- Publish date:
FISHERMAN'S CALENDAR
SO—season opened (or opens); SC—season closed (or closes).
C—clear water; D—water dirty or roily; M—water muddy.
N—water at normal height; SH—slightly high; H—high; VH—very high; L—low; R—rising; F—falling.
WT50—water temperature 50°.
FG—fishing good; FF—fishing fair; FP—fishing poor.
OG—outlook good; OF—outlook fair; OP—outlook poor.
TROUT: PENNSYLVANIA: Most streams in central section of state are still SH and fishing is slow; best bets are Big Spring and Letort's Spring Run, where a good bucktail man may latch onto some fairly big browns of an evening (and then again he may not). In Allegheny Forest streams are N, C, FF/G with few anglers in sight; local talent is taking fair catches on dry fly from big eddies on Tionesta above Mayburg early and late in day. Northern-tier county streams L, C, WT 64-70. FF but long fine leaders and cautious approach are essential; Pine Creek experts start at 5 a.m., are home by 8; best bet for dry-fly action is Cross Fork at dawn and dusk.
NEW YORK: West Branch of Ausable is producing a few browns from "lagoon" water above Wilmington on evening rise to spotty hatches, with best action 8 p.m. to dark; our agent says badger spider may raise browns to 20 inches in "bush country" water below Wilmington. Esopus River slowed down last week after red-hot action on stretch below portal, but outlook is good as WT stays around 65 and few fishermen are on water.
OREGON: Central region is still best area for trout as lakes and rivers are H and SD but producing good catches of browns and rainbows on spin lures and large wet flies; some high lakes are still snowbound but thaw is in high gear and outlook is good.
MONTANA: FF on most streams as water recedes; best are Madison and Big Hole, where stone-fly patterns are deadly; OG as water continues to drop and clear.
WYOMING: Most Yellowstone Park waters in top shape and FG, with Firehole River a standout for dry-fly action; OG in all Park water.
CALIFORNIA: OG for July 4 weekend on both slopes of Sierra and lowland creeks and lakes as runoff is over and waters are C, N and well-stocked. Best bets in north and central regions: lower sections of Mattole, Bear and Van Duzen creeks, upper Sacramento, Trinity and tribs. Hat Creek from Pit to Lake Britton, Lake Almanor and Fordyce Lakearea, Truckee and Little Truckee rivers, Sagehen Creek, Frog and Webber lakes; on west slope of Sierra try the Tule, Kaweah or Kern rivers (well-planted in lower parts, with good wild fish in upper stretches); on east slope of Sierra, golden trout SO July 1 in Cottonwood lakes and tribs with easy limits for bait and fly-fishers (try Grey Hackle, sizes 12 to 16). Owens River SH, F and clearing but mosquito dope is absolute must. Upper Rock Creek, upper Rush Creek and Big Pines Lake are good producers and OG through July 10. Hot Creek L, C, FG as fair rainbows take #16 Quill Gordons and Ginger Quills wet or dry, with big browns as bonus for hard-working experts; OG.
MICHIGAN: Drake hatches have petered out on lower peninsula streams but OF and improving for daylight fly-fishing for natives and rainbows on Black, Pigeon, Sturgeon and Pere Marquette rivers. On Au Sable. Manistee and Platte rivers the larger browns lay low by daylight but FG with big dry flies at dusk and dark; OF.
COLORADO: Best trout fishing last week was on Grand Mesa where lakes are ice-free, clear, OG. When Denverite Fred W. Rediess, Jr., on way to Jefferson Lake, spotted big trout in outlet pool he drifted worm to it. after 30 minutes beached 10-pound 14-ounce German brown. Laramie River N, C, FF/G with bait and flies, OG. Colorado River (Rifle area) F, C, FF, OG. Upper Blue River clearing, FG, OG. North Fork of South Platte (where Ike fishes) H, D but F and FG. Roaring Fork H, D, FF, OF/G. Frying Pan SD (but C in upper part), FG, OG. Yampa River H, C, fishing and outlook excellent.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Most interior lakes producing well on fly and OG until WT in lower lakes tops 60 degrees about July 15. Most coastal streams H with late snow runoff and estuary fishing is best bet now (but good cutthroat catches reported from Salon River up to White junction. OG for Buttle, upper and lower Campbell and Mohun rivers.)
MAINE: Pierce Pond petered out in 1940 after four years of big-trout production. Last week a 6-pound brook trout indicated this Caratunk Lake may be on way back.
NEW MEXICO: In Jemez area all streams and Fenton Lake in good condition and FG, with dry flies favored by fish and fishermen; OG. Cow and Bull creeks FG with dries. OG. Red River and upper Rio Grande FG, OG for browns and rainbows.
WASHINGTON: Best bet in state is Ross Lake where SO July 1 (but road travel between Newhalem and Diablo is restricted to convoys during day, leaving Newhalem 8 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.); try still-fishing off restricted areas at mouths of Big Beaver and Ruby creeks. FF at Whatcom Lake for silvers, cutts and rainbows, OF/G; FG with flies at Skagit's Clear Lake; Silver Lake producing rainbows to 14 inches. On west side Cushman, Lawrence, Alder and Clear lakes FG, OG: on east side Buffalo, Waunacutt, Spectacle and Pearygin lakes FG, OG.
TUNA: NEW JERSEY: First school tuna of season was big news on Jersey coast last week; school was 65 miles SE of Shark River Inlet and may be within 30 miles of coast and in range of boats out of Brielle, Point Pleasant and Belmar by now; tuna are from 10 to 35 pounds; OG.
ATLANTIC SALMON: NEW BRUNSWICK: Fish are in most pools of Miramichi and tribs but are taking poorly, although skillful anglers are killing a few on small flies. Reluctance to take fly on Northwest Miramichi caused by rough handling at counting fence, say local savants. A few fish reported from the Nashwaak, but annual drive of pulpwood may spoil sport on Hartland and other good pools on St. Johns River through this week; OF.
NOVA SCOTIA: Most rivers in province SH, F after rains last week; best-producing streams are Medway. North River, St. Marys and Margaree; OF.
PACIFIC SALMON: OREGON: Salmon mooching now good at Winchester and Newport. Herring have appeared in large numbers and is best lure. Winds in afternoon hamper small boat fishing but FG and OG.
CALIFORNIA: Trollers off Farallones hit jackpot to 40 pounds past week. Now's time to fill the deep freeze. Chinook chasers elsewhere off coast virtually skunked.
WASHINGTON: Snow runoff mud is clearing fast in Northwest. Hope Island hot with kings to 47 pounds taking spoons. Best spots in lower Puget Sound still in Tacoma area. FG, OG.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Silvers now up to good size at most points, 6 to 8 pounds fairly common. Campbell River, Little River (Comox) and Qualicum recommended. Plenty of spring salmon up to 20 taken from Vancouver and Howe sounds, Pender Island as well as Vancouver Island hot spots. Outlook for silvers and springs good to excellent. Big tyees may show at Phillips Arm and Browns Bay within two weeks.
COBIA: LOUISIANA: When Mike Jambon in the cruiser Big Runner saw a 30-pound cobia follow his boat off Grand Isle he offered it every lure in his large collection, lost patience, jiggled tip of rod in water, gaffed fish when it swam up to have a look, hauled it aboard.
MUSKELLUNGE: ONTARIO: SO July 1 and spy says hottest spot in province is west arm of Lake Nipissing; other good bets are Big Island area of Bay of Quinte (SE of Belleville) and Moon River in Parry Sound area, where wobbling spoons or pikie-minnow plugs cast or trolled at edge of weed beds should take fish.
MICHIGAN: FP and getting Per on Lake St. Clair; OP until fall fishing starts.
PENNSYLVANIA: SO July 1 and action should be fast in Allegheny River from Tionesta to Tidioute.
STRIPED BASS: MASSACHUSETTS: Fastest fishing since '48 reported by Cape Cod Canal informer as over 500 bass from 20 to 45 pounds were taken there last Saturday a.m., mostly on reverse atom plugs and poppers; OG even though peak is passed. FG at Race Point in Provincetown as Nauset Beach and Back Cape Shore area taper off. FG at night along Cape Cod Bay shore from Corn Hill to Brewster for smaller fish. Charter boats in Cape Cod Bay had first good catches last week while Cutty-hunk slowed to hard fishing. A few fish are still reported from Fawn Bar, Winthrop and mouth of North River in Marshfield-Scituate area. FG on morning tide at mouth of Merrimack River off Newburyport, at Plum Island, and OF; FF at Pebbly Beach, Gloucester.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Stripers have started schooling around the Santee-Cooper diversion canal but biggest fish are being caught above Pinopolis powerhouse by deep trollers; OG through July 15.
NEW JERSEY: OG from Avon to Bradley Beach as surfers and jetty jockies took many big bass last week with most fish caught at break of dawn on calico crab bait, and trollers scored on stripers in 35-pound class plucked from big schools trading off jetties just north of Sea-bright to Highlands. Daylight trollers favor very large bunker spoons while big plugs and rigged eels are nighttime choices. Rowboat fishermen at Seabright-Rumson Bridge had field day last Saturday with 4-to 8-pound bass, caught 50-odd before school scrammed.
BLACK BASS: FLORIDA: Pete Williams, Lakeland fisherman, got to thinking about 10-pound 8-ounce bass he caught in Lake Marian (E of Haines City) a month ago, went back last week, caught 10-pound 8-ounce bass. Heavy rains last week put zip in many central-state big-mouths; FG in Kissimmee River from Highway 60 bridge S to Lake Okeechobee, OG next two weeks. Little Lake Harris (near Leesburg) and Lake Tarpon (near Tarpon Springs) are giving up big bass to live-bait experts and should keep producing through July 15, with top water plugs and bugs getting after-dark action.
LOUISIANA: Cajun agent says FG, OG in Lacasine Bayou, recommends fly rod and #6 Black Gnat wet. In northern part of state there's action in James Bayou (empties into Caddo Lake) and OG.
NEW YORK: FF on St. Lawrence River from Cape Vincent to Alexandria Bay and OF/G as water warms. Good bet for smallmouth as SO July 1 is Ashokan Reservoir, N of Kingston (but New York watershed permit is needed).
MISSOURI: Current River (lower part) C, N, FG with live bait, OG; Eleven Point River C, N, FF with plugs best, OG.
TARPON: NORTH CAROLINA: While fishing for blues in surf at Cape Hatteras, Junius Clemmons of Southport hooked and landed 41-pound tarpon, first of season in this area.
FLORIDA: Entire west coast is tarpon-infested but hottest fishing still at Boca Grande Pass, where Tampa doctors Ingraham, Winslow, Coffer and Knight boated 20 out of 28 jumped last week but released all of them.
BLUEFISH: NORTH CAROLINA: Blues plentiful from Kitty Hawk to Hatteras and Ocracoke but running on small side.
NEW JERSEY: Strangely, bluefish trolling and chumming on Barnegat Ridge, which had been excellent for several weeks, fell away last week to next to nothing. Our scout convinced that disappearance of blues, or disinclination to strike, is merely temporary. On basis of past performance, the Ridge and Barnegat Inlet should look up this week.
MASSACHUSETTS: There was a slight slowdown last week after arrival take. A few taken in Buzzards Bay on trolled feathers and small plugs. Better in the Craigville to Osterville area and should move into Chatham within week.
