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FISHERMAN'S CALENDAR
SO—season opens (or opened); SC—season closes (or closed). 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; OVG—outlook very good; OG—outlook good; OF—outlook fair; OP—outlook poor
BLUE MARLIN: BAHAMAS: Bimini blue martin buffs beaming as last week (July 1-5) 15 blues were boated, 11 of which were entries in the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club Blue Marlin Tournament. Anthony Bruscino of Bay Village, Ohio won with two marlin at 309 and 380 pounds. In second place was Mrs. Dorothea Dean of Palm Beach with a possible world-record fish of 384 pounds on 50-pound test line; OG through July.
TEXAS: Mrs. Dan Braman of Victoria, pioneer of Texas offshore angling, last week hooked three blue marlin off Port Aransas and finally boated a 273½-Pounder on 24 thread. All indications are that if more anglers investigate Texas waters they will prove excellent for blue marlin as well as other blue-water species.
NORTH CAROLINA: OG/FG as Cape Hatteras and environs continue to yield sleek blue marlin trophies. Last week, from Captain Ernal Foster's Albatross II off Hatteras, Mrs. Ross Walker of Richmond, Virginia boated a 415-pound blue after a one-hour-and-12-minute tussle. According to local booster, Mrs. Walker was the first woman to ever land a blue marlin in waters north of Florida when in 1952, also fishing with Captain Foster, she landed a 354-pounder. With last week's noteworthy catch, says booster, she is now the first woman to land two blue marlin in Cape Hatteras waters.
PACIFIC SALMON: IDAHO: FVG for chinooks on Middle Fork of Salmon at Big Creek to Cabin Creek and mouth of Camas Creek upstream to Cinch Creek. Anglers on Big Hole gravel bars at mouth of Big Loon Creek also advise FG. Many 30-pounders being taken at Warm Springs Hole one mile above Middle Fork Lodge with anglers limiting before 7 a.m. Dagger Falls under heavy pressure, but everyone reporting results with as many as 35 chinooks counted in the air at one time trying to jump the falls. South Fork of Salmon FF but OG with run just under way.
OREGON: Fog and strong westerly winds hampering offshore moochers, although many salmon outside bars in great numbers; OVG as soon as weather permits small craft to cross bars.
WASHINGTON: Excited snooper reports heaviest run of silvers and kings in many years now choking water from mouth of Juan de Fuca Strait all the way to Georgia Strait. Most resort operators incoherent, but cool-headed Sekiu observer claims that sportsmen there in two days boated over a ton of salmon, with an average of 15 silvers per boat weighing to 10 pounds. Other torrid spots are Point Lawrence, Lower Skagit, Seabeck, Hood Canal and just about any place you can name; FV/OVG.
ATLANTIC SALMON: NOVA SCOTIA: Heavy rains last week make OG especially in Medway which yielded 18 fish in past few days.
MAINE: Enthusiastic down-Easter maintains some of most promising Atlantic salmon fishing on the North American continent is now going begging as the Machias River, one of Maine's restored salmon streams, is boiling with sassy Atlantics. Over 300 adults have been trapped with a guaranteed 100 fish now berthed in a five-mile stretch of the Machias. When an angler kills a salmon, fishery workers replace it with a fresh-run fish. Yet there are only five to 12 rods on the stream during an average day, although water conditions are excellent and OVG.
TROUT: PENNSYLVANIA: Central state limestone streams slightly L and C, with WT averaging 65. One float party last week put in at Milesburg on Bald Eagle Creek and found fishing so good they covered only five miles in two days. Both browns and rainbows averaging better than 12 inches were hitting No. 10 nymphs in almost every riffle. Fishing Creek, a Bald Eagle tributary, offering excellent surface action on spiders and variants. Only worthwhile locality in northern tier reported to be at tail end of flood control reservoir on First Fork of Sinnemahoning but only at night on big wets.
OREGON: FG inland with Wickiup boasting many rainbows and browns to six pounds and a few in excess of 15 pounds. Trolling with small lures efficacious as is fly-fishing during early morning and evening in shallows. Nos. 6 and 8 dry or wet flies needed. Diamond Lake coming to life with Kamloops running to four pounds. Central state streams in fly prime with Metolius, Deschutes and Crooked rivers among the more productive. Blue Duns, Dark Cahills and small caddis flies present favorites; OVG.
IDAHO: Salmon fly hatch at peak on all tributaries of the middle Salmon and FVG on No. 10 drys including Mosquitoes and Black Gnats. Copper spinners, however, still preferred for big trout which are schooling with salmon. In northern state area fly-fishermen taking nice catches of cutthroats while trollers score with Kokanee. Clearwater drainage now picking up, and OVG for rainbow as lower Clearwater streams approach L and C conditions.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Fishing slowed during past week with dull, cloudy weather; wind and rain discouraging fishermen more than fish. Lakes of Kamloops area and interior can generally be expected to produce fine fishing, however, with flies more effective at higher altitudes and in northern areas. Coastal reports more encouraging with FG on Campbell River lakes for trollers. Some sea-run cutts in Campbell, Oyster, Puntledge and Qualicum estuaries.
STRIPED BASS: MARYLAND: OG in Chesapeake especially for one to three pounders on The Hill at the mouth of Eastern Bay and also near Long Point farther up Eastern Bay. Try trolling small yellowhead bucktails with black band. Rocks to 10 pounds breaking water early and late between Love Point and southern end of the Mud Dumps. White bucktail with green skirt going lure here. Some bull fish to 40 pounds prowling the deep water off Brickhouse Bar on southern end of Kent Island where large spoons trolled deep or small eels drifted across bottom seem to be the thing; OVG.
NEW JERSEY: FP/FF all along coast.
MASSACHUSETTS: Strong winds discouraging most charter skippers but the few hardy souls who don't mind the beating are also taking the bass in Cape Cod Bay on deep-fished eelskins. FF in Cape Cod Canal but OG for early-morning tides this week. Nauset Beach most rewarding Cape area now, with Atoms and Stan Gibbs plugs working on night tides. Twenty-five fish taken one night last week and OVG.
BONEFISH: FLORIDA: FVG/OVG throughout upper Keys. Last week, for instance, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gardner of Miami brought to boat 17 out of 23 fish hooked in one day. Largest was 8¾-pounder.
BLACK BASS: PENNSYLVANIA: OG now except for the Susquehanna which is still covered with algae. Best bet is on the lower Tuscarora where jitterbugs and poppers are stirring fast action.
ONTARIO: Retreating Hurricane Audrey dampened Ontario bassers last week although Ronald Moncrief of Toronto took an 8-pound 12-ounce smallmouth on the Trent Waterway near Kirkfield in spite of terrible weather; OG as weather moderates.
BLUEFISH: MARYLAND: FVG with all boats after blues connecting off Ocean City. Blues to 10 pounds plentiful last week at East-Southeast, north of the Jack Spot. OVG.
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