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Fishizzle, I use worms but I'm looking to upgrade!
Vol. 5 No. 5 ''ANGLER' MAY, 1936
E D I T O R I A L
FISH FOR SPORT—NOT FOR
MEAT
It has been truthfully stated time
and again by those men who have de-
voted a great deal of time to the
study of conservation matters and
sportsmanship, as it applies to our
fishing and hunting today, that the
whole proposition and responsibility
for the kind of sport we have rests
solely with the sportsmen themselves.
Just as we have the type of govern-
ment the majority of the citizens
seem to be satisfied with, just so is
our sport regulated by those who take
°ut hunting and fishing licenses.
Good government can be preached
until doomsday, but unless those who
are interested in good government
bestir themselves and become ac-
tively interested in the changing of
Present conditions, just so long will
there be no changes brought about.
It is likewise true concerning our
conservation and hunting and fishing
conditions in Pennsylvania, that until
more sportsmen are actually willing
to put into practice these higher
ideals which tend to better hunting
and fishing conditions, just so long-
will our hunting and fishing remain
as they are, with the strong proba-
bility of their growing worse and
Worse each year. With the ever in-
creasing number of fishermen, with
more leisure and time to fish, with
good roads parallelling every stream
and lake in the Commonwealth, it is
Just physically impossible for our
Waters to support sufficient fish to
afford good sport for even the many
thousands of our anglers who do en-
joy fishing as a sport, and not as a
means simply of getting meat for
their table.
There has only been one conserva-
tion measure passed affecting our
fishing since the adoption of the
Present fish code, the one reducing the
daily trout limit from 25 to 15. The
length of the seasons and the size of
the catch, with this one exception, re-
mains the same as it was when our
Present code was put into effect, yet
since that time the number of fisher-
men has more than doubled and the
fishable waters of the State are only
about half of what they were at that
time.
There is, however, a definite solu-
This Sportsman Was Satisfied With Two
Nice Trout on Opening Day.
tion to our fishing problem in Penn-
sylvania and this problem can only
be solved by the fishermen them-
selves. If each and every one of our
more than 900 sportsmen's organiza-
tions in our State would adopt meas-
ures similar to those adopted by the
Western Reserve Fish and Game Pro-
tective Association of Sharon, com-
prising a group of almost 700 mem-
bers, I am sure the problem would be
solved within a year, and the rank
and file fishermen would for the first
time have an equal chance with the
expert and with the fellow who is on
the stream every day of the season.
I am reproducing herewith letter re-
ceived from Mr. R. W. Roberts, the
President of this Association, which
is self-explanatory.
"I am enclosing newspaper write-
up of a recent meeting of our sports-
men's organization, the Western Re-
serve Fish and Game Protective As-
sociation. You will notice in this
considerable stress was put on size
and number of trout our members
feel should be sufficient to satisfy a
fisherman. At this meeting we had
about 500 present, an honor pledge
was taken not to keep more than five
trout on any one trip and to be very
careful in returning under size trout
to the water.
"Like expressions were made as to
the size and number of bass to be
taken. The writer feels that with
but very few exceptions our entire
membership of about 700 members
will be pledged to an 11 inch size and
five a day. It is hoped this will help
make fishing better for everybody
and with trout at least they will
not all be taken in the first day or
two of fishing, and one may have
some chance of an occasional trout
throughout the season.
"We believe if this is brought to
the attention of other clubs, like ac-
tion will be taken in sufficient cases
to justify a change in creel limit and
size of both species of fish.
"A number of local fishermen for
several past years have kept no bass
under 12 inches and not more than
five a day, and we find this sentiment
growing quite rapidly. The writer
has talked with a great many fisher-
men in different parts of the state,
and I find hardly without exception
an agreement along these lines.
"Trusting to find fishermen in
great numbers pledge themselves to
12 inches and five a day, for bass and
not kill more than five trout per day,
nine inches and over."
The whole proposition is, therefore,
staring us fishermen squarely in the
face. Are we willing to take a sim-
ilar pledge as these men from Sharon
have voluntarily done, and not only
take the pledge, but live up to it and
spread the gospel of true conserva-
tion and sportsmanship among all
those with whom we come in contact,
remembering that the Fish Commis-
sion cannot furnish meat for the
meat fishermen, but can furnish ex-
cellent sport for the men who fish for
sport, rather than meat? The prob-
lem is up to the fishermen them-
selves
E D I T O R I A L
FISH FOR SPORT—NOT FOR
MEAT
It has been truthfully stated time
and again by those men who have de-
voted a great deal of time to the
study of conservation matters and
sportsmanship, as it applies to our
fishing and hunting today, that the
whole proposition and responsibility
for the kind of sport we have rests
solely with the sportsmen themselves.
Just as we have the type of govern-
ment the majority of the citizens
seem to be satisfied with, just so is
our sport regulated by those who take
°ut hunting and fishing licenses.
Good government can be preached
until doomsday, but unless those who
are interested in good government
bestir themselves and become ac-
tively interested in the changing of
Present conditions, just so long will
there be no changes brought about.
It is likewise true concerning our
conservation and hunting and fishing
conditions in Pennsylvania, that until
more sportsmen are actually willing
to put into practice these higher
ideals which tend to better hunting
and fishing conditions, just so long-
will our hunting and fishing remain
as they are, with the strong proba-
bility of their growing worse and
Worse each year. With the ever in-
creasing number of fishermen, with
more leisure and time to fish, with
good roads parallelling every stream
and lake in the Commonwealth, it is
Just physically impossible for our
Waters to support sufficient fish to
afford good sport for even the many
thousands of our anglers who do en-
joy fishing as a sport, and not as a
means simply of getting meat for
their table.
There has only been one conserva-
tion measure passed affecting our
fishing since the adoption of the
Present fish code, the one reducing the
daily trout limit from 25 to 15. The
length of the seasons and the size of
the catch, with this one exception, re-
mains the same as it was when our
Present code was put into effect, yet
since that time the number of fisher-
men has more than doubled and the
fishable waters of the State are only
about half of what they were at that
time.
There is, however, a definite solu-
This Sportsman Was Satisfied With Two
Nice Trout on Opening Day.
tion to our fishing problem in Penn-
sylvania and this problem can only
be solved by the fishermen them-
selves. If each and every one of our
more than 900 sportsmen's organiza-
tions in our State would adopt meas-
ures similar to those adopted by the
Western Reserve Fish and Game Pro-
tective Association of Sharon, com-
prising a group of almost 700 mem-
bers, I am sure the problem would be
solved within a year, and the rank
and file fishermen would for the first
time have an equal chance with the
expert and with the fellow who is on
the stream every day of the season.
I am reproducing herewith letter re-
ceived from Mr. R. W. Roberts, the
President of this Association, which
is self-explanatory.
"I am enclosing newspaper write-
up of a recent meeting of our sports-
men's organization, the Western Re-
serve Fish and Game Protective As-
sociation. You will notice in this
considerable stress was put on size
and number of trout our members
feel should be sufficient to satisfy a
fisherman. At this meeting we had
about 500 present, an honor pledge
was taken not to keep more than five
trout on any one trip and to be very
careful in returning under size trout
to the water.
"Like expressions were made as to
the size and number of bass to be
taken. The writer feels that with
but very few exceptions our entire
membership of about 700 members
will be pledged to an 11 inch size and
five a day. It is hoped this will help
make fishing better for everybody
and with trout at least they will
not all be taken in the first day or
two of fishing, and one may have
some chance of an occasional trout
throughout the season.
"We believe if this is brought to
the attention of other clubs, like ac-
tion will be taken in sufficient cases
to justify a change in creel limit and
size of both species of fish.
"A number of local fishermen for
several past years have kept no bass
under 12 inches and not more than
five a day, and we find this sentiment
growing quite rapidly. The writer
has talked with a great many fisher-
men in different parts of the state,
and I find hardly without exception
an agreement along these lines.
"Trusting to find fishermen in
great numbers pledge themselves to
12 inches and five a day, for bass and
not kill more than five trout per day,
nine inches and over."
The whole proposition is, therefore,
staring us fishermen squarely in the
face. Are we willing to take a sim-
ilar pledge as these men from Sharon
have voluntarily done, and not only
take the pledge, but live up to it and
spread the gospel of true conserva-
tion and sportsmanship among all
those with whom we come in contact,
remembering that the Fish Commis-
sion cannot furnish meat for the
meat fishermen, but can furnish ex-
cellent sport for the men who fish for
sport, rather than meat? The prob-
lem is up to the fishermen them-
selves
