The First Minute of the First Day

With the thawing of streams and the warming of the air comes not only the first day of spring, but also the highly anticipated first day of Pennsylvania's trout season. The opening date of this year's trout and salmon season is Saturday, April 16. Fishing cannot begin until 8:00 am on opening day.

One would think that this hour of the morning would allow fisher folk to take their time getting to the streams; however, generations of tradition has made it so that for many, fishing preparations start in the wee hours of the morning on opening day. Traveling to a favorite fishing spot by flashlight in the pre-dawn hours is a common occurrence. Many of the people who do this will stand knee deep in the stream for hours before start time, checking their watches over and over, willing the eight o'clock hour to arrive. The experienced anglers may be more patient and sit on the streambanks enjoying the fresh spring air. They know where they want to cast their first hook, confident in their years of fishing knowledge and sure that those unfledged in the art of trout fishing have yet to discover the secret spot. Children newly introduced to the sport may run along the banks gazing longingly into the stream, letting out an occasional shriek that they “see one, a great big one,” and are hushed by the adults with the scolding that they will scare the fish. An energy starts to build around 7:45 am as the old timers start to move into their selected spots, lines are checked, and bait is put on the hooks. By 7:55 am the air is practically humming with the adrenalin pumping throughout the crowds lined up and down the stream. Then, at 8:00 sharp, seemingly all at once, the dam is released on the patience of those waiting to begin the new season of trout fishing. Lines are cast into the water with the all of the anticipation that waiting can build. So the season begins. Throughout the rest of the day, and the entire trout season, fish are caught and stories are made, but never with quite as much energy as the first minute of the first day of the season.

Good luck to those of you who are fortunate enough to find themselves on one of Pennsylvania's wonderful waterways for the first day of trout season. A full schedule of the fishing seasons can be found on the PA Fish and Boat Commission's web site www.fish.state.pa.us

Various forms of pollution jeopardize the water quality of many trout streams throughout Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is working hard to help keep the tradition of trout season alive by planning and implementing many miles of stream restoration and best management practices. For more information about stream restoration visit the Watershed Assistance Center's site.

Today's photo is of WPC's Watershed Technician Alysha Trexler with her "catch and release" trout on Yellow Creek in Indiana County.

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