Georgia game and fish [Vol. 4, no. 5 (May 1969)]

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~GEORGIA
~GAME&FISH

May 1969

Volume IV

Number 5

CONTENTS

Outdoor World

1

A Cracker Delight

Dean Wohlgemuth 2

What's Wrong With The

River? Leon Kirkland and Dean Wohlgemuth 5

Where The Boars Are

Marvin Tye 9

Fly Rod ... Long On Sport Dean Wohlgemuth 12

Sportsmen Speak

16

Tide Table

17

Lester G. Maddox
Governor

George T. Bagby
Director, State Game & Fish Commission

COMMISSIONERS

James Darby Chairman
Vidalia-1st District William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District
Richard Tift Albany- 2nd District
William E. Smith Americus-3rd District Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District

Clyde Dixon Vice Chairman Cleveland-9th District Rankin M. Smith Atlanta-5th District J. B. Langford Calhoun-7th District Judge Harley Langdale Valdosta-8th District Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District

Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION Jac k A. Croc kford, Assistant Director
Leon Kirkland , Fi sheries Chief Hu bert Handy, Gam e Management Chi ef Cha rle s M. Frisb e, Supervisor, M arin e Fish eri es Rober t S. Ba ker , Spec ia l Se rvi ces Coordinator
LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline
Deputy State Chief , Atlanta Dav id Gould
Deputy Sta te L:hi ef, Br un swi c k
GEO RGIA GAME & FISH STAFF
Jim Morri son, Edito r
Dean Wohlgemu th Staff Writer
Marvi n Tye, Staff Write r John Culler, Staff Writer
J. Hall, Staff Writer Ted Borg, Photographer

Georg1o Gome o nd Fish is th e officio / m onth ly ma g azine o f th e Georgia Game ond Fish Com m is sion , publis h ed o t the Commi s sion ' s o ff ices, Tr init y . Washington Building, 270 W a shington St., Atla nta, G eorgia 30334 . N o adver tising occep.'~d Subscriptions are $! for one yea r o r $2.50 far thr ee y e ar s. Pronted by Stein Printing Compa ny, At/onto, Go. Notification o f a ddress change must include bot h o ld ond n e w address a nd ZIP code , wit h 30 d a y s notice. No subscription req uests will be accepted without Z IP code. Articles and photographs may be repri nted. Proper credit sho uld b e given . Co ntrib utions ore welcome, but the edi tors as s um e no re spo n sibility or liabil ity fo r loss or damage of articles, photograp hs, or illustra tions. Se cond -class post age paid ot At/onto, Go.

A Silver Lining in Every Cloud?
This year's sessio n of the Georgia General Assembly was less significant than the sportsmen and conservationists of our State could have hoped for.
Although they were much weaker than most observers felt were necessary to completely do the job, the General Assembly did pass two dog control laws in their 1969 session. The most important bill will require (rather than merely allow) county boards of health to have a dog control warden and dog pound. Only 35 of Georgia's 169 counties now have such facilities for taking care of abandoned or stray dogs responsible for most of the State's dog problems.
In addition, the new law to take effect on July 1, 1970 will require all dogs to be vaccinated for rabies, to be identified by a numbered tag on a collar or harness, and will authorize counties to charge a modest 50 cent fee for individual dog licenses. A second new law will make dog owners liable for the actions of their dogs, and will require the penning of female dogs in heat.
The two bills were supported by the State Game and Fish Commission as improvements over existing law, although they contained no provisions for state-wide administration of the control program or any state-wide requirements for penning or leashing of dogs not being used for useful purposes like hunting, etc., or except while on the property of their owner or under his direct control. Without these features, it remains to be seen if the two new laws will go far enough to halt the annual slaughter of more than 3,000 deer and 8,000 cattle in Georgia by uncontrolled dogs. Additional strengthening may be necessary.
The other highlight of conservation legislation that passed both houses of the General Assembly was the Scenic Rivers Act, establishing a system of legal protection for unique Georgia streams from desecreation by dams, channeling, and unwarranted development or pollution. The Act does not create any scenic rivers, but provides the framework for future additions of rivers to the system by individual acts of the General Assembly, based on recommendations from studies of the Georgia Natural Areas Council.
Conservationists in all parts of Georgia were disheartened by the failure of attempts to provide legal protection for the Georgia coast and its invaluable marshlands. A bill to create a State Marshlands Protection Board of conservation-oriented members to place a check rein on irresponsible uses of marshlands and adjacent sea bottoms was stripped of many of its important provisions in a House committee. (State Institutions and Property)
A "compromise" committee substitute which eliminated the state board in favor of local county and city control did contain a worthwhile provision requiring marsh meddlers to prove their ownership before permits would be issued to them for filling or dredging in the coastal area. This modified bill barely passed the House after Speaker George L Smith cast his "aye" vote for it, but then it spent the rest of the session bottled up in a Senate committee. (Industry and Labor)
Since this year's bills will carry over into next year's session, it could be revived again, especially if more interest is shown in it by the general public. So far. the support given the bill by residents of the Georgia coast itself has been discouraging. For instance, at a House public hearing called on H . B. 2 I2, not a single resident of Savannah cared enough to attend to support it. even though the bill would have provided a legal bar to efforts like last year's by the Kerr-McGee Company of Oklahoma to turn Chatham County's green marshes and fertile saltwater rivers and creeks into an underwater open-pit phosphate mine. There wa s a strong turnout by Georgia's "home-grown Kerr-McGee" industrial and commerci al interests from the Brunswick area in opposition to the original bill.
continued on page 16
ON THE COVER: The shellcracker. one of Georgia's
larger species of "bream." highly prized by pond fisher-
men. For mo re about shellcrackers, see Dean \Vohlge-
muth's story on page five . Painting by Duane Raver.
ON THE BACK COVER: A nice string of shad. caught
in the Augusta City Limits just below the Savannah Bluff
Lock and D am on the Sava nnah River. Located 201 miles
from the ocean. the dam blocks the only spawning run
the sh ad m a ke in their life time. c reating the best fi shing
spot for them in Georgia on a rod and reel. The fishermen
a re C ecil C lapp of Chamblee. right. a nd Game and Fish
edito r Jim Morrison. Color photo by Ted Borg.
PIIO TO CR EDITS: T ed Borg h. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14,
15; Ma rvin T yc 9 . 10. II : Dean Wohlgemuth 2, t. 3 , 4 .

the

DHAINA6E DAMAGEON

outdoor STREAMS PHOTESTEDHV

world DAME &FISH COMMISSION

The State Game and Fish Commiss ion has defended the right of its director and professional game and fish biologists to criticize proposed river dredging and wildlife wetland drainage.
At its regul ar meeting in Atlanta Thursday, March 20, the Commissioners heard a report from the Commission's Director, George T. Bagby, on small watershed project activities of the U.S. Conservation Service, an agency under the federal Department of Agriculture.
Bagby said stream channelization and drainage programs initiated, planned, and financed by the SCS posed a dangerous threat to fish and wildlife habitat, and that "it is the duty and the obligation of the State Game and Fish Commission to inform the people what the effects of these projects will be, without being accused of irresponsible criticism. without being called liars, wit hout being threatened with poli tical reprisals."
The issue reached the Commission after a Game and Fish Department spokesman delivered a report two weeks before to the Soil Conservation Service cri ti cal of proposed stream channelization and drainage above Lake Jackson, a popular middle Georgia fishing reservoir. The report said Commission game and fish biologists believe the proposed work would destroy fishing in the Alcovy River and possibly harm fishing in Lake Jackson as well, as a result of dredging and channeling of 80 miles of the Alcovy and two of its tributaries, Big Flat Creek and Cornish Creek.
The report noted that the SCS work plan called for the drainage of 4,000 acres of swampland adjacent to the river, and the anticipated conversion of 8,000 acres of timberland into open pasture, causing a 12,000 acre loss of deer habitat and an extensive waterfowl area.
Reacting to the report, a delegation of local landowners and sponsors of the Alcovy watershed project from Walton, Newton, and Gwinnett appeared before the Game and Fish Commission meeting to protest the staff report. and to call on the Commission to appruve plans for the project.
Several of the speakers denied that the Alcovy River and its swamps were good hunting and fi shing areas, and said that the project would not hurt Lake Jackson, although more than 30 Jackson cabin owners and fi shermen

appeared in opposition to the project. Several told the Commission they believed the Alcovy River section of the Lake would be silted from the upstream dredging and draining. "The watershed plans could be changed to prevent this damage," Bagby told the meeting. "Enlarging the reservoirs instead of channeling the river is the obvious answer."
Director Bagby emphasized to the Watershed Group that the Commission did not oppose the proposed reservoirs in the Alcovy project, only the downstream channelization and draining.
"Public Law 566 does not give veto power over these projects to state game and fish commissions," Bagby said. He told the group that the SCS was required to submit final plans of the project to state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but that their comments were not binding on the Soil Conservation Service. The SCS has already submitted their final plans for the project to Congress with their request for funds, in spite of objections to the channelization and drainage portions of the plan.
"The false statement has been deliberately and maliciously made that the State Game and Fish Commission and its Director have opposed the approval of the Alcovy River Watershed Project," Bagby said. "This is a barefaced lie. We are not trying to kill this project. We don't have that authority. We are not trying to keep these three counties from having seven large lakes for recreation and municipal and industrial water supplies," he said. "We have objected to one portion and one portion only of the proposed watershed plans, and that is the channelization and drainage of the Alcovy River above Lake Jackson."
Bagby told the Commissioners that the Department had exerted considerable efforts over the past three years to improve fishing in Lake Jac kson, and th at the results had been successful. He said that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servi ~e recentl y had promised to give the State 23,000 saltwater striped bass to stoc k in the lake as a result of the detailed sc ientific work the Commission had carried out on Jackson and nearby Lake Si ncl air.
The Commissioners looked at color pictu res of channdization in progress or completed on several ... mall Georgia

streams, including Little River above

Lake Allatoona in Cherokee County,

t-.larbury Creek in Barrow and Oconee

Counties, and Little Sati lla Creek in

Appling and Wayne Counties. The pho-

tographs showed bare stream banks

and mudd y water caused by the dredg-

ing. A series of before and after pic-

tures showed bulldozers and draglines

moving earth in the stream beds as the

current flowed over the disturbed

areas, including rock shoals being dy-

namited away.

In addition to the Lake Jackso n inter-

ests, representatives of several sports-

men's organizations spoke against the

channeling and draining. Executive sec-

retary Jim Adams of the Georgia Sport-

men's Federation and President Tom

Goble of the lzaak Walton League both

expressed their opposition to the down-

stream disturbances, but approved the

upstream lakes.

C. Edward Ca rlson, Regional Director

of the U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries

and Wildlife, confirmed that his agency

and the State Game and Fish Commis-

sion were not given copies of the final

watershed plans until late in 1968, and

that neither agency had ever approved

them, but had instead protested the

channelization and drainage provisions.

"Stream modification projects have

destroyed between three and four mil-

lion acres of bottom land hardwoods

of significance to waterfowl in the last

20 years in the Southeast alone," Carl-

son said.

"In contrast, we have acquired only

158,751 acres of wintering grou nd

habitat for waterfowl from 1948 to

1968 in the Southeast, and it has cost

$12 ,430 ,325 from our duck stamp

fund in the process.'' Carl son told the

Commissioners.

Bagby gave the Commissioners a

copy of a map of Georgia showing that

14 SCS watershed projects containing

channeling and draining had already

been completed, 46 had been approved

for construction, and a total of I 64

projects had already been applied for.

"The Alcovy project is not the most

frightening aspect of the small water-

shed program of the SCS," Bagby said.

"\Vhat disturbs me even more is the

list of fine little fishing streams marked

for destruction, running into every ma-

jor lake and river in Georgia. We know

that these channe led streams and these

swamps arc gone during our life-

time, if not forever."

At the conclusion of the meeting,

the Commissioners unanimously passed

a resolution supporting the right of the

Director and his staff to inform the

public of adverse effects of such proj-

ects or portions of them on fish and

wildlife habitat.

- Jim Morrison

ELLCRACKER
ACRACKER DELIG
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In spite of all the talk and writings about bass, trout, salt water big game fishes and such "glamor" species, the popularity polls still show the "bream" ... members of the sunfish family ... maintain a high spot in the rankings.
Though highly popular nationwide, Georgia probably is the state that appreciates these little scrappers as much as any. There's good reason. Bream are plentiful, they're ravenously hungry most of the time, and for their size they give a very fine account of themselves on light tackle.
The term "bream" covers several spec ies. actually, though generally it could be translated to mean "bluegills." Others covered by the term, however, include redbreasts, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and shellcrackers.
Not as plentiful as the bluegill, the shellcrackP.r or red ear sunfish. has a following all its own. Somewhat harder to c.atch, he's a tenacious fighter, and generally runs a little larger than his cousin.
The shellcracker has an orange or reddish border on the ear lobe. Also, he doesn't have the barred effect that

the bluegill has. He's a sort of greeni sh color with small. dark markings.
The diet of the reel ear sunfish runs largely to sna ils and similar crustaceans found on the bottom of a pond, lake or river, and with a set of teeth built especially for the job, he can crack these open for dinner. This habit is responsible for his widely known nickname of ''shellcracker."
Though this is a large part of his diet, it doesn't seem to be the right bait for him. You can't beat a red wiggler on a shortshanked No. 6 or 8 hook. fished right on the bottom. The best method for getting him is to put a si ngl e split shot about a foot above the hook, and usc a slip cork set to let the weight go all the way to the bottom. The cork is vital in sending back to the angler the message that Mr. Shellcracker has arrived for dinner. Actually, this method is deadly on the bluegill as well. however, being on the bottom increases greatly your chances of getting the 'cracker. You'll rarely find him far above the bottom, and almost never get him on artificial lures, particularly top water types.

Here's the way to rig your line to ca tch him. Put a single split shot about eight inches or so above the hook, and rig your float so it will slide freely on the line. Th is allows the weight to reach bottom. Wh en the shellcracker moves off with your bait, that float will still telegraph his presence!

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The best time to catch him is in early spring, a few weeks before the bluegill begins to bed. The shellcracker beds a little earlier in the year. Also, his bed will be in deeper water than the bluegill, which likes shallow water a foot or two in depth usually along the edge. The shellcracker will probably bed at least three feet deep, and perhaps as deep as six feet.
He's found in a lot of ponds and small lakes, but also is a fairly common resident in rivers and streams in south Georgia, plus some of the large reservoirs.
The Ocmulgee River is one of his favorite stomping rivers, while he also can be found in good numbers in Lakes Seminole, Blackshear and Walter F. George. Seminole seems to be his favorite lake, and sometimes shellcracker beds there are an acre or two in size.
Can't you imagine what a bed like that would do to the nose of an angler accomplished in the art of smelling out a bream bed! You can't smell bream beds? Then you haven't taken a deep breath when you've been over one! Sometimes, a bed can practically take your breath away.
A good many farm ponds have shellcracker popula tions, too, and the 'cracker is often stocked on purpose. His presence is a complement to the bluegill in a good balanced farm pond, because the two usually eat different foods, thus utilizing the ponds' productivity to greater advantage.
His fans are fanatical enough th at

some would like to see their ponds stocked only with bass and 'crackers, rather than putting bluegills in at all. Unfortunately, this won't work too well.
One reason for this is that the new crop of shellcrackers each year is insufficient to supply food for the bass. Then, too, they reproduce earlier in the year, and often are too large too soon for the little bass. And unless they are thinned by bass, they'll become overcrowded and stunted.
Stocked together with bluegills, 80 per cent bluegills and 20 per cent shell-

crackers, they're very compatible and work together to provide good balanced fishing.
Even so, because of poor reproduction and hybridization with bluegills, a large percentage of ponds stocked with crackers within a few years will probably not produce any shellcrackers at all.
Thus, the shellcracker is an elusive fish, sought after and highly prized by many. Perhaps the fact that he can be rather elusive is one of the qualities, coupled with his larger size, that makes him the target for many anglers. ~

Red wigglers, meal worms, and similar baits are potent ammunition for shellcrackers. Note the vertical bars on the bluegill bream, at top.
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No doubt about it, the fishing isn't what it used to be in some of the state's rivers, particularly those in South Georgia. This is not something that is a secret to the State Game and Fish Commission, nor is the Commission unconcerned about the problem.
There are many secrets, however, about exactly WHAT is wrong with these rivers, that once were so productive. These secrets at present appear to be kept closely guarded by the rivers. However, the days may be numbered for some of these mysteries.
In solving a mystery, the first thing to do is realize that a mystery is there that needs solving. This alone is not enough, needing to know that there are questions seeking an answer. You have to know what the questions are before finding the answer ... specific questions, like "Is there enough food for all the fish?" and "If not, why isn't there more food?" and "How can the Commission improve the conditions of the river ?" Most of the questions are far deeper than these.
Complaints that river fishing is no longer as good as it was are valid enough. Just knowing this, however, leaves a lot to be done in determining what to do to correct the situation.
For some 35 years, intensive studies have been conducted on farm ponds. Biologists can make educated guesses about what may be wrong with a par-

ticular pond, without even seeing it. For example, in 90 per cent of the cases, the thing wrong with most ponds is that they actually have too many fish in them . . . they're overcrowded, with bream at least.
Unfortunately, there are no studies such as those on ponds to rely on when tackling problems with rivers. There has been very little research in Georgia or in any other state concerning warm water rivers. Before any corective measures can be taken, therefore. the first step is to conduct intensive studies on these waters.
Such studies are underway in South Georgia, but there are many more rivers to cross before the studies begin to jell and reveal the secrets of the rivers.
At this stage of the game, research on the rivers has produced some theories. These might be called educated guesses. These theories are very likely quite close to accurate but as yet there is no way to prove them, no scientific data to support the theories with fact.
Since these theories are all there is to go on at this stage, they must be considered carefully even though perhaps with a grain of salt.
There's a little room for doubt, however, that the theories are at least partly right. For example, dry weather is the suspected culprit for a lot of the problems with the rivers. It was a long, hot, dry summer for the past two

summers. Water levels were low. There was little food and cover for fish. There was a lot less water, therefore a lot less space for fish to occupy. They were crowded together. Because of this, the small fish were easy prey for the larger ones.
Just how drastic can low water conditions be? One of the best examples would have to be the Suwanee River, born in the Okefenokee Swamp. While the majority of this stream is in Florida, a quite noteworthy section is in our state. And because once it reaches Florida's limestone springs it changes drastically, Georgia's Suwanee has a personality all its own.
Georgia's portion of the Suwanee, at its low point last fall, covered only about 300 surface acres of water. Yet, when the water is at normal or high levels, it may cover as much as 5,000 acres! This means the river during dry weather covered only one acre for every 16 or 17 acres it occupies at high levels! At this rate, who could expect anything other than that the river be severely damaged, as far as fish production is concerned?
Put two or three such years together, and you'll find the fish are getting mighty hungry. The river bottom itself produces little if any food. The prime source of food for such a river is the rich soil along its banks, that is normally covered a large portion of the

Photos by the author

year by flood waters.

When a river meanders along,

through wide curves, spilling out of its

banks into low woodlands making

swamps, and cutting across corners to

leave "oxbow" lakes, th e river makes

its own "supermarkets," providing an

abundance of food for fi sh. Most of

the spawning of a river 's popul ation

will take place in these areas. Also,

most of the feeding , and th erefore

most of the fi shing is here.

Another theory of what is wrong

with the rivers has to do with rough

fi sh populations and with commercial

fishing. Back in 1955 , baskets were le-

galized to catch catfish for commercial

use. These baskets took tons and tons

of catfish and in m any streams reduced

their numbers to onl y a remnant of

their original population. Channel cat-

fi sh of two pounds or more, were prob-

ably the major carnivorous species in

the rivers. That is, they ate more of

the young rough fi sh th an any other

species, and thus kept the carp, suckers,

bowfin and so forth , under control.

Without the catfish, these "undesir-

ables" thrived.

The mistake was realized some five

years ago, and the basket law was re-

pealed. But the road back is long and

slow. It may take two or three more

years before there are enough catfish

of a size capable of reducing rough

fi sh numbers.

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High water or low wa ter are probably the two main enemies of good fishing in
sou thern rivers. Here, th e Suwanee is well out of i ts banks. Th e water normally comes
just to the base of these tupelo trees. During th is flooded sta ge, the river covers several thousand surface acres, while at low water, it covers only a fe w hundred acres .

Biologist Dan Holder, right, and biological aide Denny Hill of Waycross , check a trap set on the Suwanee dike, to determ ine how many fish go over th dike and into the river.

7

A third theory concerning the problems of the rivers deals with the most effective predator in the world . . . man. As man increases his population, and as he has more leisure time in which to fish, waters are more and more crowded with anglers. More pressure is put on the productivity of the rivers.
Highly fertilized farm ponds can support only 150 fishing trips per acre in a year and stay in good condition. A river can support only a part of that much pressure. When fished excessively. the ratio of one species of fish to another can be thrown badly out of balance. This is complicated in a farm pond where only two or three species exist . . . think what it can be like when there are perhaps 25 species in
a mile of river! To help ease the pressure, the Game
and Fish Commission has set tighter regulations on creel limits in the Suwanee. Anglers may take only 25 su nfish and only five bass .. . no channel catfish at all. for the present. By reducing the take per day, the numbers of fish will provide fishing for a greater number of days during a year.
It is even considered possible that by providing more access to rivers , the pressure may be distributed over a larger percentage of the water. The commission plans withi n the next few years to build one boat ramp for every 15 miles of stream. This will make more water accessible, and distribute fishermen over more of the stream. Since the boat ramp building program began two years ago, the Commission has built 52 ramps, and the vast majority - 45 - have been on rivers.
The automatic reaction of the angler, when realizing that his fishing is declining. is to comment, "Why doesn't the Game and Fish Commission stock fish here?"
Stocking fish is a very complex operation in waters that contain some fish. U nless nature's scales are balanced very carefully, stocking may do far more damage than help.
When fishing for bream seems poor, it just might be that the p10blem is there are too many bream rather than not enough. If it were mistakenl y assumed there were too few bream, and more were added, the problem would be compounded. Before any stocking can take place, careful studies are necessary. It must be determined which

species are in short supply, and what size of fish are lacking. Then. perhaps . .. and we emphasize perhaps, stocking fish of the right size. might be of some help. Yet. this will not be known for certain. until experiments are carried out.
At any rate, putting corrective measures into practice cannot be done until exhaustive studies are made to assure which measures really are, in fact, correct.

Many anglers find the fishing good just below the dike that separates standing swamp water from the flowing water of the Suwanee. This string includes some fine bream, and one large bowfin (bottom of stringer) .
Eddie Bunch of Richmond Hill shows a fine catfish he took from the Ogeechee River. Trapping of catfish is another cause of a decline in river fishing. Since fish baskets were outlawed in the rivers about five years ago, catfish are making a comeback, and overall fishing is gradually improving.

When the Suwanee River is high the fish are spread out more and difficult to catch . At these times, anglers find the best succeo, s fishing at the spillway of the dike between the Suwanee and the swamp. Suds in the water are the result of the softness of the water and high tannic acid content, not pollution.
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Georgia hunters are becoming increas-

ingly interested in the wild boar. These

two specimens were bagged by Bo Royal

and Junior Arrington in the swamps along

the Altamaha River near Uvalda, Georgia,

on one ot the few preserves in the state

where they can be legally hunted.

Dan Quillian and Ron Cannon look for boar sign in typical hog habitat. These animals prefer dense cover and feed on roots, acorns, and other vegetation.

Dan Quillian sharpens his technique with a few practice shots. Bows used tor hog hunting range from 40- to 60-pounders. All are adequate tor taking wild hogs, but archers are troubled by heavy brush which deflects well-aimed shots and causes them to miss.

The sun was just beginning to peep over the horizon as I worked my way slowly along the edge of a thick stand of mixed hardwoods deep in the swamp country of South Georgia.
I had moved only about 100 yards from the road when I spotted an unusual-looking object on the ground about 30 yards away. It was a wild boar, apparently sound asleep.
I started to shoot right away, then decided against it. I was using a bow and arrow, and even at that close range I would need an open line of flight to hit the pig. Any small twig in an arrow's path will deflect the shaft and cause an otherwise perfect shot to miss the mark.
To be sure of a killing shot, I began a slow stalk, taking pains to avoid loose stones, dead branches, or other noisemakers. As I moved closer, I could see that there were two hogs sleeping together, instead of just one. They were huddled up against each other, probably for warmth and protect:on from the cold March wind.
I was only inches away from a clear shot at th e two boars when they leaped to their fee t with a series of excited grunts. The pigs were still shielded by heavy brush. Their attention was fo-
cused on something in the trail behind
me. I knew I would probably not get
a better chance, so I raised my bow
and fired. The arrow hit several small twig~ . a n<~ was deflected before it
reached the boars. The alarmed animals
turned to face me as I frantically
groped for another shaft. The second
arrow met the same fate as the first.

The boars am bled off a few yards deeper into the brush, and seemed to stare back at me in defiance. A third deflected shaft that clattered noisily off the underbrush seemed to convince them that I was up to no good. They raced off to even thicker cover.
At that moment, I noticed two other hunters approaching from the direction I had just come. These were beginners who had not yet learned how to still hunt. They were walking almost in a straight line, talking to each other, and probably expecting all sorts of game to wait around until they approached within bow range. This type hunter can sometimes help the man who stays put by driving game toward him. In this case, they had driven the game away before I could get a good shot.
The proper method of still hunting is to move into or across the wind very slowly. The successful still hunter then pauses for several seconds or even takes only a step or two at a time, then pauses for several seconds or even minutes to observe everything about him before m'Jving on again. He knows that in thick brush he will rarely see an entire animal. Instead he will usually spot only the head, tail, ears, legs or some other portion of the body. Anything that looks out of place is worth investigating. An object that forms a straight line might turn out to be the back of an otherwise concealed boar or deer.
Two hunters who made that technique pay off that morning were 17year-old Bo Royal of Valdosta and Junio r Arrington of Franklin. Bo bagged

a jet black hog that weighed an estimated 200 pounds. He used a 42-pound bow to drive a razorhead-tipped shaft through the pig's lungs. Junior used a 45-pound bow to bag his hog, which weighed a little more than 100 pounds. Jack Carter of Vidalia and Don Wilkerson of Bon Air, Alabama, also bagged boars during the hunt. One hunter bagged a 55-inch rattlesnake!
We were on a two-day hunt on land owned by Robert Mobley of Uvalda, Georgia. Mobley is in the business of raising pigs for market. In addition, he has trapped wild hogs from his land along the Altamaha River for years. By opening this land to bowhunters for a fee , Mr. Mobley has found that he can make a better profit for much less effort. He charges a flat fee of $5 per day for hunting wild hogs only. There is no guarantee that the hunter will score, and no guides are provided. To most of the bowhunters, this is the way it should be.
Judging from requests received in the Information and Education Office of the Game and Fish Commission, there are many people throughout the state who want to hunt wild boars. The number of prospective boar hunters seems to be growing each month. (The term
"boar" technically applies only to male hogs, but sometimes is used to include
sows as well.) Just what is this animal that is caus-
ing all the commotion? During the 19th
Century and early part of the 20th Century, much of Georgia was free range.
Hogs. cattle, and other animals were
allowed to roam at will over the woods

10

MOBLEYS BOWHUNTING PRESERVE

-

.ftrHHUiRrJNOGIBTiEESE]RlLIAMTIOQIO_IL!Ill.fX_ - - -

LUVALDA GEORGlA-"*'Zdf!lUtjJ

sowHijTtG'"SPORTSiit.of coRGIA

(CH(CO~,.E IOtnll(ll~ioollllaS COUiftY GA

Robert Mobley, right, welcomes bowhunter Darwin Lee to his hunting preserve in the Altamaha Swamp lands. Som~ 20 hunters participated in an early spring hunt there, bagging four wild hogs.

Dan points to a " gopher" hole dug by a species of tortoise. These holes are also used by rattlesnakes and should be avoided by the hunter.

Included in the bag of the bowhunters was this 55-inch rattler. A snake as large as this one carries a big dose of venom and can inflict a fatal bite upon the unwary hunter.

and countryside. These animals were rounded up or killed when the owner was ready to eat or sell them. Some hogs were identified by brands or tattoos placed in their ears. Because of this custom, the wild hog is classified as a non-game animal by the Game and Fish Commission. Hogs are considered to be the property of the landowner, and they cannot be legally hunted without his permission.
In an effort to curtail illegal poaching of deer, the Game and Fish Commission has made it illegal to hunt any non-game animal (including wild hogs) with any weapon other than shotguns with number 4 shot or smaller, .22 rimfire rifles, centerfire rifles with bore diameter .225 or smaller, all caliber pistols, muzzle loading firearms, and bows and arrows.
Some wild hogs are found on U.S. Forest Service lands and on management areas administered by the Game and Fish Commission. On some of these lands , the killing of wild hogs is allowed during deer season. During the gun deer season on these areas, high-powered rifles can legally be used to kill boars. To kill wild boars at any other time on Forest Service lands outside the
game management _ areas, the hunter
must use the weapons prescribed for
hunting non-game animals.
The Game and Fish Commission en-
courages the shooting of wild hogs on many of their management areas, es-
pecially those in the mountains. On
areas suitable primarily for deer hunt-
ing, the wild hog is looked upon by
game biologists as an undesirable spe-

cies. It competes with deer and turkey for food, roots up valuable plant life, and by wallowing in trout streams, makes them extremely muddy and unfit for aquatic life. Hogs are never intentionally stocked in the management areas. As in most other parts of the state, they are descendants of freeroaming pigs from the open-range days. Besides, more deer than hogs can be raised on the same area, providing more hunting for a better game species, since deer are better eating and often sport trophy racks.
A boar that has been wild for a number of years or an animal that is descendant of generations of wild hogs sometimes bears little resemblance to a barn-yard porker. The wild boar can be a lean, rangy animal with long tusks which it uses to dig roots and other vegetation from under the ground and to fight its enemies. It very closely resembles the European wild boar from which most domestic stock was probably derived when man first began to capture and tame wild animals. Some wild pigs , especially those th at have only recently reverted to the wild, could easily pass for twins of domest ic livestock.
Robert Mobley's Bowhunting Preserve
is one of the few places in Georgia
where an archer can hunt wild boar
without fear of running afoul of the
law. Of the 20 archers who hunted on
Mobley's land during the recent week-
end, four brought home bacon, at least
half saw wild hogs, and several firC'd
shots at the elusive boars, but failed to
score. No one was disappointed in the

hunt. Most of them said they would be back for a return bout with the boars at their first opportunity.
Most of the hunters on this outing were members of the newly organized Bowhunting Sportsmen of Georgia. Dan Quillian of Athens, President of the group, made all the arrangements for the hunt. The archers camped on land owned by Mobley near the hunting area.
One question that always comes up when discu ssing wild boars is whether or not the animals will charge the hunter. I have talked to many hunters who claim to have been charged by enraged boars or sows with young pigs. These charges have often been stopped at the last mi nute wi th a load of buckshot or a high-powe red rifle slug.
Dan Quillia n believes th at a boar will not follow th rough on a charge if a man stands his ground . H e says that the man who runs is inviting trouble. Quite a fe w archers have taken to the trees when charged. I believe I would be tempted to do the same rather than tes t out Dan's theory. Watching a domesticated hog snap a bone with his powerful teeth is argume nt enough, even wit hout seeing razor sharp tusks o n a wild boar.
Dangerous or not, th e wild hog can provide some interesting sport for the bowhuntcr. If you want to try it. write to Mr. Robert 1\fobley, Uvalda, Georgia or call him at 912-594-3361.
For the best hunting, go during the late fall or winter. It seems that the cooler months often produce the hottest action, and the smallest number of snakes and mosquitoes.
11

LYROD
Dli

Here's how to learn fly fishing
By Dean Wohlgemuth
The day my fly rod came back from the factory with the broken tip replaced , I set out to prove a point. ''I'm going to give you a few lessons on how to catch a lot of bass," 1 boasted to my host, Tim Harris.
With that kind of audacity, it's a wonder I even got an invitation from Tim. I had become a regular visitor to his two-acre bass pond behind his house, frequently availing myself of his hospitality that summer, during the last couple hours of daylight after work.
Tim and I would work the pond from the shore, tossing out a variety of lures, and usually we were good for
Tackle fo und in a flycaster's ki t is different from tha t of other anglers. Th e two types of fly reels shown are single action (right) and automatic. A spring in the auto pulls the line back onto the ree l when the trip is released. Flies or popping bugs are light weight, since the weight of the line, not the lure, makes the cast.
two or three bass apiece. We cau gh t nothing big. I don't recall a o ne over a couple i'O Unus o r so. But it was a handy pond and staved off the urge for a fu ll-blown exc ursion to more di stant waters for bigger ga me . These little outing:-. uiu wonucrs for my ui sposit ion.
12

Motorized camera catches the various positions of the fly rod during cast. (1.) Rod points toward target, angler picks up line with left hand. (2) Rod tip lifted sharply, line pulled up with lett hand (3.) Rod stopped slightly beyond straight up, angler pauses before forecast, to let line straighten out behind. (4.) Rod snaps forward, getting the line moving in the right direction. (5.) Rod is again pointed toward target, and line is released from left hand just before end of cast, to let the line "shoot" through the rod guides.

Anyway, back to the case in point. The rod was ready and I was dying to get it back into action. A lot of bass were breaking water on that pond about sundown every time I fished it , as is normal in bass water. Even so, topwater plugs had yielded no better results than the usual fare of shallowrunners we presesented.
I figured a bass bug just might be the meuicine we needed.
Tim didn't appear convinced or impresseu as I came out, adorned in waders, landing net and other paraphernalia peculiar to those who use the long, thin rod. He took his spinning rig and began working his way around the shoreline, uetermined to call my bluff.
1 picked the shallowest shoreline, closest to the house, and waded out cautiously, casting aheau of me. In two hours. Tim hau been all the way arou nd the pond, anu had two bass. I had moveu less than 50 feet. gradually working toward deeper water, until I was waist deep.
"How'd you uo?'' he queried. "They' re striking short," I complained smugly. "Or else I'm badly out of practice. I've caught 12 bass, and misseu about 20 more strikes ." I helu up the three I had kept. To aud insult to injury, and urive the point home, I went back the next evening and in an hour I caught I 0 more while he went fishle ss. Sure, I was reckless in my boast that l'u show him something. It wasn't altoge th er chance, however, since l'u seen other bass waters produce similar results with a bass bug when plugs had scoreu much less.
What tops all thi s off is that you'll ge t much more action out of a bass, part icularly the small ones. when you usc a fl y rou. A hig rascal will keep you as busy as you care to be!
M any an angler looks upon the fly

rod as a tool for those who fish the mountain streams for trout. If you're one of those, you're missi ng a lot of fine sport! That willowy wand is a topnotch producer of fishing for panfish, bass . . . in fact just about any good sportfish species. Flyrodding in saltwater is really becoming big thes e days.
You don't have to go far to find a good place to flyfish. The closest fishing water to your home will most likely uo.
Bluegills very often go crazy over a fly or small cork bodied bug, or perhaps a sponge rubber cricket, giving you both more fish and more action than you can get with bait fishing. (You can use a worm on a flyrod.) No one will argue that a bluegill puts up a real scrap for his size, but he really seems to "grow up" fast when he's on the other enu of a light fly rod.
Tackle needn't be expensive. With fiberglass rods what they are today, an auequate panfish or bass rod can be bought for less than $15. You can get away with the cheapest of all types of reels, since thi s portion of your equipment is merely useu for line storage, not casting. Flies are cheaper than plugs, and it's not too difficult to tie your own.
More important by far than the reel is your line . . . and it could well cost you more, particularly if you favor tapers. A level line, however, is only a few dollars, and is best to start with. It's quite sufficient for bream and good enough for the bulk of fishing for just about all species.
Don't be lurcu into scrimping on your line, however, since it ranks equally in importance with the rod. It's chief purpose is to prouuce the \Veight for the cast, unlike other kinds of casting where the lure or bait produce the casting weight. Further, fly line has another special purpose. Depending on the kinu of fi:-.hing you're doing, lines

are made to either float or sink. For dry flies (those that float on the surface) and cork bodied bugs, you'll need a floating line. For wet flies , nymphs, streamers, spinners-and-flies and so forth, a sinking line is a must. You will encounter no difficulty in finding floating lines in all tackle shops, but for some odd reason few dealers put sinking lines out on the counter. Many don't even carry them. If you decide to try a sinking line, my guess is that you'll have to order it.
Not only are single-action reels generally least expensive and adequate, they're preferred by a majority of experts. Automatics are fine, however, and perhaps easier for a beginner to learn with. Many top fly rodders prefer the convenience of the auto. I have both, and use an auto most of the time.
Learning to cast a fly line awes many newcomers. Though graceful and seemingly easy when performed by an expert, the fly cast is a stumbling block to the novice.
Timing is highly important. Not long ago, I read an article claiming that wrist action should not be used in flycasting. Perhaps I'll draw some argument here, but I believe the wrist is highly important to good flycasting. I'm convinced that experts in all fields of sports (except perhaps girlwatching, where the neck must be limber, and swivel easily ... so I'm told), the man who can demonstrate good use of the wrist is the man who will excel.
Before trying to cast, be sure your equipment matches. Basically, this means getting the right weight line for your rod. Most good rods will be marked with the size line you should use.
However, all but the more experienced anglers would be better off using the next size heavier line, than what is recommended. For example, a rod rated for Number 7 (old rating Size C) line, should actually use Number 8 (Size B) line. The heavier line is much easier to cast, and easier to "feel". You're not proving a point as to your ability to use the smaller line, and you'll receive no medals for it. You WILL cast better, therefore catch more fi sh, if

you use the bigger stuff. Is the bigger and by your ability as a flycaster.

line noisier on the water? Not if you Longer leaders are hard to cast, and of

can present a better cast with it than no value if not cast properl y. You're

you can with the lighter line.

better off laying a six-foot leader out

The strength of the line is unimpor- st raight, than piling up a nine-foot

tant, but the weight is. The strength leader within a few feet of the end of

is regulated by the leader. And you the flyline.

MUST use a leader, if you want the fish

Generally speaking, a 71h foot leader

to think your lure is a meal. The length is a good length for fish that are wary,

of leader to use will be determined by in clear water, but to start, five or six

the amount of need in fooling the fish , feet is much easier to use. Some anglers

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l '- l At start of cas t, angler picks up line in left hand. By pulling on the line at the same time he lifts his rod, he can get the line off the wa ter and moving more quickly and
quietly.

13

use nine feet, and a few exp ert go as high as 14 feet for certain conditions. but to me this is ridiculous except in the most extreme circumstances and then only in the hands of real pros.
Anytime you put on a leader that is no longer, or even as long as your rod, you're putting a strain on your casting ability, and therefore , your cast. The average fly rod is 8 or 8Y2 feet , therefore my choice is 7 Y2 feet for the leader. Yet. for bream, and a large percentage of bass fishing, six feet of leader is plent y. Like the line, leader is available in both level and taper. T he taper is used when you need very low vi sibilit y of the leader, and is used primaril y on such fishing as for trout in the summer when streams are extra clear. Level leader is fine for bass aPd panfish. Strength may vary from four to eight pounds for bass, depending on how big they're running. and from four on down for bream, trout, etc. Four is a good choice to start with.
\Vhen choosing lures, don't forget that the weight of the line makes the cast , not the fly. A big, heavy bug is very hard to cast, because its size creates a wind drag .. . it pulls more air with it than does a small fl y or bug. More expertise is required for the big ones.
The best way to learn fl ycasting is to leave off the lure altogether, using only a short (about five feet long) leader. Instead of going to the water, take a dry-run in the back yard.
To begin casting, pull off enough line to extend perhaps 12 feet or so beyond the end of the rod and lay it

out in front of you. Hold the rod in
your right hand, nearly parallel to the
ground, but with the tip a foot or so higher than the butt.
Imagine an arc over your head, from front to back, and number it like a clock. Straight up is 12 o'clock; the rod parallel to the ground straight ahead is 9 o'clock , and of course, straight back and parallel to the ground would be 3 o'clock.
The starting position, then, would be about I 0 o'clock. Take the line, between the first guide and the reel. in your left hand. As you start the rod back, pull in perhaps a foot of the line with your left hand, thus picking up the line smartly. Start the motion slowly and smoothly to lift the line quietly off the water, but accelerate the motion as you pick up the line.
Stop the rod abruptly just barely past straight up, at about the I o'clock position. At this point, don't forget to take a brief pause, to allow the line enough time to straighten out behind you. This is highl y important. If properly matched to the rod, you should barel y be able to feel a gentle tug as the line reaches it<> limit. At this exact instant, snap the rod forward with plenty of wrist. If you start forward too soon, you'll hear a "POP!", like a whip cracking. This kind of casting is expensive . . . you 'll have to replace a snapped-off or frayed fly.
Stop your forecast smartly at about the I 0 :30 position, and release your hold on the line. If properl y executed , the line ~hould straighten out beyond the line. In dry fly or bug fi shing, the

..............~.
The left hand stays on the ltne thro ugh the back cast, and is held until the rod tip is well forward. On a double haul cast, the le f t hand relaxes the line on the backca st then pulls it forward at the start of the forecas t.
14

line should straighten out in the air,
just above the water surface, and settle gently onto the water.
If you note, as the line straightens out in front of you. that the cast is not long enough to reach your target, don't wait for the line to touch the water. but immediately start another ca<;t. !his time, however, instead of taking In the foot or so of line, pull as much lin~ off t~e reel as you can quickly, while makmg the backcast. It may take s~vcral more casts to work out enough hne, before you're satisfied with the length of the cast. This is called "false casting."
Don't get the notion that you must qualify for the Olympic team in distance, to be a good flyca<>tcr. Accuracy - putting the fly where you want it - is far more important than distance in flyfishing. Delicacy, finesse, or whatever you want to call it, is likewise important. If you can present your fly gently and quietly, and can wade or scull your boat quietly to get you into position for fishing, you won't need great. long casts.
If you do find you need to lengthen your casts to reach bigger, spookier fish such as big bass on ponds or lakes, then you'll need to get a good tapered fly line.
There are two types of taper, regular and weight forward. Other names, including bug taper, rocket taper. shooting taper ... all these are another way of saying "weight-forward." The distinction is this ... a "level" line is the same diameter from start to finish. A taper has a small diameter on both ends , but is much thicker in between. A weight-forward taper is a line that quickly tapers to the largest diameter, then goes back to the smaller diameter much sooner, with much of the tail end of the line the small diameter.
A tapered leader , on the other hand, is thickest on one end, and gradually tapers down to the smallest diameter at the other end. The fly, of course, is tied to the smallest end and the thickest end is attached to the fly line.
There's really no mystery about the accessories of a fly fisherman. If he wades, he can use boots or chest-high waders, or the boat that a baitcaster might use. If wading, he needs a short handled net instead of the long handled boat net. Since a fly rod is limber, and the leader very light test , the fl yrodder always lands his fish with a net (or by hand) , regardless of the fish's size, rather than put the strain on the rod by lifting the fi sh out, cane-pole style. Of course, glass rods of toda y are not nearl y as fragile as were yesterda y's bamboos, nonetheless there's no point in riskin g the very real likelihood of pulling the hook out of the tender mouth and losing the fi sh.

Unless you have a lot of slack line out, it very likely won't be necessary to set the hook. Yet it pays to tighten the line sma rtly, as quickl y as possible, both by pulling in line by hand and lifting the rod tip quickly, if gently, to make sure the hook is set.
As in playing fish by all methods, you must keep the line tight. With a single action reel, some anglers take up slack with the reel. You DO NOT do this with an automatic. You pull the line in by hand. And don't horse the fish. play him against the rod. Keeping the line tight does not mean pulling hard on the line. Let the fish play himself out. Here's the chief purpose of fly fishing ... letting the fish fight as much as possible, for maximum sport.
When you gain experience and ability, you will want to try some of the more advanced techniques such as the double haul east, and roll east.
For the double haul, pull in the line on the back east as previously described. letting it go out at the end of the back cast. Then, when starting the forecast , once again pull in line, turning it loose at the end of the forecast, so that it shoots through the guides. This is done only when a great deal of line is already out. Accomplished anglers can take more line off the reel between "hauls," in mideast.
Fly casting requires as much space behind the angler as it does straight ahead for the east. Sometimes, you'll find yourself in a tight spot with brush close behind you, preventing you from casting in the desired direction. This calls for the roll east, a technique not nearly as difficult as imagined.
Instead of picking the line up off the water and making a baekeast, merely lift the rod tip slowly to the 1 o'clock position. leaving the line laying on the water, and creating a long curve slightly behind the rod. Then, snap the rod forward. The line will "roll over," seemingly unrolling on the water, and lay out straight in front of you. This cast is also very helpful when there is a strong breeze to your back.
To start fl y rod fishing , I'd suggest the use of small cork bugs or sponge ru bber bugs. They floa t easy, and are highl y effective. Even small breamsized bugs are ve ry good for bass fi shing.
Wet fli es and streamers might be a good follow- up. You won't want to wa it long before trying dry flies. These must be presented quite delicatel y, so Je sure your casting technique is up to them. Th e long hac kl es are what keep the fly afl oat , but no fl y wi ll long stay afl oat wi thout some d ryfl y oil. Eve n so. a few occasional fa lse cao;ts help to dry th e fl y out, and keep it fl oa ting longer. When all else fa ils to keep it

floating. change to a new fl y. A finger nail clipper is a hand y item for clipping the line.
You'll want a good fl y box th a t will fit into a pocket easil y. You may want a creel to keep your fi sh in when wa ding, if they arc few in number or small enough. A stringer hanging from your belt can get tangled up in your legs. a nd doesn't always keep the fi sh in the water well enough . Dress your line after

each trip to ass ure its floating abili ty. Just don't forget to get in all the
prac ti ce you ca n before goi ng fi shing. and frequent p ractice in between tri ps, in your hack ya rd . wi ll polish your te ch n i q u e .
If a neighbor begins making cracks like ''He y Joe, how' re th ey biting today?" Simpl y put him down by commentin g, "Oh , I get a sucker now a nd then !" Maybe he'll get the point !

Notice how the line slips out through th e rod guides at the instan t the f/ycas ter releases the line com pletely. Timing is im portan t in this and all phases of f/ycasting, but it comes only through pra ctice.

~

~ -~--

Watch that rod tip on the backcast! Don't let it get too low behind you. It the tip ge ts this low, you 'll get tfi 2 line fouled, either on the rod tip or on brush or it will hit the water, spoiling your forecast.

15

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may be the cause, is the foam on top of the water. Severa I old-timers told me that this foam was not present in years past. One river rat, who has been around the Ogeechee River for close to fifty years, even says that the fish are starting to do strange things. For example,

he pointed out that shad by the scores

are running up on the shore and jump-

LITTLE RIVER DRAINAGE

ing out of the water as if being chased.

The Soil Conservation Corps is at it He noted that he had never seen one

again.

do that before.

Making corpses out of marsh or!entated

True, the Ogeechee River might not

wildlife and plants, not to ment1on that be polluted under the standards set up

they are destroying nature's reservoirs by the State Water Quality Control Board.

when they drain marsh and swamp.

Nevertheless, it is known that certain

Before the Little River in Cherokee fish survive well only in clean, chemi-

County was dredged it and many acres cally pure water. Isn't it possible that

of adjacent marsh and swamp land was only the small amount of wastes emit-

a veritable haven for ducks, frogs, musk- ted from these textile mills could be rat, swamp rabbit and ~ore varieties of killing these fish?

birds than you would bel1eve. The ecology

One final note: tell Mr. Eck that if he

was unique; water, clean and pure, w_as wants to find out what a fine job the

being stored as the Good Lord had In- paper industry is doing in cleaning up

tended it to be. This was a real pretty pollution that all he need do is stick his

area.

head out of the window of his car

Now, just three years after dredging, next time he passes a pulp mill and

all of this is gone. All of the fish are take a deep breath of the wonderfully

gone, no cover or food, no ducks, and "c lean air" being emitted. That is, of

not many of the birds remaining. N_atural- course, if he doesn't get blinded first

ly, the muskrats and water vegetation are by the smoke and is unable to drive.

gone. This is now a nothing place.

Sincerely,

The river banks were c Ieared and have

Robert Lee Rone

grown up in weeds too thick to pene-

Athens, Georgia

trate. The river itself is confined to a

Biologists of the State Water Quality

ditch eight feet deep, so steep at t~e Control Board say pollution detection de-

sides that an elderly person or ch1ld vices they have placed in the Ogeechee

couldn't get out of it. It takes all of my River one mile above and two miles be-

ski II and luck.

low the textile mill outlets indicate that

Only one farmer took advantage of there is no significant difference in the

this newly available land; and this proj- aquatic life at those two locations. Many

ect cost several hundred th ousand dol- South Georgia waters contain natural

lars.

foam at rapids or shoals caused by tan-

It's no wonder taxes are high and go- nic acid, for example, which causes the

ing higher.

dark coloration of water in the Ogee-

Somewhere along the way, dams will chee and the Okefenokee Swamp, and is

have to be built to hold back the flood secreted from cypress trees that are com-

waters and to create reservoi rs that na- mon there. Starches discharged from

tu re had planned for us. This will be textile mills on the O~eechee have en-

more money and taxes, and an even couraged the growth of a green "slime"

larger empire for the Bureaucrats in called sphaerotilus which sometimes ac-

Washington.

cumulates on fishermen's lines or nets,

This natural habitat is gone forever, but causes little harm in moderation.

never to be replaced. I feel sad about Biologists of the State Game and Fish

the yet to be born generations who will Commission have never observed shad

inherit only the things that man has j umping out on the banks of the Ogee-

changed for his own personal and chee, and they say that while redbreast

shortsi gh ted reasons.

fishing may be presently in a slump, it

I believe that this river dredging is is far from gone. (For more on river prob-

unthinking foolishness done mostly to lems, see "What's Wron~ With The Riv-

create bigger empires.

er?" on page two of this issue.)

james P. Cheves, Jr. 5585 Whitner Drive, N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30327

CUMBERLAND ISLAND As a subscriber to Game and Fish, let me say I have thoroughly enjoyed the maga-

PULP MILL POLLUTION?

zine this past year, and I have really got-

After reading Mr. Thomas Eck's letter ten my "dollars worth" from it.

in the February issue of Georgia Game

I try to stay abreast of developments

and Fish, I felt obligated to send my in my state that wi II affect me and my

apologies to him, to the pape~ industry, fellow sportsmen and my future hunting

and to your fine magazine. I knew at partner, my fou r-year-old son.

the ti me of the publication of my letter

I have watchecl and read with interest

in the July, 1968, issue t hat I had made a all the "hullaballoo" concerning our Pre-

mistake, but there was little I could do cious marshe:; along Georgia's coastline.

at the time but to hope that the mis- Director George T. Ba gby is to be con-

take would go unnoti ced.

gratulated for his courageous stand

I didn't want to say that there were against those who would ruin our pre-

pu lp wood mills on the Ogeec hee River. cious resources in the name of "prog-

What I should have said was that there ress."

are textile mills on the Ogeechee River, What promoted me to write this letter

a fact that you mentioned in your ma ga- is the storv in last week's Journal-Con-

zine in the Februa ry issue. Regardl ess stitution Magazine on Cumberland ls-

of whether or not there are any kind of lanrl. I hooe Cumberland or any other of

mi lis on the Ogeechee River the fact the isla nrls along the coast won't go the

re mains th::~ t the once fabulous and na- way JekYll Island did. Some people may

tionally famous redbreast fis hing is all like motels, hot dog sta nds, and beer

but completely gone. Ask any oldtimer can s all over th e beach, but I for one,

on the ri ver and the answer will in vari- don't!

ably be the same.

When I was a small boy, I can re-

Another ominous sign that pollution member taking the "Neptune" from St.

16

A SILVER LINING? Contin ued
A comp anion House resolution, H . R . 74- 184, which m erely called on the Attorney General to m ak e a legal sur-
vey of marshl and ownership on the
coast , was never reported from the
House committee (Natural R esources)
where it lies buried today. Other meas-
ures to curb the dangerous power of
the State Mineral Le asi ng Commission failed to be considered.
Equall y disappointing was the failure
of the General Assembl y to provide an
adeq uate budget increase to meet the
demands placed on th e State Game
and Fi sh Commission during the coming year. The inc rease of onl y $50,971 was $426.187 below th e recommendation of the Governor. and $1,233,158 below the amount requested by the
Commission. Because of the budget
cuts, th e Commission will not be able
to build two proposed new public fi shing lakes. add on 10 additional wi ldlife rangers, including a separate salt-
water patrol. or co nstruct three badly
needed district law enforcement offices
to replace dilapidated facilities in Thom-
son, Gainesville, and Macon.
In the face of a ti ghter state budget
from general tax funds, it is clear that
additional revenue from hunting and
fishing license fee s wi ll h ave to be ob-
tained by the State Game and F ish
Commission in the near future to meet
increasing recreational needs of more and more Georgians. In addition to a
small increase in the price of hunting
and fi shing licenses. obvious places to
ob tai n the fund s include a special deer
stamp and trout stamp. These two pro-
grams of the State Game and F ish
Commission require heavier expendi-
tures that would gladly be borne by
most trout fishermen and deer hunters.
All in all. thi s year's session of the
General Assembly could have been
worse, from the conse r vation standpoint. It could have been better. J.M.
Simons to Jekyll Island (that's right, there weren't any bridges) and walking from the boat landing to the east side of the island just to swim! How clean and beautiful the beaches were then and how clear the wa ter was.
I for one think the islands that come up for sale should be investigated by the state of Georgia and if possible, be bought as Jekyll was. Th e only difference is, the islands should be left in their natural state, to be used as recreation areas and ga me refuges onlY. No motels, no lodges, no lights, no nothing! Let the people who want to "get away from it all" for a few days have this opportunity to do this.
I realize that Jekyll has camping areas for th ose who want to use them, but is this rea lly camping? I hope not. With all the gea r and campers people use now, they might just as well have stayed home.
David E. Tyne Jesup, Georgia SAVE MARSHLANDS It ha s been brought to my attention

that the State of Georgia 1s considering leasing twenty-five thousand acres of valuable marshland to the Kerr-McGee Corporation for phosphate mining. In my opinion, and my friends agree, this would be a grave mistake with far reaching results. It would not only be taking away from your State's natural beauty but
also destroying much needed wintering grounds for migrating waterfowl.
I sincerely hope that you gentlemen will consider all aspects before deciding the future of this valuable marsh-
land. It has long been a policy of the United
States to be a friend and a neighbor to Canada, we have always worked together for the good of all; however, if you decide to destroy this marsh it will do harm to the waterfowl of both countries, and will bring concerned reaction by many Canadian and American conservationists and sportsmen.
R. J. Cough Fredericton, New Brunswick
Canada
"JACKFISH" OMITTED? After reading the rules and regulations for the "Big Fish Contest" in the March '69 issue of Georgia Game and Fish, I must show my disappointment in the fish entry list. The "jack" or Eastern Pickerel was omitted. I don't know who is responsible for making the entry list but whoever it is apparently wasn't looking for the most "gamiest" of fishes. The catfish is listed although a lot of people consider it a trash or rough fish. True, the channel cat will give you a fight for your money, but no more so than a jack, pound for pound. And I think the idea of including crappie in the list is a joke. "Fighting" a crappie is like wrestling an old wet boot sock out of the water. These comments weren't

really made to low rate some of these fish but the very fact that the "jack" is a true game fish and the fact that the world record jack was caught right here in Georgia should put him on the entry list.
I've caught my share of most of th e fish in Georgia and on a light whippy spinning rod and artificial lure, pound for pound I'll take all the jack I can. (Well, 15 anyway.)
Victor J. Simmons Macon, Georgia
DOVE SEASON I would like to make a suggestion on your dove seasons, aIso, give the reason for it.
The first dove season is too early. The old birds still have young in the nest, and some are hatching. This season takes the parent birds away from the young and many die in the nest of starvation because Mother and Father birds have been shot and killed.
I think we should have one season for doves beginning the first of December until the last of January. That would give larger birds, leave no little birds in nests, and give more birds for pairing off and raising another year.
I would appreciate anything that can be done toward this matter.
Vernon J. Sikes Collins, Georgia For information on Georgia's complicated dove season issue, see articles on the subiect in Game and Fish in the issues of Dec. '66, Sept. '67, and Dec. '68.
COHUTTA MOUNTAINS First let me say that I have enjoyed your fine magazine since its inception. I am always glad to see your articles on the streams and forests in my native
North Georgia mountains .

I especially enjoyed the article on the Cohutta Area. Havi ng lived in Chatsworth a few years ago, I am only too familiar with th e notorious clan names of poachers in this fine area. I own a four-wheel drive veh icle and my wife and I and my two sons roa m the most remote areas of the Cohutta range.
A few weeks ago, for the first time in years, I was able to show my sons a beautiful doe in the forest. As I watched her bound away, I felt a debt of gratitude for the fine job th e rangers are doing in restocking this area.
I feel their greatest danger (and I say this facetiously) is from the horde of trail bikes now combing the area . Last spring, while fishing high up on the Conasauga River, I was sca red out of my wits by a roa ring noise coming down the side of th e mountain. A young man stopped, talked a while, and presented me with the calling card of his employer, an Ellijay taxidermist. I enjoyed his youthful love for the mountains and his carefree spirit. I left the mountains that day feeling glad that I had met him.
Let me close by saying for fishing and / or camping "Come to Cohutta," and God willing, in a few years I can include fishing, camping, and hunting.
Ed Whitfield
In Memoriam
Mrs. Jerolen e B. Stanton, a secretary at the State Game and Fish Commi ss ion's Walton Fish Hatchery at Rutledge since October, 1966, died March 6, 1969.

TIDE TABLE

MAY, 1969

MAY-JUNE 1969

JUNE, 1969

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Oay

A.M. HT. P.M. HT. A.M. P. ~

GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS HOW TO USE THESE TABLES

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Day

A.M. HT. P.M. HT. A.M. P.M. j

1. Thurs. 7:00 7.1 7:24 8.3 1: 12 1:12 I

2. Fri. 7:42 7.1 8:12 8.4 2:00 2:00

3. Sat. 8:30 7.0 9:00 8.3 2:48 2:42

4. Sun. 9:18 6.8 9:48 8.1 3:36 3:36

5. Mon. 10:0b 6.5 10:4 8 7.7 4:24 4:24

6. Tues. 11:12 6.3 11:48 7.3 5:24 5:24

7. Wed.

12:18 6.1 6:24 6:30

8. Thurs. 1:00 7.0 1:24 6.2 7:30 7:42

9. Fri. 2:06 6.8 2:36 6.3 8:30 8:54

10. Sat. 3:12 6.7 3:42 6.7 9:30 10:00

11. Sun. 4:18 6.6 4:42 7.1 10:24 11:00

12. Mon. 5:12 6.7 5:36 7.5 11:12 11:48

13. Tues. 6:00 6.7 6:18 7.7

12:00

14. Wed. 6:42 6. 7 7:00 7.9 12:36 12:42

15. Thurs. 7:24 6.5 7:36 7.9 1:18 1:24

16. Fri. 8:00 6.4 8:12 7.8 2:00 2:00

17. Sat. 8:30 6.1 8 :48 7.6 2:42 2:42

18. Sun. 9:06 5.9 9:24 7.3 3.18 3:18

19. Mon. 9:42 5. 7 10:00 7.1 4:00 4 :00

20. Tues. 10 :24 5.5 10:42 6.8 4:36 4:36

21. Wed. 11 :06 5.4 11: 24 6.6 5:18 5:24

22. Thurs. 11:54 5.4

6:00 6:12

23. Fri. 12:12 6.4 12:48 5.5 6:48 7:12

24. Sat. 1:06 6.2 1:42 5.7 7:42 8:12

25. Sun. 1:54 6. 2 2:42 6.1 8:36 9:12

26. Mon. 2:54 6.2 3:36 6.6 9:30 10 12

27. Tu es. 3:48 6.3 4:36 7 .1 10:18 11:00

28. Wed. 4:48 6. 4 5:30 7.6 11.06 11 :54

29. Thurs. 5:42 6.6 6:18 8.1 11 :54

30. Fri. 6:30 6.8 7:06 8.4 12 :48 12 :42

31. Sat. 7:24 6.9 7:54 8.6 1:36 1:36

The calculations are for the outer bar. Find the readin g for the desired tide . In the table below find the number of minutes to add to cor rect for the place you are go in g to fi s h or swim. The outer bar calculation , plus thi s co rrection, gi ves the correct reading for the point des ire d.

Adju s t For Daylig ht Savmg Tim e By A ddmg One Hour

CORRECTION TABLE

The t1mes gi ven are for Savann ah Rive r

entrance (Tybee).

Hrs. M1n .

Savannah Hi g h

0 44

Savannah (Low)

* 57

Hilton Head, S . C.

0 10

Thunderbo lt

0 20

Is le of Hope

0 40

Wa rs aw So und

0 00

Ossabaw Sound

0 05

Vernon Vi ew

0 35

Coffee Bluff

0 55

Ogeec hee River Bridge

3 50

St. Catherine Sound

0 25

Sape lo So und

0 00

Brunswick Bar

0 00

St. S imon Pier

0 25

Frederica Bridge

0 50

Mc Kay Bridge

0 50

Brunswick East River

0 50

Turtle River Bridge

0 55

Turtle River, Cri s pen Is .

1 10

Humpback Bridge

1 00

Jek y ll "'oint

0 30

J o inter Is land

55

Ha mpto n River Vi ll age Cree k Ent.

0 20

Vill age Fishin g Ca m p

0 45

Taylor Fi s hin g Camp

1 00

Altam a ha Fis h ing Pa rk , Everett, Ga.

4 00

Two-Way Fis hin g Ca m p, S. Al tama h a 2 00

Full

Last

New Fi rs t

Moo n Qua rter Moo n Quar ter

~ l AY

2

8

16

24

1. Sun. 8:1 2 6.9 8:48 8.5 2:30 2:30

2. Mon. 9:06 6.8 9:42 8.2 3:24 3 :24

3. Tu es. 10:06 6.7 10: 42 7.9 4:18 4:18

4. Wed. 11:06 6.5 11 :42 7.5 5:12 5 :18

5. Thurs.

12:06 6. 5 6:06 6: 18

6. Fri. 12:42 7.1 1: 12 6.5 7:06 7:24

7. Sat. 1:42 6.7 2: 12 6. 7 8 :06 8:36

8. Sun . 2:42 6.5 3: 18 6.8 9:00 9:36 '

1 9. Mon. 3:42 6.2 4: 12 7.0 9:54 10:30

. 10. Tu es . 4:36 6. 1 5:06 7.2 10:42 11:18

] 11. Wed. 5:30 6.0 5:54 7.4 11 :24

12. Thurs. 6:18 6.0 6:36 7.5 12:06 12:06

13. Fri . 6:54 6.0 7:12 7.6 12:54 12:54 I

14. Sa t. 7:36 5.9 7:48 7.5 1:36 1:36

15. Sun. 8:06 5.8 8:24 7.4 2:18 2:12

16. Mon. 8:42 5.7 9:00 7.3 3:00 2:54

17. Tu es. 9: 18 5.6 9:36 7. 1 3:36 3:36

18. Wed. 10:00 5.6 10:12 6.9 4:12 4:12

19. Thurs. 10:36 ~.6 10:54 6.7 4:48 4:54

20. Fri. 11:24 5.7 11:36 6.5 5:30 4:42

21. Sat.

12:06 5.9 6:12 6:30

22. Sun. 12:24 6.4 1:00 6.1 6:54 7:30

23. Mon. 1:12 6.2 1:54 6.4 7:48 8:30

24. Tues. 2:06 6.1 2:54 6.8 8:42 9:36

25. Wed. 3:06 6.1 400 7.2 9:36 10:30

26. Thurs. 4:06 6.1 5:00 7.6 10:30 11:30

27. Fri. 5:12 6.3 6:00 8.0 1130

28. Sat. 6:12 6.5 6:54 8.4 12:24 12:24

29. Sun. 7:12 6.7 7:48 8.5 1:24 1:24

30. Mon. 8:06 6.9 8:42 8.5 2:18 2:18

JUNE

29

7

14

23

To report v1olat1on s or 11 you need ass1stance 1n th e Coast al Area C.lll- St at e Game & F1sh CommiSSIOn. Brunsw1ck . Georg1a. P. 0. Box 1097. Ph one 265 - 1552. Savann ah 233-2383. Richmond Hill 756-3679