

Management activities are also directed to lakes that already exist, but offer little in the way of fishing. In most cases, sampling reveáis overpopulations of stunted game fish or rough fish. In these situations little good can be done by stocking since the food produced by the lake is already being used. Here agairotenone becomes a key management tool.

Grove Lake, the Valentine Refuge lakes, and Lakes No. 7, 8, and 11 at Fremont have been treated with rotenone. At the time of renovation, all had less than 10 pounds of catchable-sized game fish per surface acre of water. Since renovation and restocking, the pounds of catchable game fish has increased at least tenfold in each lake. Increases like this show up in the fisherman's creel.

Management isn't always concerned with complete renovations. In rare instances, rough fish can be somewhat controlled by seining. This cuts populations and increases food for the desirable fish. This is usually a 36 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland slow uphill battle and it's relatively expensive. A few western reservoirs and the city lakes at Schuyler and Hastings are slowly improving through the technique.

It is sometimes desirable to import different game species when it appears that these "strangers" can fill a niche in Nebraska waters. The upswing in northern pike and smallmouth bass fishing in the state can be directly attributed to importations.

Pollution is a major concern of fishery managers. If pollution causes a direct fish kill, there are obviously fewer fish for the angler. However, pollution is sometimes subtle. It reduces the fish food and causes a deterioration of habitat without actually causing fish mortality. The result, fewer fish, is the same. Fishery investigations have helped reduce pollution in rivers such as the Platte and Elkhorn.

Fish management plays an important role in determining fishing laws, and these laws are basic for maintaining good harvests for the fisherman. If the regulations are too restrictive, the angler is not allowed to take what could be harvested without damaging future fishing. This is outright waste. But if fishing laws are not restrictive enough, a constant overharvest may threaten future angling. Through research, often involving fish tagging, many unneeded restrictions have been removed and a few have been tightened where necessary.

A large number of private ponds and lakes that furnish considerable fishing to many anglers come in for attention, even though they may be open "by permission only." As long as it's not a commercial venture, fisheries management also helps keep fishing at its best in these ponds. This helps take some of the pressure off public waters.

A relatively new field is vegetation control. Too much vegetation can hinder fish life. Fishery technicians are now involved in a program to perfect control techniques. The results of their efforts will be seen when vegetation-clogged waters become bonafide producers.

All the fish in the world, though, aren't worth a dime unless they're utilized. If the fishermen don't creel the fish, then fishery management has done little. The Game Commission makes an all-out effort to pinpoint the hot spots through a continuing news program. Radio, newspapers, and televisión are utilized to give state-wide coverage. Maps of some of the major reservoirs are widely distributed to pinpoint available facilities.

As an aid in harvest, brush piles are sometimes placed in lakes to help concéntrate fish. When possible, the depth the fish are apt to be is made known. Passing out these fishing tips is part of the job.

Boiled down, the Game Commission makes an all-out effort to assure the greatest possible amount of fishing opportunities, then tell anglers how to get in on the bonanza. Fisheries management is not new— Nebraska creéis already show its results.

the COOKING KNOW

WITHOUT DOUBT, more fish are ruined on the stove than are destroyed by pollution. More often than not, this culinary catastrophe is brought about by well-intentioned but totally misinformed housewives.

Basically, this ruination is not the result of an inability to cook. Rather, the very thought of tackling a walleye or a mess of bullheads throws the little woman into shock.

If the lady of the house would approach a catfish with the same calm she views a frozen filet of solé at the supermarket, there would be no problem. A relaxed, confident manner is a real asset to any cook.

There are a variety of ways to cook fish that do not cali for the frying pan and lard bucket. Most of the methods result in a tastier and more easily digested meal than a frying pan can produce.

Your oven door can open to a whole new world of fish preparation. So can the frying pan and barbecue grill. Fish can provide delightful, nourishing meáis if a little care and imagination is used in cooking. Two cardinal points to bear in mind when preparing fish are to cook as soon after hooking as possible and to not overcook. The sweet, delicate flavor of fresh fish is ruined by either mistake.

A fitting climax to a day on lake or stream is a well-prepared meal with the day's catch as the main dish. When the little lady is in the cooking know, you can be sure the feast will be a complete success for her and everyone who sits down to the spread.

the SMALL ONES

THE ADAGE that big fish and big water go together is not necessarily so in NEBRASKAland. Many of the state's smaller lakes and dams harbor lunkers that will die of oíd age before an angler ever finds them.

Overlooked by anglers bent on threshing the big lakes and impoundments, many of the little lakes are badly underfished. Others get only token play from in-the-know locáis who are understandibly reluctant to reveal their pet fishing holes. Only a minimum of the minor league lakes and dams get an angling workout throughout the entire year.

Not counting the Sand Hills lakes and the farm ponds, there are at least 25 sample-size fishing spots in the state. A few, such as the trout lake at Two-Rivers, are stocked with in-the-pink battlers by the Game Commission, while the great majority are natural fish factories after the initial stocking of fingerling fish. They contain most of the species found in bigger waters.

A majority of these second-string lakes are state-owned and access is no problem. Some are developed with recreation and camping facilities. Others are pretty well in the natural state where an angler must do a little work on his own to reach the fish. A few are on state or federal refuges and subject to special but not unduly restrictive regulations.

In the northeast there are six small lakes worthy of any angler's attention. Four of them are state-owned. They range in size from a few acres to several hundred and are easily reached.

Grove Lake, some 2% miles north of Royal on U. S. Highway 20, is typical 42 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland of the fishing hot spots in the northeast. It is 50 acres of largemouth, walleye, bluegill, bullhead, and channel catfish. Another in the same group is Pibel Lake south of Bartlett, one mile off U. S. Highway 281. The largemouth fan can whip Pibel's shallows with fair assurance that he is going to rile up a paunchy oíd bass before he has to quit. If the bass are sulking, there are bluegill, northern pike, channel catfish, and bullheads to save the day.

Burt county anglers head for Decatur Lake when they think of crappie. A small spoon cast into this 550 acre beauty is likely to trigger an explosión at any time. Walleyes are always ready to pick up the slack when the crappie are off their feed. Some northern pike are also taken.

Fishermen who enjoy scenery with their angling take on Dead Timber Lake, two miles east of Scribner. Largemouth, channel cats, crappie, and bullhead are quick to take your mind off the unusual surroundings of this 50-acre lake.

Crystal Lake is a playground for South Sioux City boaters during the summer but there's plenty of fishing space in its 850 acres. Largemouth are the gamesters here, but the stringers will fill up fast with bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, and bullheads. In the late fall the angler has this lake largely to himself. Further west there is Ericson Lake, a power company lake that rates well with the panfishing set.

Heading the list of second-team lakes in the southeast is Burchard with its northern pike, bluegill, bass, and catfish. Others in the same section are Verdon Lake, Two Rivers State Recreation Área with its popular put-and-take trout lake, Mormon Trail Área, the quad lakes at Louisville, Hord and Memphis Lakes, and another Crystal Lake, this one on the Little Blue River north of Ayr. All offer fair to good panfishing.

Southwestern Nebraska is dominated with some huge reservoirs that offer outstanding fishing. They get a heavy play from the anglers who overlook the possibilities of the smaller wet spots in the área. Several of these smaller lakes are teeming with game and non-game fish that are relatively unsophisticated and easily fooled by live bait or artificial lure.

Among these hot spots are Rock Creek Lake, north of Parks, Ravenna Lake, east of Ravenna, Hayes Center Lake, northeast of Hayes Center, and Wellfleet Lake, one-half mile west of the town. Of the four Hayes Center Lake is rated the sleeper. Underneath its placid waters there's an excellent crop of northerns spoiling for a showdown. When northerns get a little too much for the lazy-minded angler, bluegill are ready to take over. All of these lakes contain catchable populations of largemouths, channel catfish, and crappie.

Out in the panhandle, there is so much fishing that anglers are likely to ignore such gems as Lake Minitare, Walgren, Box Butte, Whitney, and Kimball Irrigation reservoirs. Walgren and Box Butte offer camping and recreation facilities. These are primarily panfish waters but there are enough walleye, northerns, and white bass to add zest to any fishing expedition.

Maps in the 1964 Fishing Guide distributed by the Game Commission are a great help in charting your plans for a summer-long exploration of the second-team lakes in NEBRASKAland. The guide also lists the special regulations and boating rules on some of the water. A copy is available upon request to the Game Commission at Lincoln.

Maybe some of the oíd adages are untrue in NEBRASKAland but there's one that's sure when you fish the midgets in this sprawling, friendly state. Good things come in small packages, packages of fun-filled action. THE END

PLATTE PLENTY

the reservoir should be hot for channel cats and fair for crappie and white bass. Other species are present but Sutherland awaits the acid test of hook and line before any accurate predictions can be made. Before planning a trip check the lake's potential with the Game Commission or the área conservation officer. There is a possibility that Sutherland may be a sleeper and produce some excellent catches but its crystal ball is cloudy.

All the words written about the fabulous fishing at Lake McConaughy don't begin to equal the fish population of this fertile impoundment. Happy circumstances make Big "Mac" undisputed champion of all Nebraska's fishing waters. Big, deep, and cold, the lake is home to practically every fish that swims NEBRASKAland's waters except the sauger and the paddlefish.

White bass in the two to three pound bracket is the lake's bread-and-butter offering but they share top billing with the walleyes, trout, crappie, yellow perch, bullheads, channel cats, smallmouth bass, and northerns. Carp, suckers, and shad are present.

Seven of Nebraska's fishing records have come from the big lake near Ogallala, including the top walleye listing. On June 13, 1959, Don Hein of McCook subdued 16 pounds, 1 ounce of battling walleye for the state crown. Other monsters taken from the lake include a crappie weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces, and a northern pike that tipped the beam at 27 pounds, 8 ounces. A smallmouth that weighed only an ounce less than four pounds was taken in May 1962.

Trout fishermen can match their skill against some real lunkers at Big Mac. Someday an angler may land a bigger brown or rainbow than those already in the state's record books but it will take some doing. Top brown taken from the lake so far is an 11 pound, 4 ounce giant caught by L. B. Eby of Sidney. Even his trophy was second to the rainbow that was hauled out by J. D. Wickard of Brule. Wickard's prize hit 12 pounds, 4 ounces. The state's brook trout champ carne from McConaughy in 1963 when a Colorado angler outfoxed a 4% pound scrapper.

Big Mac is almost ideal for fish production and growth. The water is fertile enough to support good crops of the minute animal and plant life that is necessary for survival of young fry. The water is cióse to the perfect combination of clarity and temperature to promote rapid growth. The seasonal draw down for irrigation is correctly timed to permit successful spawning while the bottom and shores of the lake offer varied habitat allowing the existence of many species. Early stocking of desirables met with great success.

Anglers visiting McConaughy have plenty of facilities available. Boat ramps, boat rentáis, bait and tackle shops, ice, and other requirements are 44 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland available at the lake and in Ogallala, the gateway to the big lake. Cabins, camping, and trailer facilities are all available at McConaughy.

Overshadowed by the big lake, Lake Ogallala below Mac's dam contains the same kind of fish as the big lake. Its rainbow trout population is the talk of the state. When storms rile up McConaughy, anglers take on the smaller, more sheltered lake with good success.

Early spring anglers anxious to tangle with big channel cats watch for the run which occurs practically every year in the big impoundments. As the ice goes out, the cats move to the upper end of the impoundments and out into the streams. The movement usually reaches its peak about the first week of April. The channel cats average five pounds. Small gizzard shad seems to be the favorite bait and vendors around McConaughy and a few of the other impoundments can usually fill your needs.

The North Platte River above McConaughy pro vid es some excellent channel cats and largemouth bass in the spring and early summer. Much of the river flows through private land and permission to fish must be secured from the property owner. Usually permission is given. Further west and north, the tributary streams of the North Platte provide some excellent trout fishing from November through January. Local inquiry or a check with the Game Commission will steer the visitor to good fishing in western Nebraska.

Pioneers described the Platte as a renegade river, a mile wide and an inch deep. Today it is better known as the river of fantastic fishing

REPUBLICAN

northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and bullheads. Facilities include a boat ramp at Macklin Creek Bay and another near Spring Creek Bay, both of which offer prime angling. On the main channel of the Republican, Swanson also has complete concessions with boats, bait, and food.

Access is no problem with U. S. Highway 34 right next door to the impoundment.

Last in the string, but certainly not the least, is Enders Reservoir. Offering top-flight action on crappie, yellow perch, and channel catfish, Enders is located just five miles east of Imperial. The 1,707-acre beauty provides great walleye and bluegill action.

Largemouth, smallmouth, rock bass, white bass, northerns and bullheads are at Enders for the taking. Facilities are not as extensive, but both a recreation área and boat ramp are provided near the dam.

The Frenchman River Reservoir is easily reached from U. S. Highway 6 or 61.

Of this productive quintet, only Harían County Reservoir is open for underwater spearfishing. Fishermen who like to do their angling from a boat should bear in mind that in certain áreas at Harían, Medicine Creek, and Swanson they may not opérate their boats over five miles per hour.

For a trip that will prove not only fruitful, but pleasant, try the southwest and Republican River reservoirs. A variety of fish and facilities are waiting your pleasure. THE END

RIGGED FOR ACTION

THE ROMANTIC notion that a barefoot boy with a bit of twine, a bent hook, and a willow pole can catch more fish is puré fiction. This might make- for fine calendar illustration, but you'll only be fooling yourself if you hit the water unprepared.

Since the cióse of World War II, there has been a steady increase in the number of fishermen who have given up the cañe pole and turned to spinning, bait casting, or fly fishing. New manufacturing techniques have made possible the marketing of more durable rods, superior lines, and inexpensive, simple-to-operate reels.

The major concern of anyone selecting a new fishing rig should be the type of water he fishes and variety of fish he'll be pursuing. Obviously, it would be bordering on the foolish to use a deep sea tackle on a trout stream. And, conversely, you would not do well with light fly fishing equipment at Gavins Point or Lake McConaughy.

Fly fishing is one of the oldest forms of angling. Artificial flies, much like today's Red Ibis, were found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The average beginner will do well to select a 9-foot, medium-action flyrod. The rod should be as fine as you can afford. A cheap outfit will not give you the service, ñor will it cast as well.

The fly reel is the least expensive item. In fly casting, it serves no function other than holding the line, and a lightweight, single-action reel will more than fill the bilí.

As any bachelor will tell you, a good line is very important. The same applies to fly casting. A seasoned tackle salesman can help you match a line to your rod. It is vital both are in perfect balance. If the line is too light, the rod cannot cast it. Too heavy a line will fall on the backcast and overpower the rod. Since a leader is always used in fly fishing, the strength of the line itself is unimportant.

There are about as many lures for fly fishing as there are blades of grass in the Sand Hills. Before rushing out to buy an assortment of flies and 46 OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland spinners, check with an experienced angler.

A basic assortment should include several wet flies. These represent minnows and other small fish, and should be retrieved in a darting, erratic fashion. Select flies tied on long-shanked hooks having straight, not turned-down, eyes. The straight eye permits the addition of a small spinner.

Wet flies come in a bewildering number of patterns. A starter supply should include such patterns as the black gnat, brown hackle, white maribou, coachman, McGinty, Mickey Finn, muddler, and yellow sally.

Small popping bugs will provide a lot of sport, and will take all types of surface-feeding fish. Yellow, black, brown, and white are all proven colors.

Bait casting is possibly America's greatest contribution to fishing. The multiplying, level-wind reel was first invented to tame large bass in the southern United States and has now become universal.

Unlike fly casting, the reel is the most important item of equipment. A well-oiled, well-made, level-wind reel will make casting a pleasure. A rig that does not function smoothly makes casting a nightmare of backlashes and tangled lines.

The reel should be loaded completely with a line of good quality. Most Nebraskans will find a 12-pound test adequate.

The casting rod has evolved from the poker-stiff shorty to a lithe, light rod. The beginner will do well to start with a 5 or 5V2 foot rod of light action.

Bait casting lures run the gamut from imitations of mice and fish, to objects that appear to be left o ver from a science fiction horror show. Again, consult a local veteran angler to learn which lures are best in your área.

Spinning is the most recent of fishing techniques. Called "thread line fishing" in England and Europe, it combines the long rod of fly casting with the weighted lure of bait casting.

In spinning, the spool of the reel does not turn. Rather the line slips off over the lip of the spool. This makes for little friction or drag in the cast, and produces long casts of very light lures.

Rods of 6 or 7 feet are the most easily mastered. Spinning reels come in a vast array of sizes, shapes, and general make-up. Consult an experienced friend or córner the local tackle salesman. Spinning lures are myriad. In most instances you can use either fly fishing or bait-casting lures on spinning equipment.

As the beginner progresses, he'll add more tackle to his collection. However, all the extras will not make him a better fisherman if his original outfit was improperly assembled and balanced.

There are 11,000 miles of streams, and over 3,000 lakes in NEBRASKAland. With the right gear, you can take on this vast playland without ever worrying about the results.

OUTDOOR ELSEWHERE

What's A Yog¡? Game departments receive thousands of letters asking for information, some of them quite startling. California topped them all recently with one from Australia. Included in the questions about various fish and game was, "and what is a Yogi bear?"—California.

Where There's Smoke. A pilot flying fire patrol spotted a whisp of smoke and flicker of ñame in the bush below. He dropped 100 gallons of water, drenching four forest rangers gathered around a campfire.—British Columbia.

Duele Ñames. A duck is a duck, is a duck, is a duck, no matter how many different ñames he has. A recent survey has come up with 37 different colloquial ñames for the lesser scaup and 38 for the greater scaup.—New York.

Finally Caught. When a lady angler pulled in a bass last fall at Lake Ten-killer she got more than she bargained for. The bass was wearing a fishing lure on its lip left over from a previous encounter with an angler.—Oklahoma.

Hide and Seek. In a test to determine a so-called scarcity of deer, 39 whitetails were fenced in a mile-square área. It took six experienced hunters, working under ideal conditions, almost four days before they saw a buck.—Michigan.

Mixed Bag Seasons. Two dove hunters got a bonus while dove hunting last fall. They shot a dove that fell into a farm pond. In order to retrieve it, one of the hunters rigged up his rod and reel and began casting for the bird. On his first cast he reeled in a 2V2-pound bass and on the second a one pounder. He never did get the dove, however.—Missouri.

Shipwreck Messages. Boaters along the coast of California must have thought there were a lot of shipwrecks in the past few yéars. The Fish and Game Department released 52,650 bottles with messages inside to check ocean currents.—California.

Scotrish Threesome. A trio of Pushmataha men went deer hunting on a limited budget. They took turns using the same rifle with each getting a deer.—Oklahoma.

Where Are the Lions? The Mifflin Lions Club sponsored a showing of the conservation film, "Mallard Duck", at their annual Christmas party for children. All was going well until a four-year-old stood up and said, "My daddy said this is a Lions Club, so how come this picture is about ducks, not lions?"—Pennsylvania.

Not by Bone Alone. Answering the challenge of a client's special dietary needs, Air France offered the following menú to Mr. "J": Bone Biscuit Vol au Bent, Medaillon de Beef Liver Truffe, Le Steak Tartare with Gravy Train Sauce Madere; Boisson: Eau d'Evian (spring water) Grand Cru 1963. Mr. "J" is a French poodle.—Travel Weekly.

Eventful. After several hours of smooth. uneventful riding, a small boy on a motor trip with his parents said to his father, "I sure wish you'd let mother drive—it's a lot more exciting."—The Lion.

NEBRASKAland TRADING POST

OUTDOOR NEBRASKAland of the Air

AFTER THE CATCH

FISHING IS an art at which most men become extremely proficient. But catching is only part of the game. How well the catch is handled after the action will determine whether you have a nice "mess of fish" or just a mess.

Not all fish keep equally well on a stringer or live box. Crappie and white bass, for example, die soon after being removed from the water. Both species should be watched carefully, particularly if placed on a stringer. Bad tastes are caused by the water absorbed after the fish dies.

Your catch will keep better, when not too deeply hooked, if you string it through the lip or place the fish in a live box. Those strung through the gills are torn badly and will die in a matter of minutes. Though lip-stringing will keep your catch alive until you can clean and put it in a cooler, live boxes or wire-mesh bags will assure that the fish will come through in good shape.

An important part of fish care that is often overlooked is removing the hook. It is an easy process when the fish is caught by the mouth, but when the snag is farther down, removal is next to impossible if the fish is to be kept alive. In this case the catch should be gutted and gilled as soon as possible to insure its reaching the table in good shape.

When fish, such as trout, have been caught in deeper, cooler water, higher temperatures are fatal. Summer bank anglers on deeper lakes should not expect their catch to live on a stringer or in a live box in the warmer waters near shore. A nearby ice chest is about the only way to prevent spoiling while bank fishing for cold-water fish.

Trout, perhaps, are the hardest fish to keep. Unless the weather is cold, it is best to stop fishing to gut and gilí your catch immediately. If ice is not handy, wet moss or grass in your creel will keep it cool for a short time. Each time you stop to rest, check to see that the moss or grass is still wet. Evaporation from the damp vegetation cools the creel.

You will have better success during the summer if you stop about every hour to clean and ice your catch. Fish can be kept longer before cleaning during the cooler weather of fall and spring.

Always wash the body cavity as clean as possible to avoid spoiling. Blood clots that form along the ribs and backbone must be scraped out, for they will spoil even in a cooler. Bad tastes can be reduced by salting this área before icing. Always remove the dark, muddy tasting lining of the gut cavity.

Although many anglers prefer to leave the head on the fish to protect the adjoining meat, this is not a necessity. However, if the head is retained, the gills must always be removed. When left intact, or if the catch is a large lunker, ice should be placed in the gut cavity for more rapid and uniform cooling of the meat.

For a completely successful fishing tnp, use care in handling your prize after you land it. After all, the dinner you save may be your own. THE END

FUN UNLIMITED

Are you looking for a vacation that ¡s packed with fun and excitement? Then pack your gear and head for one of the four NEBRASKAland state parks. Here you can find something to capture the interest and imagination of every member of your family.

There are modern swimming pools for fun-in-the-sun lovers (except Fort Robinson), horseback riding over the scenic trails, and fishing water offering angling fun.

If you want to rough it, you7!! find the scenic camping grounds complete with picnic tables, fireplaces with wood, running water, and other facilities.

For home comfort, try one of the modern cabins. They come equipped with housekeeping units, located ¡n beautiful surroundings.

Get away from the every day. This year take a different vacation. Go where the going is fun . . . NEBRASKAland state parks. Make your reservations today.