Trout Season To Open!
Outfit Yourself with Conservation-Minded Gear.
by Johanna DeGroff
Gear yourself up because Pennsylvania’s trout season is nearly upon us. Will you be on Young Women’s Creek in Clinton County on April 13th? On Stony Creek in Montgomery County? Some place closer to home? Regardless of your chosen fishing spot, this trout season promises some excellent action because of the 3.8 million trout stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and another 1 million trout stocked by citizen-run nurseries.
"The quality of Pennsylvania’s lakes, rivers and streams has improved dramatically over the last three decades," said Cecil Houser, Cooperative Nursery Unit Manager for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "Eight of the eleven state hatcheries and 172 smaller, citizen-run nurseries provide that helping hand when it comes to increasing catchable trout populations."
The drought emergencies in the southeast and south-central parts of the state and the drought watches in the northern tier make it more important than ever to support conservation efforts. Several citizen-run nurseries were closed because their water flow was too low. Houser noted that these closures have become more commonplace in the last few years. As well, he explained that many of these smaller nurseries are in desperate need of repair.
Already, the number of stocked trout is down by nearly a million during the past year. Luckily, there is something that conservation-minded anglers can do. The FishAmerica Foundation, working in cooperation with Wal-Mart Stores and ProGear waders, has developed a program that allows anglers to contribute to conservation efforts while outfitting themselves in the latest, most comfortable gear. FishAmerica-licensed hip boots, wading shoes, and waders in Wal-Mart put a portion of each sale back into restoring Pennsylvania’s trout streams and trout nurseries. If you need new waders this season, consider putting a few more trout in your favorite fishing hole by purchasing a pair with the FishAmerica Foundation stamp of approval.
"The support of the FishAmerica Foundation is a blessing because it is getting harder and harder to get funds to raise stockable trout," Houser said. "We can get money for anything related to water discharge but not anything related to the equipment or building needs of the nursery which is where the money is really needed."
A case-in-point. FishAmerica today announced that it has already put the year’s first wader proceeds into action. FishAmerica awarded $3,300 to the East Fork Sportsmen’s Club in Potter County and $1,000 to the Delco Anglers in Delaware County to help build and repair their nurseries. These clubs each rear more than 10,000 trout per year for stocking in public streams and for special fishing events for children and the disabled.
During the past 20 years, FishAmerica has provided $262,000 to 48 conservation projects in Pennsylvania. Other recent grants have renovated trout nurseries operated by the Mechanicsburg Sportsman’s Association and the Lycoming Creek Anglers. FishAmerica has also provided funds to reduce erosion into Kettle Creek in Clinton County and Buffalo Creek in Washington County. Importantly, a FishAmerica grant helped remove the Good Hope Dam on the Conodoguinet River in Cumberland County that opened 22 miles of habitat to American shad.
"We provide the money but the state biologists and volunteers at the grassroots level get the job done," said John Kehoe, Vice President of Top-Line Manufacturing Co. and a member of FishAmerica’s Conservation Projects Committee. "Because of the sweat equity and other local donations, these projects produce amazing benefits to fish populations and sportfishing opportunities."
FishAmerica’s corporate partnerships provide anglers with a way to express their love of nature and fishing through their purchasing decisions. Other FishAmerica-licensed merchandise for sale in Wal-Mart includes camouflage caps by Outdoor Cap Company, life jackets by Wellington, and live nightcrawlers by DMF Bait. The nightcrawlers are also for sale in Kmart.
FishAmerica Foundation is the conservation and research projects arm of the American Sportfishing Association. FishAmerica funds grassroots fisheries restoration and enhancement projects in the U.S. and Canada in an effort to improve sportfishing success. In the last three years, FishAmerica's projects have raised and released 13 million fish, restored more than 310 miles of shoreline, restored 6,000 acres of wetlands, installed 14 fish ladders, removed 10 dams and culverts that were blocking upstream migration, and built eight family fishing ponds.
