Trout Fishing In Pennsylvania
By Tim Shultz, East Brady PA

     I was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. Hunting and fishing were two of my favorite activities. My father was a Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer for many years. This provided me with many opportunities I may have otherwise not been exposed to. One of which, was pre-season trout stocking. I moved away from Pennsylvania when I was in my mid- twenties searching for greener pastures. I married my wonderful wife (Alphy) and have a 20- year- old son (Angelo). Both being raised in New Jersey, my wife and son had no clue what treasures awaited them in Pennsylvania. I was fortunate to get a job transfer and we all moved back to my hometown. Life has been great to say the least.
     My wife and son have been gradually adjusting to the different lifestyle. They have been very adventurous and eager to learn new things. In order to give them plenty of exposure, I have been introducing them to as many different things as possible.
     One day, I got the idea, helping the PA Fish Commission stock trout could be fun for them. I looked on the internet, found the dates, and the plan was set. I wasn't very detailed in my explanation of the event as I wanted it to be a great surprise for them. We arrived at the staging area and awaited the arrival of the loaded fish trucks. Alphy and Angelo were simply amazed at the turn out. There were hundreds of people there for the same reason. (Seeing the fish being stocked).
     Once under way, we followed one of the trucks to the stream. Alphy and Angelo were so excited when I told them we were allowed to assist. Away they went with bucket after bucket of fish, dumping them into the stream. They were basically unstoppable, running back for more. The day was a big hit for me. They really had a wonderful time.
     My wife is a very outgoing and friendly person. She was teasing with the guys on the fish truck telling them she was going to catch one of those Palomino's. The guys looked at me, winked, and said, "Good Luck!"  There was no doubt in my mind, at that point, the fish guys knew my wife and son were new at this. Catching a Palomino trout is basically unheard of. Although I've seen them put into the stream, and on occasion, have seen one swim by. I have never caught one myself, nor have I seen anyone else catch one. (It's kind of like someone saying they are going hunting and intend to bring back an albino deer).
     Now, with the day of stocking behind us, the excitement continued to grow as they awaited the First Day Of Trout. We spent the following month getting fishing tackle, licenses, etc. ready for the big day. The night before, no one could sleep. They were like kids on Christmas Eve. I was beside myself with pleasure just knowing the excitement I had already given them. They were so ready to fish. When we arrived at the stream, we put on all our gear and began to walk deeper into the woods. They were amazed by the beauty of the scenery. Once we began fishing, after the eight o'clock start, they started to catch fish right away. I was so happy. We didn't keep any of the fish caught, they were all released back into the stream.
     We caught sixteen fish between the three of us. Ten of which Alphy caught herself. We stopped on a big rock and had lunch. It was a gorgeous day. It was at least 75 degrees outside. After lunch, Alphy decided to bend down at the waters edge and splash her face and hair with the beautiful water. I looked as she neared the edge of the rock and said, "Hey, Watch you don't sl.....". Before I could spit out the word " slip," she was waist deep in the freezing water with her hip waders on. I grabbed her wrist as she was being washed around the rock and pulled her out of the frigid water. She sat on the rock wringing out her socks, shivering. Once she regained her composure , she began fishing again like a real trooper. She was still dripping wet and all of the sudden..."Fish-ON" she yelled...Then she began jumping up and down yelling. "It's a Palomino... It's a Palomino.."
     I was telling her quietly to calm down as I truly believed it was probably a big carp that had rolled on it's side below the water. I didn't want to be embarrassed. (There were other veteran fisherman around like myself, you know.) Then I saw the fish. She landed a 16- inch Palomino. I was in total shock and disbelief. She insisted we let it go too. We called my father and told everyone we could that evening. I explained to her that catching one of those fish was indeed a once- in- a- lifetime privilege and she should be truly thankful of God's good graces. She said, "That's why I wanted to let it go." I also explained to the both of them their first day luck was very fortunate and not to expect the same for future fishing. We fished for eleven hours that day. All the way home, (a 20- minute drive), they were already talking about what time they wanted to go the next morning.
     We were up at 5AM and out the door we went. We fished at the same spot from 7AM until about noon. We had caught 10 fish at that point. Then once again, Alphie yelled out...("Fish-ON!)...Then jumping up and down screaming..."It's another Palomino!"....I was absolutely certain it was not. Who on earth would catch two in the same weekend? I tried to calm her down again until I saw the fish. Sure as heck - It was a MONSTER Palomino - Four pound test line and ultra-lite equipment.
     She had the fish on for at least 10 minutes before we were able to get it near the rock. I scooped the net behind the fish and hauled it up out of the water. It was hanging out of the net! I was beside myself. She was grinning from ear to ear. I asked her if she wanted to keep THIS one. She said "No, I put the one back yesterday and look what happened!" Angelo and I were both shaking our heads. There was no convincing her otherwise. Tears came to my eyes as I watched her release that beautiful fish. Later that eve, all my fishing friends were giving her grief for letting it go. They told her she should have gotten it mounted. She replied with, "Why, I don't need to compensate for anything!"
     At least we have a picture...

Alphy & Her Palamino Trout
(Thumbnail View)

We also took the picture to our local bait and tackle shop. The owner asked for her permission to add her picture to his website. She agreed. See http://center.eastbrady.info/steiners

It was a perfect fishing weekend. I just though I'd share it with everyone.

Thanks for reading.

Happy fishing!

Tim Shultz