Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2013 - 50

Boredom can be costly

While on routine patrol for trout
poachers, I spotted an angler without
a license who was fishing in closed
approved trout waters. While I
issued him citations, he appeared to
be ashamed of himself, because he
avoided looking at me and kept his
eyes to the ground. Four hours later,
while patrolling another body of
water, an angler noticed me driving
down the road toward him, threw
down his fishing rod and started
running. I immediately realized that
it was the same guy from earlier in
the day. He ran to an area of parked
cars and ducked down behind one of
them. After driving to where he had
disappeared, I yelled, “Come on out,
I’ve already seen you fishing.” He came
out from behind a car, hanging his
head low. I asked him why he did it
again. He said that he was bored and
just wanted to go fishing. I was able to
liven up his boring and expensive day
by writing him more citations.—WCO
Douglas L. Deppen, Lebanon and South
Dauphin counties.

We’re always watching

While patrolling on the opening
day of trout season, I was watching
two males suspected of catching
trout over the legal limit. I spotted
them around 7:00 a.m. as they stood
along the stream, unaware of my
presence. About 10 minutes before
8:00 a.m. (the legal fishing time), they
started fishing. They were having
great success, and putting the trout
inside plastic grocery bags. When the
younger one, which turned out to be
the son, caught his limit of five trout,
he took his catch up to their nearby
truck. Then, he returned to the bridge
near my position and continued
fishing. The dad came over after he
had caught his limit, and said he was

50

going to a different bridge to fish. A
few minutes later the son headed up to
the vehicle, and they were gone. Later
that day, I was patrolling a different
stream, and noticed the same vehicle
parked nearby. I made my way down
to the stream and saw the same two
males fishing. I watched them catch
some fish. When they were done, I
decided to check them. I asked how
they did, and they said that they each
caught five trout. I made sure to clarify
where they caught these fish, because
they had no idea I had watched them
earlier. They told me they just caught
them at the stream where we were
currently standing. I asked them,
“Well, what happened to the limits you
guys caught earlier?” They had puzzled
looks on their faces at first, but after I
went into detail about their morning’s
activities, they didn’t have much to say.
It goes to show, you never know who
is watching you.—WCO Corey Girt,
Mifflin and North Huntingdon counties.

Timing is everything

While preparing for a program
for the third graders of Lake Noxen
School at Harvey’s Lake Access
Area, Luzerne County, I noticed a
mature bald eagle taking advantage
of the recently-stocked brook trout
fingerlings we had placed in the water.
Jokingly, I shouted to the eagle that he
had better return during the program
to impress the kids, or I wouldn’t be
bringing him any more fish.
While I was waiting for the kids
to arrive and to begin the program, I
noticed that the eagle had flown out
of sight. I hoped that he would return.
While answering the question about
what services the Pennsylvania Fish
& Boat Commission provides for the
community of Harvey’s Lake and
who benefits, I saw the eagle swoop
into sight and begin chasing fish

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • May/June 2013

below the surface of the lake. I took
the opportunity of that teachable
moment to stop talking and let the
children concentrate on the beauty
that was happening before them. As
the eagle cleared the ridge and soared
out of sight, I told the students that
they had just witnessed one more
member of the community who
benefits from our programs. I also
gave the eagle a verbal warning for
fishing without a license.—WCO
John R. Cummings, Northern Luzerne
and Northern Columbia counties.

The bottle trick

While working with WCO
Daniel Nietupski at a York County
lake, I watched a young man in
his mid-twenties fishing. As WCO
Nietupski and I sat in plain view,
the man placed his fishing rod on
the ground and picked up a bottle.
He filled the bottle with water from
the lake, then dumped out the water
from the bottle back into the lake
and returned to fishing. My initial
reaction was that this was a case of
underage drinking and the subject
was attempting to get rid of any
evidence. I checked the shoreline as
I walked toward the individual and
found a spray cap that belonged to
the bottle. I asked the angler about
the bottle and he replied that it was
“an old trick my grandfather taught
me. You pour fish attractant into the
lake, then throw the bottle into the
water and the fish come to it. Then,
you fish near that bottle.” When
asked about the present location
of the bottle, he said, “It’s out there
somewhere.” I asked to see his fishing
license, and he said he didn’t have
one. I asked if he had ever possessed
a Pennsylvania fishing license, and
he said he was unaware until one
year ago that he needed one. We have
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2013

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