John Arway, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, has announced his retirement as of early November. In a previous column, I mentioned the conflict that had developed between Arway and some of the state legislatures over Arway’s request for a fishing license fee increase. Arway threatened the closing of some trout
READ MORETo be honest, the past couple of weeks have been so busy for me I haven’t had time to fit any fishing in, but with the flooding conditions slamming our area recently, it doesn’t appear anybody else could get any fishing in either. The thought of fishing completely disappears when your favorite streams become raging
READ MOREWhat is your favorite pastime — hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, shooting, just sitting quietly while observing nature at work, or a combination of all of these? If you grew up in Lycoming County or the surrounding area, then, no doubt you have spent countless hours enjoying all of these activities and look forward to many
READ MOREA good friend and I recently enjoyed a long float down the Sock. It was a last minute decision that was actually coordinated by our lovely brides. We simply wanted to get away and do some fishing from our kayaks. It was a beautiful afternoon in North Central PA, but we didn’t have the slightest
READ MOREYou can obviously take the title of this story a couple of different ways, but the first thought is probably the temperatures hovering around the 90-degree mark — that definitely makes for some hot fishing. Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and cold drinks help make the heat more tolerable. Admittedly these recent hot, sunny summer days have
READ MOREHaving grown up in Lycoming County, and spent most of the years of my life roaming its hills and streams, it has been a natural progression to be an avid lover of nature and to enjoy the outdoor sporting opportunities that this wonderful area provides. Through the years, my respect and admiration of all the
READ MORECoach Steve Kreamer was a great dude who sure loved his baseball. The long time stalwart of Hepburn Lycoming Little League was at every single game and then some. He started our two-week minor league showcase back in the early 90s. And when he unexpectedly passed a few years back, it was a no brainer
READ MOREThere’s nothing better than summer in the Susquehanna Valley. With only a couple days of June left to play out it can only mean one thing. The celebration of America known as the 4th of July is right around the corner. Family reunions, picnics, barbecues serving the best summer cuisine will be found everywhere. Of
READ MOREMost folks will agree that there is no more relaxing sound than a steady rain on an old tin roof as you are drifting off to sleep. One of the most serene sounds that most of us have had the pleasure of hearing is the calling back and forth of a pair of mourning doves.
READ MOREI’d be the first to admit, and I don’t have all the answers when it comes to bass fishing. I’ve had my share of great days on the water, but I have also had some less than stellar days. I tend to approach river bass fishing a bit different than my approach to bass fishing
READ MOREWith the catch and immediate release of the bass season now over, and the regular bass season now underway many fishermen have turned their attention to bass rather than trout. There’s no doubt that April is big for trout and May still attracts a pretty good number of trout anglers, but by June trout fishing
READ MOREWow. You look great. Have you lost weight? No. Not really. Jeez, you’re tan. You must be playing lots of golf. Not at all. Actually, I came up with a new workout routine. It doesn’t require much skill, and it’s somewhat refreshing. You only need a little time and a pole. I like to call
READ MOREWe seem to be hearing that phrase a lot these days, “It’s not fair.” I even hear that same suggestion in the world of hunting and fishing. Let me explain. I recently read something in an outdoor publication that I find kind of annoying. In a letter to the editor, the writer said it wasn’t
READ MOREWith fishing season now pretty much in full swing, I’ve been trying to look at various lures and some different approaches to successful fishing outings. This past week, we analyzed the attributes of the various metal spinners available to fishermen, but in this week’s piece, I want to take a closer look at spoons. To
READ MOREMy reference to “heavy metal” here is not about that so-called “music” that I occasionally come across as I’m searching for something worth listening to on the radio. No, I’m actually referring to metal fishing lures, which at one time was a mainstay of the fishing lure business. While metal is still used in many
READ MORELet me apologize for missing last week’s deadline. I am what they call an unreliable part-time scribe that was temporarily without an electronic device. I slipped on a rock, and my phone ended up in the middle of Lycoming Creek. We were both submerged in three feet of water for five minutes straight. I was
READ MOREIt’s great to see the mountains that line the West Branch Valley aglow in that special spring-green foliage. At times, it didn’t seem like spring was ever going to get here — let alone summer. We truly live in one of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth, and it’s great to see everybody
READ MOREOver the past month or so, I’ve been writing pieces about improving your fish catching rate by becoming a more versatile fisherman; one of those improvements involved learning new techniques and presentations. I mentioned that fishing a tandem fly rig was something I had been reading about, but had not yet tried — that is
READ MOREBelieve me; I’m not suggesting that anyone have a bad or crappy time but rather now is the time to begin your search for some good crappie fishing. I know it’s the beginning of trout season, and I have been putting my share of time on the trout streams as well, but I’ve also been
READ MOREOver the past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about how one might go about increasing their fish catching opportunities. Being willing to target a variety of fish species is one way to increase your catch rate, and using a variety of equipment will also add to your numbers. Another possibility I would like to
READ MOREI’ve mentioned before that I am one of North Central PA’s biggest fans. It’s true. Seriously folks. What’s not to love about the 570? This place is just splendid, and our beautiful area is the perfect backdrop for an outdoor enthusiast like me. Yes. I absolutely dig everything about her, and I am still patiently
READ MOREIn last week’s piece, I mentioned that versatility was a key to catching more fish. In fact, the whole point was that the more different species of fish you were willing to pursue the better your chances of hooking up — literally. I would like to continue that theme of versatility but with a different
READ MOREFor us outdoor types, two big openers come up in April; first, the regular trout season for our part of the state opens on April 14, and then on April 28 spring gobbler season opens. Those of us who are serious about these activities don’t sit around and wait for the opening day, but rather
READ MORE“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” How many times have you heard that little quote? Well, I don’t buy it; a better thought is, “A good day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” Yea, I know it’s nice to just be out there enjoying
READ MOREMany of the hackers and duffers from all over the globe just tuned in FORE the very first major. I don’t know about you, but I find myself completely glued to the television the first weekend in April. So instead of fishing or shoveling the spring snow — I usually lock myself in the basement
READ MORE“Double your pleasure, double your fun — with Double Mint, Double Mint, Double Mint Gum!” This popular jingle was used in years past to advertise a brand of gum that remains popular to this day. Careful, if you remember this jingle, you may be giving away your age! But, “Double your pleasure, double your fun”
READ MORETo be honest, I haven’t fished the opening day of trout season for many years. It wasn’t always that way though; when I was a young fellow in the 60s, I wouldn’t have missed the first day for anything. Most of my first days were spent on Sinnemahoning Creek using Mike’s Lucky Seven salmon eggs.
READ MOREI would much rather be writing a story about catching trout on an assortment of great nymph patterns, but there’s another outdoor related issue that I feel needs some further explanation. It’s no secret that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has been seeking a license increase in order to stay viable. The fact is,
READ MOREWHO NEEDS ONE? I heard my teammate’s cry but chose to ignore him. My legs feel like Jello, but I decide to press on without a breather. I dazzle the crowd with another no-look pass that ends up in the rafters. My fifth turnover of the night. Just awful. Throw in my three air balls
READ MOREThe opening day of trout season is still a month away — April 14th here in our part of the state — and a couple of weeks until the trout opener in the southern part of the state on March 31st. With the openers still that far out, why would I be ready to give
READ MORENo, this is not going to be a story about one of my favorite socks, but it is a piece about one of my favorite trout streams — the Loyalsock Creek. My wife and I left DuBois, PA following our wedding and our next stop that evening was just beyond Williamsport. I remember telling her
READ MORETake someone fishing. Understand, the word “fishermen” in the title is meant to include men, women, and children. Now that I’ve cleared that up, what am I talking about when I say more fishermen are wanted? For starters, it’s no secret that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has been seeking a license fee increase
READ MOREMother Nature can be such a tease. Especially in the month of February. I love North Central PA but this is just crazy. A groundhog predicts another 42 days of darkness and then our temperatures jump to the mid-60s. Dude? Now it’s back to Kelvin with a possibility of sleet and snow. I don’t know
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