Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2024 - 9

NOTES
River of the Year
The North Branch Susquehanna
River was named Pennsylvania's
2023 River of the Year. This branch
of the Susquehanna River stems
from New York and goes through
the Endless Mountains area that I'm
assigned to patrol, which includes
Wyoming County. With the river
flowing through scenic mountains,
having some amazing history along
its banks, outstanding Smallmouth
Bass fishing and perfect for paddling,
it is easy to see why this river received
this recognition. As a Waterways
Conservation Officer (WCO), I patrol
along the North Branch Susquehanna
River most shifts. Being fortunate
enough to have the responsibility to
help protect and conserve this river
is rewarding. Even on the hottest,
busiest and most stressful days, being
out on the river makes for a good
day being a WCO.-WCO David
Raulfs Jr.,Wyoming and Southwest
Susquehanna counties.
in. The kids were provided a free
lunch and lots of giveaway prizes.
As I walked the stream, all I heard
was excitement as the kids caught
fish. It was a great event with a great
group of people.-WCO Jonathan R.
Stark,Washington County.
Best clients
As a WCO, we interact with many
people every day from anglers,
boaters or people just enjoying
the outdoors. Although some
interactions are not always ideal,
the majority of them are positive.
Sometimes, the job gives you a
different view of people (not always
for the good). But, there have been
many occasions when I have been
fishing with my son, and it makes
me realize that I have a great job.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission (PFBC) has some of the
best patrons.
There are two occasions that come
North Branch Susquehanna River kayakers.
Youth
In Washington County, there is an
annual kids fishing derby on Buffalo
Creek called the Trout Tangle. There
have been a lot of kids in the past 2
years participating, but 2023 was the
most well-attended event to date.
Over 300 youth participated. The
stream was stocked with 2,500 trout,
with a few trophy-sized fish mixed
to mind. One day, my son and I were
kayak bass fishing on a local lake.
The bite was slow, but we managed
to catch a few nice Largemouth Bass.
When we decided to call it quits for
the day, we got to the launch where
another angler was loading his boat.
He asked my son how we did, and
my son replied with a short story of
the day. The gentleman asked him
what lures he was using, and my son
told him. Then, the gentleman got
in his tackle box and pulled out a
topwater lure and handed it to him.
He said, " Here, use this next time.
I usually crush them out here with
this lure " .
On the second occasion, my son
and I were steelhead fishing in Erie.
We were wading down the stream
finding holes to fish. A woman and
a man were about to leave the hole
above us, where they were catching
fish. The woman yelled down to
my son and told him to come up
and fish. We headed upstream and
started talking to them and thanked
them for giving us their spot on the
stream. Before they left, they gave
my son a fly to use-it was the one
they had been catching steelhead on.
These experiences have made
me appreciate the job and the
people who are the customers of
PFBC.-WCO Nathaniel J. Yingling,
Cambria County.
Attack frog
We received a call from a man
who caught a " prehistoric frog " . The
man had never seen a frog like it
before. His first concern was it was
poisonous. Unfortunately, he didn't
have the means to send a picture, so
I was dispatched to his house.
When I arrived on the scene,
the man captured the frog in a
container. He was worried, because
the frog hopped at him several
times. I identified the critter as an
Eastern American Toad and told
him the toad could be released back
into his yard. The man replied, " I'm
not releasing an aggressive frog in
my yard. " I then relocated the toad
to a nearby creek.-WCO Travis D.
Miller, Lehigh County.
Eastern American Toad
January/February 2024
9
photo-courtesy of WCO Travis D. Miller
photo-PFBC archives
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2024

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