Put these handy, dandy pearls on your favorite stringer:

Today’s sophisticated fishermen regard the preservation of their sport as seriously as they do its enjoyment. Preserving the sport doesn’t require a degree in ichthyology. It merely requires an understanding of a practice called “catch and release.”

Here’s a stunt to try when brook or stream fishing after dark. Hang a flashlight from a tree limb so it shines above (not on) the water of a likely feeding area. The light attracts insects, which in turn attract fish.

Fish never should be handled with dry hands. Never, never insert fingers in a fish’s gills. They are easily damaged and infected.

Nearly 60 million Americans are anglers.

There’s a new clubhouse in the making for Hermon Skeet Club members. It’ll be dedicated soon with a 20th anniversary bang-bang celebration.

In the state of Washington, elk have proliferated from 50 or so in 1913 to more than 12,000 today in the Yakima herd alone.

A simple diary of fishing trips can contain an enormous amount of valuable information – the lures that worked best, water temperature, number of hookups, when you fished, and with whom. I know fishermen who carry a shirt-pocket size notebook and jot down this information for later use – and use it often.

Spinning reels need only infrequent attention if used exclusively in fresh water. Annual cleaning, oiling, and greasing should suffice. Reels which saw saltwater service for bluefish last summer should have been rinsed in fresh water and allowed to dry before they were stored for the winter. Lubricate salt water reels at least twice per season, more often if used for shore fishing.

This spring’s saltwater smelt run is quality table fare. The other noon I was after a line in the Guinness Book of Records by downing 17 of those tasty little dandies. So good in the springtime!

There are 68,000 dams in America, but only 122 river segments are permanently preserved for the next generation to enjoy. Why is wild water heritage under such terrible pressure? Simply because there are huge profits to be made by damming rivers. Dam builders pay nothing for the water they take.

Carry a tube of liquid cement in your tackle kit, and use it often – for plugging boat leaks, patching a canoe canvas or torn waders, tightening a loose rode ferrule or tip-top. And being flammable, it also serves as a quick fire-starter on rainy days.

Mastering the use of a turkey call is essential for hunters. Hand-operated calls are easier to learn to use well, but mouth-operated turkey calls are said to be more effective. They also leave the hands free for gunhandling.

Unlike the frilly creations sold to enhance a woman’s looks, sportsmen’s hats place utility first and appearance last. Hats keep the sportsman warm in winter by preventing heat loss through the head. In summer, hats provide protection from the sun’s burning rays. During showers a well designed hat sheds water and prevents runoff from soaking the wearer’s back. The brim keeps the rain and sun out of the eyes and where biting insects are a problem, the smelly, old headpiece protects from the hungry horde.

Although it is perfectly smooth, monofilament can wear grooves in rod guides, particularly the tip-top. If the grooves are not too deep, they can be smoothed out with 120-grit emery cloth, rolled to the diameter of a cigarette.

Worms can be fished very effectively with spinning gear. Nightcrawlers cast easily with light tackle even without a sinker. To cast small worms, clamp a couple of split shot 6 inches above the worm. Add or subtract shot as needed to keep the bait close to bottom at all depths and current speeds.

The haddock gastronomically belongs on the table of any family that likes good fish to eat. From the sporting standpoint, the haddock is not much force in the angling world, but rare is the angler who does not occasionally welcome a testy meal of haddock, or “Finnan Haddie,” as it is also known.

Beware of exhaust fumes when you test-run your outboard motor in a garage or basement. The gases are just as deadly as those from an automobile exhaust. Always run the motor near an open window.

And when you carry your outboard motor in the back of the car, place it on a half-inflated inner tube. The tube cushions the jounces and prevents the motor from being dented or knocked out of adjustment.

Quail are small birds, if you’ve ever wondered. They don’t take a lot of killing. A 20 gauge is all you need. The gun should be light in weight with a barrel no longer than 26 inches. If it’s a pump or autoloader the proper choke is improved cylinder or skeet. Doubles can be bored skeet or improved and modified. Autoloaders and pumps offer a third shot, but they’re a pain when it’s time to unload and drove to the next covey.

Smelt make excellent salmon and trout bait. If your plans including freezing a supply for use later, place the smelt in plastic margarine or fiber milk containers and cover with water before freezing. Each container should be marked with the type and amount of bait and the date it was put away.

A rainsuit or poncho is a must every morning your leave the camp breakfast table.

To lengthen the life of a level or double tapered fly line, reverse it on the reel three or four times during the fishing season. Do not wind the line on the reel too tightly, as this forms wiry coils and will produce flat spots in the line.

Where else can you get so much information for so little money? No need to write me if you believe otherwise.