Old school trout fishing

By Don Steese
For The Daily Item

April 13, 2008 12:59 pm

— Trout season is officially underway for 2008. Actually it’s been trout season in the southeastern part of the state for a couple weeks but I’m sort of a traditionalist; trout season still starts for me on the second Saturday of April. As you read this I’ll be at our cabin checking out the wild trout population in a few mountain streams. I’m not sure when I’ll be home; that’s the nice part of being retired.
Many years ago, back in the 70s, we used to start our season on Weikert Run in Union County. They stocked it back then and we’d camp along the stream for the first weekend. For a few years we rented a tent, then one of the boys bought a cheapie tent camper. It was an improvement, but still nothing fancy. We didn’t really need anything fancy anyhow. Just a place to get in out of the rain. I remember those weekends as being some of the best times I’ve ever had. Winter couldn’t officially end until we’d wet a line in the “Ollie” hole. It was then officially spring.
There were quite a few years back then when I’d take vacation for the entire first week. I was pretty much a truck follower back then and would go wherever they’d just stocked. Little Shamokin Creek (we called it Plummie), Roaring Creek, Laurel Run, Penns Creek or White Deer. I’d fish them all. Never used anything but spinners — Panther Martins were my favorites — and I did quite well. I’d almost always come home with a limit, which was eight fish back then. I don’t use spinners much anymore and keep almost no fish. Things change as we grow older.
I’ve never become much of a fly fisherman. I’m proficient enough to catch a few fish, but my casting is more a comedy act than a work of art. On many of the streams I fish there’s no room to cast anyhow. I bought a little six-foot fly rod some years back, thinking it would be just the thing for the tiny streams I’ve become fond of. It’s not. Wild brookies are not hard to catch but if they see you, they’re gone. With a tiny six-foot wand you have to get too close to the stream. I’ve gone back to an eight-footer. The little stick turned out to be just another of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time.
One thing I never leave home without anymore is a wading staff. Has anyone else noticed that the rocks have gotten a lot more slippery in recent years? My balance isn’t what it once was either, nor is my tolerance for a boot full of icy cold stream water. I much prefer dry feet these days, thank you very much.
I hope that by the time you read this you have already caught a few and there are many more to come. I wonder how non-anglers celebrate spring?
-- Don Steese, of Northumberland, is a lifelong outdoorsman. His column appears weekly in The Daily Item. E-mail comments to jdsteese@yahoo.com.