Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014 - 61

CURRENTS
photos-Deanne Fisher

Family Fishing Festival Brings
One Family Outside for the First Time in Months

There are all kinds of
beauty-the beauty of
nature; the beauty of the
perfect cast; the beauty
of the sunlight sparkling
off the scales of a fish;
the beauty of a smile
beaming on a child's
face when he catches a
Renee Huff
fish; and then, there's
the beauty of a tear in a mother's eyes when she shares the
story of how much this day has meant to her entire family.
As the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Family
Fishing Festival came to a close on Saturday, June 7, at Bald
Eagle State Park, Centre County, I sat down to listen to
Renee Huff tell me about her father who has been very sick
and who, due to his illness, has had to remain indoors for the
past several months.

Her father, who once was an avid angler, saw the event
advertised in a local newspaper and secretly registered his
family to attend. Just a few days prior to the event, he sprang
the news on his family. He, his wife, his daughter and his
8-year-old grandson were going fishing.
When the group arrived at the Family Fishing Festival,
Renee's dad actively participated in the various stations along
with his family and relearned knot tying, casting and how
to be a SMART angler. After that, he joined his grandson in
throwing a few casts of his own. Renee spoke enthusiastically
about what a wonderful day the family had, how nice the staff
and volunteers were at the event and how grateful she was that
her family had been given the opportunity to be outdoors and
enjoy nature. It brought back memories of her own fishing trips
with her dad when she was a little girl. One weekend before
Father's Day, this man gave his family a great gift, the gift of
love through time spent with his family while fishing. Best of
all, it reignited a spark that his family had not seen for a while.
photo-courtesy of Chris Frey

Boy Scouts Celebrate
First Day of Trout Season

On June 19, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat
Commission staff, along with volunteers from
the Harrisburg headquarters, constructed a
30-foot modified mud sill crib on a tributary
to the Yellow Breeches Creek, Cumberland
County, as part of a Cumberland Valley Trout
Unlimited project.
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

On May 17, the
Pennsylvania Outdoor
Writers Association
(POWA) presented the
annual Excellence in
Craft Awards during their
Spring Conference in
Shippensburg. As part of
these awards, Todd Puleo
won the award for the Best
Published Pennsylvania
Fishing or Boating Related
Newspaper Photo, Color
or Black and White, which was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat
Commission. Puleo's photo, "Weekend at Moyer Pond," was published in The
(Sharon) Herald on June 9, 2013. The First runner-up was "Time for "pay to
play" for kayakers, canoeists" by Bob Steiner published in The Oil City Derrick
on March 21, 2013. Pictured are (left to right) Brad Isles, Excellence in Craft
Awards Chairman, and Todd Puleo.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2014

photo-Don Carey

photo-Holly Whary

Boy Scout Troop 12, Williamsport, celebrated the first day of
trout season with their annual camping trip to Black Walnut
Bottom, Lycoming County. They fished Little Pine Lake, Little
Pine State Park, Lycoming County. Prior to the trip, the troop
learned fishing regulations and laws and how to tie fly fishing
lures. Pictured are front row (left to right) Craig Niklaus,
Jimmy Gardner, Dakota Baker, Evan Frey, Chris Frey Jr., Jack
Bower and Mikey Gardner. In the back row (left to right) are
Mike Gardner, Chris Frey, Ryan Niklaus, Joshua Bernocco,
Hunter Trythall and John Trythall.

61
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