Don’t have an angling uncle?
Ben Moyer
Ben Moyer Uniontown’s Patrick Fedor caught these trout at the Kids’ Trout Fishing Festival held May 3 at Ohiopyle State Park, one of numerous events to encourage kids and families to enjoy fishing.
Fish-For-Free Day
I sometimes wonder what I’d do with free time–how my life would be different–if my dad and an uncle had not taken me fishing when I was a kid. No matter where I lived, or what other obligations prevailed, fishing has always been something to anticipate, to share and to savor when I could.
Fishing provided memories of family, it’s hooked me up with good friends I’d never have known, lured me to places I’d otherwise never have seen, and it’s been a way to get to know and understand the place where I live. You can fish with others or, when you want to, it’s ideal for enjoying alone. It doesn’t need to be expensive and it’s available to all throughout the year.
But fishing is one of those things that tends to pass down through generations, and not everyone is so lucky to have loving family members to teach them to fish. Other obstacles that prevent beginners from fishing are a lack of equipment and not knowing where to go fishing.
Fortunately, the Fish and Boat Commission, the Bureau of State Parks, many fishing organizations and businesses are making it easier for people to learn to fish and overcome fishing obstacles in non-traditional ways, through seminars, clinics and other kinds of initiatives.
Hoping to attract families who might like to sample fishing, but wish to avoid the license fees until sure they’d like to continue, the Fish and Boat Commission has long offered Fish-For-Free Days. This year’s two such events are Monday, May 26 and Friday, July 4. Anyone can fish in public waters in Pennsylvania on those days without a license. Normally, anyone age 16 or older must have a Pennsylvania fishing license to fish in the state.
Two relatively nearby state parks operate fishing tackle loaner programs. These services work like a library. People interested in trying fishing, but who don’t have the equipment, can borrow rods, reels and other tackle, use it for a specified time, and then return it for the next learner.
Ryerson Station State Park at Wind Ridge in Greene County offers the program and so does Keystone State Park, near Derry in Westmoreland County. For details and information call Ryerson Station at 724-428-4254. Keystone State Park’s number is 724-668-2939.
The Friends of Keystone State Park also runs a Fishing Made Simple class at the park lake for a fee of $10. It’s a four-session clinic–June 7, 14, 21 and 28–that covers casting, tackle, fish identification, selecting baits and lures and more. Prospective anglers who attend all four sessions will be awarded a fishing rod, reel and tackle box. Call 724-459-1111, or email Mark or Marilyn Manski, at, mmanski_225@comcast.net for more details.
Wilderness Voyageurs in Ohiopyle frequently offers instruction in fly-fishing. Even established anglers who already know how to fish with spinning or bait tackle may wish to expand their fly-fishing skills. Improving water quality has made the Youghiogheny River and its tributaries hospitable to a healthy diversity of aquatic insects. In late spring and early summer especially, imitating the various “bugs” with flies is the best–and at times the only–way to catch Youghiogheny trout.
Wilderness Voyageurs is presenting two “Intro to Fly Fishing” weekend opportunities in coming weeks–May 31-June 1 and July 12-13. Participants receive meals, equipment, instruction and fishing guidance. There is a fee. Call 800-272-4141 for more information and registration.
June 1-8 is National Fishing and Boating Week. Fishing beginners can find tips and ideas on-line at www.takemefishing.org.
Fishing is not only enjoyable in a personal sense, the license fees paid by anglers are critically important. Those dollars fund fisheries conservation, research and propagation work, and secure public waters and access. License revenues have declined, so recruiting new anglers will help maintain good fishing and clean water for everyone.
One of the best things experienced anglers can do on Fish-For-Free-Day in Pennsylvania, or during National Fishing and Boating Week is to take someone fishing and introduce them to its pleasures.
I like one of the posters displayed on the Take Me Fishing webpage. It shows a family fishing together, one of the kids reeling in a sunfish. Beside the image are the words: “Kids don’t remember their best day of watching television,” the implication being that they do remember their best, first, or one shared with a loved one, day of fishing.