Fishermen Cast Their Lines as Trout Season Officially Begins

While 68,000 football fans packed Beaver Stadium for the Nittany Lions’ spring game, Saturday marked a similarly important day for fishermen in Pennsylvania.

Trout season officially opened statewide on April 18, which is essentially the equivalent of Christmas day for fishermen. 

At Spring Creek, which is one of the most prolific trout fishing spots in State College and surrounding towns, fly fishermen waded through the shallow water, waving their lines around in hopes of hooking a big one.

Tyler Bonitsky took the trip to Spring Creek for the day, hooking quite a few trout on the first day of the season.

“This morning, there were a lot of hits, but it’s slowed down as the day went on,” Bonitsky says. “I’ve been out here a couple times already, but with trout season starting today and how beautiful the weather is, I felt like coming down here and spending the day fishing.”

For most of the fishermen out on the opening day, fishing for trout isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s a celebration of a pastime. In Pennsylvania, fly fishing and trout fishing are traditions, passed down from one generation to the next.

“My grandfather is a real big outdoorsman and he’s the one who got me started with hunting and fishing,” Bonitsky says. “I like to share that with him. I’ve really grown into it.”

Trout fishing in Pennsylvania took a major hit for years after the population was decimated by polluted water. Now, trout season is back stronger than ever, albeit with some strict regulations to ensure the population continues to be strong.

“Spring Creek was one of the best fishing areas in Pennsylvania a long time ago, and it is again now that it’s starting to rebound after all of the pollution,” Bonitsky says.

Just down the path running alongside Spring Creek, Allan Morse came out to enjoy the first day of trout season on his own. Like most of the fishermen casting their lines on Saturday, Morse considers the hobby relaxing.

“It’s just a nice way to spend the day,” Morse says. “I love to walk in the water, catch a few trout — hopefully a big one — and unwind for a while.”

In the coming months and through the summer, Morse’s fellow fishermen will continue to unwind their reels and take advantage of Pennsylvania’s abundant trout population.

Popular Stories:

Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Spring Game Was Every Spring Game

Penn State Football: Blue Beats White 17-7 In Annual Scrimmage

Penn State Football: Live Blue White Game Observations

Sixth Annual Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Walk/Run On Sunday

Blue-White Game Brings Tailgates, Creamery Lines, and Paterno Cutouts

Dropbox CEO to Penn State: Find Problems You Want to Solve

Adopt-A-Pet at Centre County PAWS

Penn State Athlete Scores in Battle Against Kidney Disease

Reddit Founder to Penn State: Dream Big, Fear Failure