Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2020 - 28

NOTES from theStreams
Fish identification

While on patrol and checking
anglers for licenses and creel limits at
a Wyoming County lake on a sunny
day in May, I witnessed a violation
that could have been avoided.
I was checking two anglers
who seemed new to fishing. After
verifying their fishing licenses, I
observed a stringer in the water and
asked them how the fish were biting
today. The angler was thrilled to
tell me that he caught a nice-sized
trout. Knowing this body of water
was a shallow, warm, and weedy
lake known for its good populations
of panfish and Largemouth Bass,
I was interested to see a trout that
may have found its way into the
lake. As Waterways Conservation
Officers (WCOs), we often get fish
identification photos from anglers
that may on a rare occasion be tricky
and require a close eye or even a
second opinion. However, this case
was easy. I was quickly disappointed
to see a nice-sized Largemouth Bass

on a stringer that was not within
the size regulations. The angler was
convinced the fish was a trout. I
showed him the information available
in the Pennsylvania Fishing Summary
and online information to correctly
identify fish species as well as the
seasons for each species before fish
are harvested, not after fish are dead
on a stringer. A citation was issued,
and hopefully, the mistaken fish
identification will not happen again
for these anglers.-WCO David
Raulfs, Jr., Wyoming and southwestern
Susquehanna counties.

The perfect shot

As I pulled into an access area along
the Beaver River, I noticed three
younger anglers along the shoreline.
One angler had a fishing rod and
looked to be fighting a large fish.
As I walked up to the anglers, one
person pulled a large Freshwater
Drum from the water. We were all
admiring the catch when I noticed
the angler could not get the hook
from its mouth. I volunteered to

illustration-Andrea Feeney

28

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2020	

help. I got the hook out and handed
the fish back to the angler. The others
got their phones ready. As the angler
began to hold the fish up for the
perfect photo, the fish decided to flip
and flop out of his hands and back
into the river. The perfect shot was
missed.-WCO Jeremiah D. Allen,
Beaver County.

Accelerated trout
stocking schedule

Thank you to all of the
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
(PFBC) staff who helped accomplish
the mission of stocking trout during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Under
normal circumstances, the trout
stocking season is often stressful for
many of us as we navigate all of the
responsibilities of trout stocking while
still performing our daily WCO tasks.
This year was profoundly different.
Thank you to the volunteers from
the public, who we know will always
be there to help. Some were able to
assist on a few early stocking activities
that took place before COVID-19
restrictions set in.
Once COVID-19 restrictions were
in place, personnel from throughout
the PFBC had the opportunity to help
with trout stocking, some for the first
time. It was a great experience getting
to meet and work with the PFBC
personnel that we rarely interact
with on the job. Connections and
friendships were made that would
have likely not happened without the
efforts to work through this adversity.
I heard some say that they had been
with the PFBC for years and never
stocked trout.
I would also like to thank the
public for their understanding and
cooperation as we navigated these
difficult and unpredictable times.
Thank you to the volunteers who
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http://www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2020

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