Angling for fun
Pennsylvania anglers have more than 83,000 miles of streams and rivers and 4,000 inland lakes in which to catch more than 90 species of fish.
That means there are plenty of places to fish during the summer.
Moraine State Park's Lake Arthur is a popular fishing spot, especially for boaters.
"On weekends, we get probably 300 to 400 boats a day, usually with two or three people per boat,"said Rich Carson, a ranger supervisor at the park.
The 3,225 acre lake has 17 boat launches. Visitors can also spread out over more than 42 miles of shoreline and fish from land.
Fishing is permitted all day and night. The Pleasant Valley and Lake View day use areas are the only fishing spots that close overnight, Carson said.
Many park visitors seem to enjoy fishing in the evening, Carson said.
"They get a lot of walleye at night and also channel catfish. Some of them are almost three feet long,"Carson said. "They are really fun to catch."
Safety must be the top priority of anyone who fishes at night, Carson said. Those who are fishing in the evening are urged to use the boat's lights and take flashlights and life jackets along.
"Always use extreme care, especially in the evening," Carson said.
Nearby fishing spots such as Lake Arthur seem to be getting more use than ever this season. High gas prices are causing people to stay close to home this summer, said Mark Transue, owner of Transue's Tackle and Custom Framing in Kittanning.
"People who normally would have traveled somewhere else to fish are staying in this area," he said.
The Allegheny River is another popular spot because it's accessible to many people and it offers a variety of fish, Transue said.
"It has a little bit of everything,"Transue said of the river. "It has bass, walleye. It's very good for catfish, carp, muskie and panfish."
Since trout are cold water fish, they are not found in the Allegheny River, but there are a number of trout streams in the area, he said.
The price of gas also has changed boat traffic along the river, Transue said.
"It's knocked down a lot of recreational boating in the area," he said. "Recreational boaters sometimes disturb the fishing. When they're running up and down the river, they're causing disturbances in the water."
Transue said fishing boats tend to travel more slowly and move around less than recreational boats.
Bud Murray, owner of Murray's Stream Master Fly Shop in Cabot, echoed the sentiment about high gas prices. In general, people are cutting back on expenses, he said.
"There are still people and activity in the store," he said, adding that he has a base of steady customers. "But it's not as heavy as it once was."Murray said his customers are always interested in newer, lighter fishing rods, which have become more popular in recent years."The lighter weight ones are more of a challenge because the fish has more of a chance for fighting," he said.Avid fishermen are up for this test of skill, he said."With a heavy weight, you can just pull them out of the water," he said. "But with the lighter weight, you have to play the fish."Murray said many of his clients fish in Slippery Rock Creek, Armstrong County's Buffalo Creek and Allegheny County's Deer Creek.More people are becoming interested in fly fishing, said Evan Goldstrohm of Kittanning, who took up the sport about six years ago."Fly fishing is a bit more difficult and some people give up too soon," he said. "If you keep practicing, you can do very well."The best way to improve is to seek information, Goldstrohm said."Read as much as you possibly can and talk to people who know what's going on,"he said.Goldstrohm said he enjoys trout fishing and nearby creeks are still well stocked."It's been cooler this year and we've had a lot of rain, which helps," he said. "When it's dry and warm, the trout don't last as long."People 16 or older must have a fishing license. The state Fish and Boat Commission offers different license options, from a one-day permit to a lifetime license.Licenses can be bought online and printed from a home computer by visiting www.fish.state.pa.us/forms_fishing.htm.Licenses also can be bought from one of Pennsylvania's 1,200 issuing agents, including the Butler County Treasurer, 124 W. Diamond St.
