FISHERMAN'S CALENDAR
SO season opens
SC season closes
C clear water
D water dirty, roily
N water normal height
SH slightly high
H high
VH very high
M water muddy
L low
R rising
WT50 water 50°
FG fishing good
FF fishing fair
FG fishing poor
OG outlook good
OVG outlook very good
OF outlook fair
OP outlook poor
SWORDFISH: NEW YOKK: OG with unusual number of early-season broadbill finning off Shinnecock Inlet and Montauk and demonstrating an unusual willingness to strike. Last week Mrs. Gertrude Doyle of Southampton and Great Neck, fishing from her boat Pipedream II 18 miles out of Shinnecock, baited and hooked an energetic broadbill on 39 thread. Two hours later Mrs. Doyle had the fish by the boat, but at that crucial juncture it threw the hook and, luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, immediately became foul-hooked in the tail and fought stolidly for three and a half more hours before it was finally gaffed. On June 27 in the same waters Mrs. Doyle took a 363-pound broadbill in 1½ hours.
MASSACHUSETTS: OG with many fish sighted south of Nomans Land off Martha's Vineyard. This is an exceptionally fine area that is lightly fished, mainly due to a lack of experienced big-game charter skippers in the Cape Cod area. One excellent man, however, is Barry Rowland, who will be operating his diesel-powered sports fisherman the Striper this summer from the south shore port of Osterville on the Cape.
WHITE MARLIN: MARYLAND: The Twelfth International Light Tackle Tournament held this year at Ocean City, Maryland, July 9-12, from the point of view of fish caught was a monumental bust. In three days of fishing 30-odd teams from the world over boated only four marlin. Since one marlin took longer to land than the 30-minute maximum time allowance, the final result showed a three-way tie between the Panama Rod and Reel Club, the Sailfish Club of Florida and the Tri-Anglers Fishing Club of New York. The tournament was an unpleasant jolt to all concerned, since last year Ocean City during its marlin season accounted for an unprecedented number of fish—1,612. There is some argument to the effect that this year's event was held somewhat early, so the current season may yet develop into a favorable one—for post-tournament anglers.
NEW YORK: FG and OVG as a heavy run of white marlin is in progress some 12 miles off Shinnecock and somewhat further off Montauk. Most Shinnecock boats are having no trouble raising and hooking at least one or two, with the most recent an 89-pounder taken in 20 minutes by John Weiss, Hampton Bays, from his boat, Kiddie Kar. Marlin should be present now in varying numbers throughout the summer.
STRIPED BASS: MASSACHUSETTS: Cuttyhunk now in gear again after two weeks in the doldrums. Mixed catches reported from 12 to 40 pounds, but further slumps can be expected during midsummer period, for this famous little island usually comes into its striper own with cooler weather and continues through the fall.
NEW JERSEY: FP/FF as fishing has turned spotty. Some action reported in Long Branch and Bradley Beach areas, but trollers advise very poor results. For the persistent, however, there are still rewards: recently L. Page Brown of Bryn Mawr, Pa. was surf casting at the New Jersey State Park on the North Point of Barnegat Inlet. On his last cast to the edge of a shallow bar he felt a light strike, something like that of a small bluefish. But when he raised his rod tip he saw a great unbluefish-like tail above the water, and the resultant commotion was more reminiscent of a marlin than the 50-pound striper, which it actually was. Brown reports that after the striper's first run the balance of the contest was routine and that in his opinion the fighting merits of a 25-pound striped bass are about equal to that of a 50-pounder, except in the matter of dead weight. OF for New Jersey at the moment.
CALIFORNIA: FVG in San Francisco Bay off Alcatraz Island for stripers to 24 pounds. Heaviest concentration of fish is in rocky shoal water five to 10 fathoms deep. Most sportsmen relying on ocean salmon tackle, which involves a 10-foot leader, three-pound sinker and herring rigged on conventional bait harness. Best response seems to be obtained by giving the bait as much action as possible. Other active areas include Mori's Point near Sharp Park, where last week 150 fish from 10 to 30 pounds were boated in one day. Top fish of week went to Otto Bendinelli, San Francisco, and came from Baker's Beach. FG also in Mission Rock waters and the Napa River for smaller fish.
BLUE MARLIN: NORTH CAROLINA: Hatteras still awarding blue marlin thrills to offshore anglers, but last week there were unpleasant surprises for both the angler and the marlin. Aboard Captain Ken Ward's Cherokee, out of Nags Head, Sportsman Cam Glass of Lynchburg, Va., wielding 24-thread tackle, hooked a blue marlin, fought it for two hours and 35 minutes, and lost a little more marlin with every jump. Finally he boated a marlin head, backbone and tail. The rest had gone to satisfy sharks, which had attacked the marlin all through the fight. Judging from measurements of the remains, Glass believes the marlin would have topped 500 pounds. Anglers confronted with this situation often cut fish off, provided it is not too exhausted to outrun the sharks.
BLUEFIN TUNA: MASSACHUSETTS: School fish to 100 pounds now reported off Highland Light and Provincetown on Cape Cod. Giants are also being taken by trap fishermen in Cape Cod Bay, but last week one angler, Roscoe Allen of Fair Haven, N.J., collared a 416-pounder off Barnstable. Cape Cod Bay normally carries a great concentration of giant bluefin during the summer months, but so far few anglers have been able to take them.
ATLANTIC SALMON: NOVA SCOTIA: Estuaries teeming with salmon which are waiting for a rise in river water in order to move upstream. Despite L conditions 61 fish were killed last week. The Med way led with 42 followed by the Tusket with 12; OG.
NEW BRUNSWICK: Agent reports best provincial fishing since 1932 as at least 76 fish were killed from camps on the Matapedia last week. FVG on the Restigouche, with all standard salmon fly patterns taking their share of fish. No salmon on the Tobique and St. John, thanks to the anglers' bane—dams.
TROUT: WASHINGTON: FVG/OVG, with some truly ponderous trout to prove it. In the past few days a 26-inch 10-pound rainbow was wrested from Waits Lake in Stevens County by Mrs. W. A. Taylor of Spokane, and Richard Gilbert of Mountlake Terrace, Seattle took a 12-pound Dolly Varden from Ross Lake, which is also offering rainbow weight limits to one out of four fishermen. From Ross Lake also comes a sad story of a sad sack. When Walter Gitts of Ferndale and his friends docked with 30 plump rainbows ready to check out and go home, Gitts lifted the fish out of the boat in one big plastic sack. No surprise; the bottom of the sack split and the 30 plump rainbows went to the bottom of the lake. Trapper Lake in Chelan National Forest now ice-free, fish-heavy and ready for flying fishermen. Hozomeen, a high lake in the upper Skagit, is reported by spy to be lightly fished but turning out limits of brook trout to 17 inches.
MONTANA: Montana streams now L and C and fly-fishing on the upswing. FG on Madison, with salmon flies hatching in canyon below Hebgen Lake. Agent reports, however, that controversial DDT spraying for spruce bud-worm threatens to spoil that hatch. Spring Creek near Livingston in prime condition, and a 7-pound brown trout has just been taken there by C. H. Davidson of Livingston on a Muddler Minnow fly. Wade Lake FG in morning on dry flies. Gallatin, Boulder and Big Hole rivers slightly H, but OVG.
MICHIGAN: Most state streams somewhat H but FF for browns on the Au Sable, Pere Marquette, Boardman, Betsy, Platte, Pine, Thunder Bay and Bear, with best catches being made during caddis hatches that emerge between sundown and moonrise. Last week Charles Easton of Walloon Lake capitalized on these conditions and took a 6-pound brown trout on the Bear River. OVG for rainbows as the summer feed run in the Sturgeon River below Wolverine is about to start.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: FVG in interior lakes at higher elevations such as Salmon, Lejeune, Paradise, Dominic, Mile High, Leadow, Kelowna and Beaver lakes. Thompson River in a turmoil, with rainbows to 5 pounds rising nicely to dry flies. FG too at the eddies at Deadman's Creek or Wallachin; generally OVG.
PENNSYLVANIA: Many streams now L and need rain, but brown trout in Horse Valley Run and Big Buffalo Creek are still taking Grey Spent-wing Adams. Limestone streams in central state are producing, but mainly for skilled nymph manipulators; OP/OF.
CALIFORNIA: Sierra Lakes below 10,000 feet now thawed and limits are the rule. Good risks on the east slope are Cottonwoods and Anna for golden trout, Convict Basin for brooks and rainbows. Hot Creek and Upper Owens dropping and C with fish reacting to flies. Possibilities on the west slope are the Upper Merced, Kings and Kaweah as most streams at lower elevations have been afflicted with very high WT.
ONTARIO: FF in general but OG. Most solacing catch of week reported by Scotty MacLean of Kenora, who, while fishing in Lake of the Woods, hooked and successfully boated a bottle of rye whisky three-quarters full. The bottle was reported empty when MacLean arrived home.
IDAHO: Fly-fishing in full stride on Moyie River and Upper Coeur d'Alene: choice stretch the Little North Fork. Headwaters of South Fork of the Payette advises FG on wet flies and small spinning lures. Boise River drainage rewarding on No. 10 Coachmans. Line Creek crammed with pan-sized trout which are taking smaller-sized Black Gnats or Mosquitoes. Brown Woolly Worm connecting in the Teton River, and floating anglers on the North Fork of the Snake advise of excellent dry-fly action. Evenings seem to be the time. High lakes are opening, and last week Morehead Lake blessed Dave Callender of Boise with his 7-pound limit, comprised of two fish—one 5 pounds, the other 2. All lakes in the Sawtooth area are open. White Cloud area is open and pack strings are now moving in. Feeder streams in Primitive Area N and C and over all OVG.