With January fully on us, I decided to follow my own advice and send for my new boat registration and my 2019 Collectors Fishing Button.

My nephew Cody, who has started collecting vintage hunting and fishing licenses, is awed at some of the old-time metal licenses. The only way you can collect a new one is to purchase a fishing license and add on the collector button.

I saw the new button today and it was pretty ordinary looking and some kind of brown color. The earlier versions were patterned after trout species and looked much jazzier to me, oh well that’s the way it goes!

Boating course

WCO Jon Kay of the PA Fish and Boat Commission wanted me to spread the word that the PFBC and Moraine State Park will be offering the PA Fish & Boat Commission’s Basic Boating Course Jan. 26 at the Unionville Fire Hall on Route 8 north of Butler.

To register for the boating course, contact Natalie Simon, Environmental Specialist at Moraine State Park. Participants must register no later than Jan. 18 by calling Moraine State Park at 724-368-8811 or nasimon@pa.gov.

This PA Fish & Boat Commission’s PA Basic Boating course covers the basics of how we can make better informed decisions on the water, reduce risk of injury and conflict on the water.

Boating Safety Education Certificates are required for all operators of personal watercraft, regardless of age, and for boat operators born after Jan. 1, 1982 that operate motorboats of more than 25 horsepower.

Last year I took the course with my wife along with buddy Ken Bryan. The course was free and we boat regularly and I didn’t think it would hurt to bone up on the rules of the waterways. If you pass the course, you receive a Boating Safety Card that is good for a lifetime.

I didn’t have anything else that was good for a lifetime, so it seemed like a good time to collect the card! Well, the course gave me sort of a high school flash back as Kenny and I joked around while my wife Renee took copious notes in her training booklet.

I was laughing until they started to grade our exams and Ken and I missed one and Renee was still perfect thus far. In the last section of the exam, she finally faltered and missed a question which tied us all up.

She actually knew the right answer but made some kind of inexplicable error…oh well. This was once again my explanation of hard work vs lucky answer theory in practice.

All kidding aside, the course was very relevant and can’t be beat for making you a better and safer boater even if you like to clown around at times…but not on the water!

Steelhead fishing

The warm and rainy weather has made me think of Steelhead fishing on the tributaries flowing into Lake Erie. The rainbows and brown trout are looking healthy and with more water flow will be sure to head up into the creeks.

The PA Fish & Boat Commission has maps available of all the streams and areas open to anglers for the early winter fishing opportunities.

Sometimes I like to fish the mouths of the creeks as they empty into Lake Erie. The trout will stack up just off shore getting ready to make runs up the creeks and head for the bigger runs and pools of water.

Clear and low water is generally poor for fishing while some cloudy moving water is more promising. Stop at the local bait and tackle shops to see what the hot items are for the local streams. I have used egg sacs, crawlers, single eggs, minnows and spinners with success. Fly fishermen often use a single egg imitation, wooly bugger or fake worm.

The limits for trout are three of any combined species and a new 2019 license, trout stamp and Lake Erie stamp are required.

The areas are closely monitored and any trout foul-hooked should be immediately released safely back into the waters. Many local anglers practice catch and release with the trout they catch, use your discretion of whether or not you will want to keep all the trout you catch.

Either choice is legal and the fishery is healthy and can withstand a few fish being harvested. Some of the local Erie bait shops will exchange a smoked trout for your fresh catch for a fee. I am not a smoked fish fancier, but I have tried it and found it to be palatable depending on the presentation and a different kind of fish and game treat.

Until we meet again, remember to keep a sharp eye on your line and always share your blessings with others!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle