How do I report a violation in Chester County?

[BrookTroutLover]

There’s a guy fishing on white clay at the bottom of Auburn Road at Penn Green. None of the numbers I could find on the commission’s website have any human on them.

 

[wildtrout2]

Did you make him aware that the season isn't open yet? Or, is it a delayed harvest section?

 

[Dave_W]

It's Mentored Youth Fishing Day. There are people fishing all over.

I noticed some adults today on Yellow Breeches who were fishing with no children anywhere in sight. I'm a supporter of the MYFD, but we gripe about this every year (adults fishing without kids on MYFD).

 

[whheff]

It was happening on the Bushkill too. Guys wading in the stream with no kids in sight.

 

[BrookTroutLover]

It's Mentored Youth Fishing Day. There are people fishing all over.

I noticed some adults today on Yellow Breeches who were fishing with no children anywhere in sight. I'm a supporter of the MYFD, but we gripe about this every year (adults fishing without kids on MYFD).

This was on the general Regs section, and it looked like there was a kid standing next to the guy holding the rod. Sheesh.

 

[Mike]

Sheesh???
It was perfectly legal for kids less than 16 yrs old to be fishing with a mentor in stocked trout waters on this specific day, Mentored Youth Day, intended to get kids out fishing and teach them fishing skills. In a recent year 35,000 kids participated on that day statewide.

 

[wildtrout2]

Sheesh???
It was perfectly legal for kids less than 16 yrs old to be fishing with a mentor in stocked trout waters on this specific day, Mentored Youth Day, intended to get kids out fishing and teach them fishing skills. In a recent year 35,000 kids participated on that day statewide.

I think what he was getting at was ideally, the kid should have had the rod in hand, not the adult? Just a guess.

 

[Mike]

Ok, sorry about that. I thought the complaint was just about fishing prior to trout season.

While I agree that ideally the child would be holding the rod, there are times in streams, when it is just easier for the adult to sense the bite (bait fishing) or even hook the fish and then hand the rod to the child, especially when the child isn’t particularly experienced enough to keep the line or hook from hanging up on debris with every drift of the bait. I think a lot of adults just want to make sure the child gets to reel a fish in. That wasn’t how I was taught, but given that there was only one rod in play based on this report, I don’t have a problem with it.

Likewise, despite the annual reports of a small minority of adults who stretch the rules on that day, there are a lot more who don’t and the kids are having a great time/memorable experience. To wit, my wife and I walked a mile upstream in a wooded park along the Jordan Ck yesterday afternoon around 3 PM. She remarked that she was surprised at how many little girls were fishing, and not just with their fathers, but with their mothers too. We even saw a little girl carrying a trout on a stringer. She was so proud! We almost always saw a kid reeling in a fish as we approached a different group, but other than that one fish, all were being carefully to fairly carefully released. I saw no dead fish in the creek and I was looking pretty closely. Cold air and cold water this early in the season can make up for extended handling periods or less than ideal releases.

My recommendation to those who complain about the “cheaters” is to walk along a stream or lake on that day and view a much larger “sample size” of what is really occurring and speak to a few parents and/or kids. I think they will come away with a much more favorable impression. This is arguably the most successful educational and children’s program that the PFBC has ever implemented.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

I took my daughter out yesterday around 9. We went to a popular stocked trout stream in Lycoming Co. Not many people out, but all seemed to be playing by the rules. I got to the spot where I wanted to make my daughter who is under 5 and noticed an adult male fishing with a girl I would guess was a significant other who was definitely over 16. As soon as they saw me walking in the female quickly started gathering the bait container. As I walked by I said "its a beautiful day to take a kid fishing" and they both looked embarrassed and hurried back to their truck. Overall this is a great program, shame on the adults who abuse it and shame on the adults that moan and complain that the jr anglers keep all the trophy stocked trout!

 

[Mike]

Great comment without being confrontational. I’ll have to remember that one.

 

[laurelrun]

In four years' time, my nephew who I used to take out for this has gone from a pipsqueak of about 5 feet to 6'3". We decided a couple years ago that he was too grown up for the mentored youth day, but he still goes fishing with his uncle. He's sixteen now, but would have looked like a grown man if we had gone last year. So you never can tell the real situation without politely asking. I couldn't make it out Saturday, but I'm taking my little nieces out opening day. Anything that gets kids fishing is good, even if it isn't perfect.

 

[dubthethorax]

Took my 10 yr old son out for an hour on Saturday at the EB Perk. We avoided the typical stocking point **** shows and fished well downstream. ran into a few other anglers who were following the rules and getting into a few fish. we fought the ripping wind for an hour before calling it quits without a hit. Still nice to be on the water though.

 

[pcray1231]

I kinda screwed up. My oldest has no interest (autistic), but my youngest does. He's 7. He enjoyed last year but I made sure only to take him when the weather was good. Don't want him to be miserable and get turned off to fishing.

I saw cold and rain in the weather prediction and figured, eh, I'll wait till it's nicer. But it wasn't that bad. Just spit a little rain, and wasn't all that cold. I shoulda took him.

 

[BrookTroutLover]

I think what he was getting at was ideally, the kid should have had the rod in hand, not the adult? Just a guess.

Exactly

 

[Millsertime]

He's 7. He enjoyed last year but I made sure only to take him when the weather was good. Don't want him to be miserable and get turned off to fishing.

Agree. I only take my kids hunting and fishing when the weather is conducive. I don't want their memories being cold and Dad making them be out there. Once they get older hopefully they will enjoy fishing in poor conditions like their Dad.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Some of my fondest memories now are working outside, hunting etc with my Dad in adverse weather conditions. Obviously there is a limit, but to some extent hardwork, suffering and perseverence are important life lessons and apart of enjoying the outdoors to its fullest extent.