Fisherman's Calendar

KEY TO SYMBOLS

SO=season opened (or opens); SC=season closed (or closes); SV=season varies by district or water.
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; OP=outlook poor.

TROUT: NEW YORK : Season is off to a slow start, with cold water the villain—southern New York streams report WT in low 40s. Even bait and spin fishermen did poorly on Beaver-kill last weekend, but if no new rains come the river may be wadeable with WT above 50 by midday and some fair fly hatches by the 23rd (Saturday); better check by telephone before taking off (call fly-tyers Walt Dette or Harry Darbee in Roscoe for water and weather information). Three straight days of warm, sunny weather could start fish moving in all Catskill streams, but no really good trouting can be counted on before second week in May. Ausable, Saranac, Chazy and other Adirondack streams are still too high and cold for non-compulsive anglers.

CONNECTICUT : Housatonic River is H, D, WT38-48 and not yet worth risking. A few newly stocked browns were yanked from Norwalk River on No. 12 grayish nymphs last weekend and fly fishermen seemed to fare better than wormers; OF/G in smaller Connecticut streams for wet fly or small streamer.

NEW JERSEY : SO April 16 with usual mob scenes on Musconetcong and other opening-day stand-bys; OP/F on all New Jersey streams through next week, with Pequest probably best for fly fishers.

BRITISH COLUMBIA : Cold, showery weather and fairly high water haven't interfered with good fishing in island and coastal lakes; on Vancouver Island , Gooseneck and Snakehead lakes were yielding limits of small fish last week, with several three-pounders succumbing to hardware in Lower Campbell and McIvor (but fish were coming to fly also). Cowichan, Campbell, Oyster and Qualicums rivers are producing a few nice trout and should improve; OG.

MAINE : Hottest fishing in Maine last week was at Long Pond, Mount Desert Island , where squaretails were averaging two pounds with top fish 3�; OG.

CALIFORNIA : SO April 16 in San Diego County , mainly for hatchery trout in a few small streams and ponds; statewide SO April 30 with heavy plants and carry-over in larger streams and lakes to insure worthwhile fishing. Crowley Lake, now ice-free, should be No. 1 spot for big trout, with June, Grant and Silver lakes runners-up. Best east-slope Sierra streams should be Owens River and Hot Creek. With snow-pack below normal, outlook is good.

BLACK BASS: FLORIDA : in NW Florida water levels were higher after last week's rain and outlook is excellent; best bets are sand ponds N of Panama City and Wimico Lake near Apalachicola , with spoon and pork-rind lures accounting for most big bass (but fly-rodders should have fine sport with popping bugs). In central Florida , bass are taking top-water plugs, bugs and spoons with enthusiasm; Kissimmee River and lakes E of Lake Wales and in Leesburg area are producing limit catches with most bass in two-pound class, and OG through next two weeks. St. Johns River spy advises weedless spoons with pork rind fished alongside weed beds on lee shore at sunup, from Lake Helen area to Lost Lake, and predicts peak at top of new moon April 22; could be.

MISSOURI : Outlook is excellent at Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois Arm area) with local talent favoring crayfish over artificial lures; many limits reported.