Last Time You Saw a PFBC WCO?

[McSneek]

A friend of my father’s took me fly fishing on Antietam Creek outside of Chambersburg many years ago. I was 15. A WCO stopped me and insisted I must be at least 16 and needed a license. I had no way of proving my age at that point and the man I was with couldn’t verify anything. That WCO eventually stopped harassing a kid. What a jerk he was.

I used to run into a part-time WCO on the Quitty in the nature park in the early 2000’s. That may be the last time I saw one.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

Three in last for five years- that I know of! Twice I was "glassed first" without my knowledge. One summer, I heard a noise or had a feeling on lower Spring Creek at 5:30AM Sunday, looked behind me and saw a guy with binoculars observing me in the bushes. I must have had a WTF look on my face so he came up and explained. He said he does this is avoid disturbing angling activities. One on hand, I appreciated that, on the other having a more active presence might get the word out. Second time, also on Spring Creek, the WCO engaged me because my license was covered up by my vest and net- he could not see what he was looking for. He called across asking me to expose the license. Since i was working rising fish, he asked that I just hold it up rather than walk across to the stream to show him. I appreciated that.
FWIW, I have been told they adjust their patrols based on past offenses and increased reports of violations. If you observe violations report it. Obviously, a call or report will not lead to them rolling up like NYPD at the time of the offense, but increased reports of bad behavior refocuses activity.
Keep in mind their duties also include investigating dumping and other violations on rivers and streams unrelated to angling activities. As everyone wrote, spread very thin. They are just catching up with replacements too. COVID delayed classes of WCO a bit.

 

[poopdeck]

Are WCOs and other law enforcement officers required to identify themselves as such when they come up and start talking to you?

No

 

[Dave_W]

It was 2018 or 2019 on the lower Juniata; checked both PFDs and fishing license (and I suspect he noticed my launch permits).

Was checked on Spring Creek, perhaps 2016(?) at the sight where the dam was removed and structures built.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Does anyone run into these guy's regularly? Another thread made me think about it.
I don't think I've seen one in about 7 years, which is sort of disappointing. It's been even longer since one disturbed me to check my license. Maybe they're just sneaky and checking with binoculars? I'm not doing anything wrong, so checking me is little more than a minor inconvenience. I'd bet if they were out there more, they could find all kinds of people doing bad things.

Last time was 4yrs ago on Rauchtown Creek C&R area (Clinton County). Real nice guy. I congratulated him for stopping me as it had been 26 years since seeing my last WCO on YB. He confirmed that they are spread thin/responsible for large area, and there's something always going on somewhere. Gave me a business card with personal cell # if I ever encounter an issue

 

[JSky]

I used to see them opening day every year. When they started the “kids day” the week before the opener they seemed to disappear all together. I’ve never seen one anywhere near a blue line / class A stream

 

[trout624]

Been fly fishing for about 12 years and was stopped by one officer at Big Fishing Creek in the narrows. Kinda funny because it was a really slow weekday in February. Showed him my license, chatted with him for a few mins and went our separate ways. Only time I’ve ever seen one or been stopped.

 

[brain]

Ive seen marked pickups on the highway, but its 15 or 20 years since i actually talked to one.

 

[Schaefer406]

Last time I saw a WCO was last year, but it was driving along a stream, not fishing/not checked. The last time I was checked was in Erie in about 1995. I've been checked once in MD already this year and about 4 times last year in MD.

I've never been checked in PA once; however, just like silverfox, I get checked in MD at least once per year.

 

[pcray1231]

I'm 42. Started fishing around 6, lol.

I have seen exactly 1 WCO streamside in my entire life. I have my license on me, on my richardson strap, but it's hard to see as it's on my front and tucks under the box, and if I have a wading jacket on gets covered up. So if I'm getting glassed they aren't seeing the license. I know I should make it more visible, but that spot is convenient and fairly safe (it's well known I had a "lost my license" incident at the jam one year, and another jam member who was not with me hooked it, and I later won my own license, that I didn't even know I'd lost, at the raffle in the evening.)

The 1 time was on the East Branch of the Brandywine about 5 years ago. From across the stream, asked me to show my license, I got it out and showed it from across the water. He said ok, and asked how the fishing was. I said good and that he was the first WCO I'd ever encountered, happy to see him.

 

[Acerty]

Funny, I don't think I've ever been checked until I started to fish water that held trout. I got checked last year at the Pohopoco late season. Can't remember what month.

This year I got checked a Furnace Dam of all places, still can't believe that one lol. Both times though they were pleasant.

The only other time was the 1 time I bought a cast net permit and was cast netting Shad at nock during the spawn season. Pleasant encounter at that time too.

 

[Flyty_ryguy]

See dcnr all the time at quemahoning res, and everytime I'm in laurel hill Park mostly because they have an office in the park and patrol the lake every day at sundown

 

[pcray1231]

DCNR guys in state parks are different than PFBC WCO's. Though yeah, the DCNR guys can enforce fisheries violations in their parks.

 

[Dave_W]

(it's well known I had a "lost my license" incident at the jam one year, and another jam member who was not with me hooked it, and I later won my own license, that I didn't even know I'd lost, at the raffle in the evening.)

I'm still laughing about this one. ^
Another angler quite literally hooked it on the stream bottom by mistake and reeled in a fishing license. Unbelievable!

 

[pcray1231]

I'm still laughing about this one. ^
Another angler quite literally hooked it on the stream bottom by mistake and reeled in a fishing license. Unbelievable!

The amazing part is said angler was not with us, it was some time later he hooked it. And it just happened to be another jam attendee and friend. And it's not like he saw it and picked it up, or saw it on the bottom and tried to pull it in. He was nymphing and just happened to catch it.

 

[Thunderpole]

I get checked every so often around here in mercer County. The local co is a decent guy never had any issues I also follow the law. My buddy became a co and runs all of Clearfield co. That's a huge area for one person to patrol.

 

[salvelinus]

A few years ago I was fishing Big Moore's Run in Potter county. It was the last day of spring turkey. A game officer stopped and checked me because he hadn't encountered any hunters. He was pleasant, we had a nice chat, and he went on his way.

 

[joebamboo]

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding from talking to a former WCO, they are not permitted to work in "plain clothes". They must be in uniform.

 

[Swattie87]

Other than when I help with stockings, I’ve only seen a WCO once. I was emerging from a rhodo thicket onto a dirt state forest road in Huntingdon County, I think, as he was driving by. He stopped, asked how I did…I said I was mostly just crawling around in rhodo more so than fishing, he laughed. Never checked my license.

 

[Sharknado5]

1968 Stanley Hastings a fish warden in Cameron County ran down the bank and through about 20 yards of calf-deep water wearing his regular shoes on a Sunday morning to check my friend and I who were fishing the early season suckers in First Fork. The sucker season started prior to trout season but after the stream had been stocked with trout. We were of course fishing for trout with salmon eggs but wisely hadn't kept any, or more likely hadn't caught any. He checked inside our hip boots. He knew our cars and camp and once checked the camp refrigerator to count frozen trout and the number of guys fishing.

I haven't seen a warden since he retired prior to the new century.