Fishing Frequency

Mikey,
If you become interested in college with a degree in the ecology, fisheries, wildlife, or related fields, investigate but do not choose a college based on recommendations here. The recommendations are a starting point for you to investigate potential colleges or universities, but curriculum is what matters, including the amount of actual fieldwork conducted in the “lab” portions of courses. Additionally, curricula at colleges and universities change substantially from decade to decade and may be changing even more frequently now that enrollments are significantly declining.

I used to do a lot of hiring or working with fisheries seasonals from various in-state (Pa) and a lesser number of out-of-state schools. On a statewide basis, a number of them attended PSU, as I did as an undergrad. The most impressive college student’s resume’ list of fisheries related courses that I ever saw, however, came from a SE Pa student, who was attending the State University of NY (SUNY) Cobleskill Campus. That was in the early 2000’s, however, as I recall, and as I said, curricula can change, so critical investigation is important.

I would only use available fishing as a secondary tie-breaker and I wouldn’t base that on available trout fisheries. If you wish to be a better biologist, have personal knowledge of a variety of fisheries. And as a fisheries manager, if that was a direction that interested you in the future, biologically and ecologically speaking, trout fisheries would be about the least complex that you would ever manage.

Not mentioned here was California University of Pa, a state school. It may be worthwhile investigating too. Clarion had a good aquatic ecology program when I attended grad school back in the Dark Ages and Edinboro had a related program as well. Both schools enhanced their programs through being tied into the University of Pittsburgh’s Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. They are now part of PennWest and I now see that PennWest has a fisheries-wildlife program..

As I said, things change and investigation is critical when you’re going to spend that kind of money so early in life.
 
Last edited:
I've always heard that WVU in Morgantown had one of the more highly regarded environmental sciences/fisheries management programs, at least in our general part of the country. But as Mike says, things change and pre-choice investigation is critical.

I was going to mention the recent yoking of Edinboro-Clarion-California from the standpoint that there has been a huge amount of consolidation with the resulting program and faculty attrition since the merger, but I see now that Mike covered that, or at least mentioned the relevant course of study. The post-merger program may be excellent, but I'd be hard pressed to think it would be comparable to the days when Bill Kodrich, Jack Williams and Terry Morrow ran the biology department at Clarion.

But, what do I know? I went to Thiel. The closest decent fishing was in the Hartstown Swamp...
 
I’m a fishing addict, I try to fish everyday. I’ve averaged somewhere between 300 and 340 days a year for about 10 years now. Mostly for brook trout since that’s my favorite fish and the easiest species to target year round. But I will fish for anything. For health reasons, I’ve had to take some days off. My favorite fishing partner is on year 17 of flyfishing everyday without missing a single day other than to deer hunt.

Fishing a lot does take a toll on your body.
View attachment 1641241443
Damage to my right hand, after an 80+ consecutive day in a row binge of brook trout fishing.

~5footfenwick
OUCH!!
 
Mike,
Thank you for the mention of California University of PA. I was a member of the last graduating class of California State College with a BS in Biology. I also received a BS in Medical Laboratory Science the following year from California University of PA. I did not fish at that time in my life. This is where I was introduced to aquatic entomology in invertebrate zoology. I still remember what a great professor Dr Kimmel was in the department. Years later I learned he made trips to fish spring creek. He was a PSU alum.
 
Mikey,
If you become interested in college with a degree in the ecology, fisheries, wildlife, or related fields, investigate but do not choose a college based on recommendations here. The recommendations are a starting point for you to investigate potential colleges or universities, but curriculum is what matters, including the amount of actual fieldwork conducted in the “lab” portions of courses. Additionally, curricula at colleges and universities change substantially from decade to decade and may be changing even more frequently now that enrollments are significantly declining.

I used to do a lot of hiring or working with fisheries seasonals from various in-state (Pa) and a lesser number of out-of-state schools. On a statewide basis, a number of them attended PSU, as I did as an undergrad. The most impressive college student’s resume’ list of fisheries related courses that I ever saw, however, came from a SE Pa student, who was attending the State University of NY (SUNY) Cobleskill Campus. That was in the early 2000’s, however, as I recall, and as I said, curricula can change, so critical investigation is important.

I would only use available fishing as a secondary tie-breaker and I wouldn’t base that on available trout fisheries. If you wish to be a better biologist, have personal knowledge of a variety of fisheries. And as a fisheries manager, if that was a direction that interested you in the future, biologically and ecologically speaking, trout fisheries would be about the least complex that you would ever manage.

Not mentioned here was California University of Pa, a state school. It may be worthwhile investigating too. Clarion had a good aquatic ecology program when I attended grad school back in the Dark Ages and Edinboro had a related program as well. Both schools enhanced their programs through being tied into the University of Pittsburgh’s Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. They are now part of PennWest and I now see that PennWest has a fisheries-wildlife program..

As I said, things change and investigation is critical when you’re going to spend that kind of money so early in life.
I just toured Penn State Dubois about 2 weeks ago for their wildlife technology program. I’m planning on going there for college. Definitely worth looking into. Their program is very well known within the fisheries/wildlife field.
 
I just toured Penn State Dubois about 2 weeks ago for their wildlife technology program. I’m planning on going there for college. Definitely worth looking into. Their program is very well known within the fisheries/wildlife field.
Will penn st dubois be surviving the penn state cuts of branch campuses?
 
I would add Bob Moore. Moore and Kodrich both taught at Pymatuning Lab as well.
I spent 5 weeks with Kodrich at Pymatuning, spring of 88. What a great time. I needed a 5 credit math/science to graduate and he talked me out of an "Entymology" class and into his Biostatistics class. Great move. The other teacher was a total ****. I was just starting to get into flyfishing. First real computer experience, first non-media application for statistics, such if great kids from Edinboro, California, Pittand the Rock. What a great experience that was.
 
Top