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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.
BLACK BASS: TENNESSEE: D. L. Hayes of Leitchfield. Ky. recently caught world's record smallmouth (11 pounds, 15 ounces) in Dale Hollow Reservoir. State biologenius proclaimed fish 13 years of age. Was 27 inches long with 21‚Öî inch bust. Good catches reported last week on Cherokee, Douglas and Ft. Loudoun lakes. Fish apparently coming in later than usual with WT reaching ideal level. OG.
PENNSYLVANIA: Lady vacationer at Lake Edinboro, Erie County seeking fish dinner brought in largemouth that dropped local jaws. Alerted warden hustled to scene, wept when he found headless fish dressed for pan. Estimated length, 28 inches; weight, 10 pounds—possible Pa. record. Conneaut Lake still hot spot, with soft-shells and worm-spinner combo best by day; bugs over weed beds fine at night. Fishing generally slow in central part as streams are L and almost boiling. Juniata WT has been 89.
MISSOURI: Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua region) C, N, but WT up. FF and OF. Tunnel Dam Lake, C, N and some success on top water lures.
NEW YORK: Thousand Islands, Chautauqua, Ashokan and Adirondacks all report prime fishing with OG.
MAINE: Belgrade reports one of its best bass years.
MUSKELLUNGE: Ontario: Troll the French River at dusk. Fish plentiful but not outsized. Lake Nipissing FG, OG.
NEW YORK: Lake Chautauqua muskies have been off their feed past week but OG.
WISCONSIN: Action slowed by hot weather although fish are still around weed beds, on the bars and along shore lines. Lots raised but unhooked in Chippewa River flowage. 40-pounder taken in Lac Vieux Desert on underwater artificial. N, but need rain.
MICHIGAN: But in Lake St. Clair last week the muskies were still biting like perch.
TROUT: NEW YORK: Catskill and Adirondack scouts reported you had to be wise, patient, durable and able to fling a #16 last week in order to catch any trout. OP until a good rain.
NEW MEXICO: Don't expect good fishing in streams under 8,000 feet until hot weather moderates, but up there OG on dry flies.
PENNSYLVANIA: Spentwing Adamses in some of the deeper pools on Licking Creek are picking up some big brownies. Light Cahills are taking by Boiling Springs on the Yellow Breeches but generally FP. Allegheny Forest and tier at standstill until rain except on headwaters. SC 31st.
OREGON: Snow still running off in western streams, H, with Santiam, McKenzie and Upper Willamette producing F to G on evening dry flies and on wets and nymphs in afternoon. Deschutes and Metolius rivers F to G on flies midday and late afternoon. Lower Deschutes now yielding a few summer steelheads in 5-pound class on spinning lures.
ONTARIO: 17½-pound wendigo (see SI, July 11) caught by Gordon Thomas of Sandfield in Manitou River. Despite WT68 it's possible to take limit of speckled ones from Spring Bay Creek on Manitoulin.
MONTANA: Streams C and almost N, Madison lowest and trout taking wet and dry. Yellowstone H but good; Gallatin, VG also North and Middle Fork Flathead, Blackfoot. Hot weather has hit, making lakes poorer but Wade and Flathead reported good, former on flies, latter trolling. Yellowstone Park rivers tapering off.
CALIFORNIA: Northern area and central Sierra region best bets: Trinity River, tributaries clear, many limits on flies, some steelhead; McCloud River headwaters; Shasta Lake, deep trolling. North Fork of American near summer flow minimum, OVG. Truckee River, its tributaries and Lake Tahoe, FG, OG. East slope fishing again led by West Walker with lunkers taking spinners and big wet flies in the Coleville area. Evening fly-fishing from shores of Grant Lake producing nice browns and rainbows mostly on Professor and Captain. Streams in upper Convict Creek basin and Mammoth Creek producing easy limits of brookies to hikers and parties packed in. Saddlebag Lake off Tioga Pass road to Yosemite, VG. Crowley Lake has had best fishing for big trout in many years. SC July 31.
WASHINGTON: Week's pistol-hot excitement is north end of Ross Lake, reached only by private logging road down from Hope, B.C., open to public use from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Casting from logging debris on shore, zealots are taking limits of rainbows to 20 inches in less than two hours on spinners and cherry bobbers. Get out early before wind riffles lake and, for Pete's sake, don't forget mosquito dope.
IDAHO: Priest Lake excellent for cutthroats on brown Invisibles. Mackinaws and Dolly Vardens up to 20 pounds taking plugs. Silver Doctor best on Clearwater near Boehl's cabin. Payette Lake FF, and Little Salmon River good in New Meadows area. Stone fly and wood worms best bait. Silver Creek FG for good fly casters. Lost River watershed, G; Magic Reservoir, F; Jarbridge River near the Hot Hole, VG, dries. Mink and Cottonwood creeks best in eastern Idaho. FP in Crowders and Chesterfield reservoirs. Snake excellent.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: FF to excellent for Kamloops on spinning gear and trolling in most interior lakes but fly-fishermen must look for sport above 3,500 feet. Fly-fishing fair for coast trout in the Campbells, Comox, Cameron, Great Central and Shawnigan. Steelheads not hot yet.
PACIFIC SALMON: OREGON: Salmon mooching on coast VG at Coos Bay, Winchester, Florence, Yaquina Bay and Depoe Bay. OG.
CALIFORNIA: Trollers in skiffs taking many limits of chinooks between 30-40 pounds off Tomales Bay. Surprising pickup in trolling off Golden Gate. Biggest schools two miles due east of Farallones.
WASHINGTON: OP on Skagit for kings until river settles. Silvers, 6 to 12, plentiful in sound on herring strips, light tackle and mooching. Best spot: north shore of Orcas Island.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: 30-pound or better spring salmon being recorded from Browns Bay, off Campbell River and April Point, Saanich Inlet and Sechelt. Fishing for local silvers has quieted for the moment but should improve.
STRIPED BASS: RHODE ISLAND: FG along Narragansett shores, mainly by trolling with sea worms and spinner rigs.
MASSACHUSETTS: Only good surf casting on tip of Cape from Race Point around to Nauset Light on night tides.
NEW JERSEY: Fair surf fishing last week from Highlands through Bradley Beach, particularly at Long Branch with calico crabs and rigged eels. But blues got most of the attention.
BLUEFISH: NEW JERSEY: Excellent chumming and trolling along edge of Mud Hole with fish averaging 5 and up to 10. Fish are biting around the clock and 50 or more boats are active in the area all the time. Surf OF.
RHODE ISLAND: Fishing developing steadily, particularly along Matunuck shore. Blues are feeding on abundant sand eels and are mostly taken trolling.
MASSACHUSETTS: Some action from trolling near Hyannis with fish up to 8 pounds taking feathers in daytime. First blues of season seen in Cape Cod Bay.
