Another Season Begins Winter is loosening its grip on the Delaware Valley as I write these lines during the second week of March. I've already had my fly line wet a couple of times, and caught my first trout of the year. The earliest of the spring flowers-Winter Aconite, Snowdrops, and Snow Crocus-- have been in bloom in my garden for a couple of weeks already. The appearance of these blooms signals similar awakenings in our local streams-Early Black Stoneflies and Blue-Winged Olive mayflies are now emerging, as are increasing numbers of midge pupae. And the trout are eating them. It's a happy time for the fly angler; after a seemingly interminable winter another fishing season has begun.It would be very nice if we could all just relax and enjoy this annual rite of spring. But trouble is brewing, in Pennsylvania at least. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PAF&BC) is considering a number of troubling proposals. Detailed discussions of conservation issues tend to be heavy going. I tried writing up an article on the current situation with the PAF&BC for this issue, but it kept running to four pages. If anyone is interested in reading it I'll be glad to e-mail it to you, or send me a SASE for a hard copy. But in a nutshell, the PAF&BC is contemplating some changes to regulations and management strategy that are, in the opinion of your editor, extremely ill-advised at best and almost criminally bone-headed at worst. These changes could prove devastating to some of our favorite trout streams. As flyfishers, DVWFFA members should be aware that a group of radical bait fishermen from the Pittsburgh area has organized and are pushing their agenda with the PAF&BC. They call themselves the "Traditional Anglers of Pennsylvania." "Tradition" in this sense apparently means bait fishing wherever they want to and killing their rightful share of stocked trout. Can these people be so profoundly ignorant as to think that fly fishing is not traditional? I guess they are unaware that fly fishing for wild trout far pre-dates hatchery trucks, spinning rods, and Power Bait. Maybe they think that fly fishing was invented by some yuppie Hollywood movie producer during the 1980's. But I digress. Let me try to stifle my snide sniping and get serious. It is TAP who is behind the current proposal to allow bait fishing in Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only areas during the legal harvest period. (This would decimate the trout that have the temerity to actually survive the summer in these streams, even though the PAF&BC says they are not supposed to.) The really scary thing about all this is that the PAF&BC is actually giving these people a respectful hearing. The attempt to have changes made to the Delayed-Harvest regs is only the opening salvo in this battle. The stated, ultimate goal of TAP is nothing less than the total elimination of all special regulations areas in Pennsylvania! TAP feels that all special regs are inherently unfair and discriminatory. Since their members pay the same amount for their licenses and trout stamps as everyone else, their reasoning goes, they should be able to fish with bait on all water open to the public. If you enjoy catch-and-release fishing in special regulations areas in Pennsylvania, and want the quality of that experience maintained, you need to make your voice heard on this issue. We simply must counter the stance being taken by TAP and their ilk. Maybe we fly fishers have been too polite, too quiet, and far too trusting of the PAF&BC to protect our interests. If you do not speak up, don't be surprised if your silence is interpreted as acquiescence to these schemes. If you have not already done so, please, take the time to let the Commission know how you feel. You can contact the PAF&BC via the Internet. Go to their website, www.fish.state.pa.us and, from the opening page, click on "regulations." Look for the e-mail link for public comment. Or you can write to the Commission via regular mail: Dr. Douglas Austen, Executive Director; Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission; P. O. Box 67000; Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000. On a brigher note, check out the great line-up of activities and events we have planned for the spring season. Hope to see you streamside, --Mary Kuss-- |