First Day - 1960
April 14, 2007 - 2:42pm — JYork
The frosty clear Elk County night was moonless so the only light came from the stars above or the occasionally flicker of a flashlight clicked on to recheck a wrist watch that never seemed to move any closer to the appointed hour.
I heard muffled voices, but could not make out the words because Medix Run’s flow was rushing downhill and over a large tree that had fallen across the stream. The resulting waterfall continuously foamed into the deep pool below. A pool that I knew held a hungry batch of fish because a month earlier I had helped stock this spot with a bucket of large Brook trout.
Someone must have made a cast into the pool and hooked a fish because I could hear the fish splashing and that was all my 12- year old brain needed. It was 5:00 a.m. and the 1960 first day of trout season had begun.
With minnows for bait and the hungry Brookies eating like they were back at the hatchery, I had eight trout in my creel within a few hours. So back to the camp to deposit the catch and have some breakfast. Life was good.
During my early angling years, I was in awe of the older guys who owned and shared the camp along Medix Run. They could do no wrong and anything we did at camp was fun. We loved going to Pistner’s store for supplies and snacks. And a stop at Whitcomb’s store at Dents Run and a chance to again see Harry Whitcomb was a treat too. At that time, Harry was the oldest human I had ever seen. [Paula, did I get the names spelled correctly?]
We fished Hicks Run, Red Run, Driftwood, Wykoff Run and First Fork of the Sinnemahoning Creek. Just saying the names makes me "time travel." My mental images are as clear as the digital photos I now collect non stop. Just wish I had a few pictures from 1960.
Well, that was then and today was first day – 2007. Things are different now. Starting time is 8:00 a.m. – the change from the 5:00 a.m. start took place in 1969.
Today I took my camera and not my fishing rod. I didn’t catch any fish, but I got some great photos and videos. Digital of course! I can't post them here. I need to get them organized and entered into the StoryTrax system first!
See the “First Day – 2007” blog coming soon!
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Pine Creek
For four years I lived in a small community along Pine Creek. Pine creek is known for its trout fishing. Usually the road is pretty quiet at 5am but not on those mornings of trout season. That is when the road becomes a non stop traffic jam and the churches and restaurants are crowded with fishermen getting a bite to eat before making their way to the shores of Pine Creek.
I never got to fish Pine Creek. Too many hours at work but what a beautiful piece of heaven for any enthusiast.
Clay hardens by immobility – men's minds by standing pat. Both lose the power to take new impressions. (Pinchot 1910: 138)
Fishers of Men
Anglers fishing Lake Rowena near Ebensburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday could come early and visit a church adjacent to the lake for a free breakfast. The congregation was casting a net for the Lord!