open season - Four Seasons Flyfishing Guide Service

Along some trout streams in the midstate, it's always
OPEN SEASON
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BAKER , The Patriot-News
TOP: Tim
Murphy of York
Haven fishes in
the Yellow
Breeches Creek
near Boiling
Springs.
RIGHT: Gene
Giza fishes in
the Yellow
Breeches Creek.
He said his
fishing guide
service gets
clients all year.
INSIDE
■ What area
streams are open
to fishing all year?
............................. B3
BY CHRIS A . COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News
The opening of trout season Saturday will be a festive event in Boiling
Springs. Hordes of fishermen will
crowd the banks of Children's Lake,
hoping to hook a fish and not one of
dozens of boats in a small flotilla on
the seven-acre lake.
"It is the biggest holiday of the season around here," said fishing guide
Tom Baltz of Mount Holly Springs.
"It's almost bigger than Christmas."
The crowds of anglers and the festive atmosphere will be repeated along
the banks of the Yellow Breeches up
and downstream from Boiling Springs.
Similar scenes will be found along
trout waters throughout the 18 southcentral and southeastern Pennsylvania
counties that get a two-week jump on
Please see FISH on Page B3
FISH: Many angle for trout all year
Continued from Page Bl fishing. There . is no closed seldom get a big freeze-up
season in those designated bank to bank," said Carlisle
the rest of the state under the special regulation areas, ren- native Ed Shenk ,
the author
early opening day program dering opening day a non- of "Fly Rod Trouting."
the state Fish and Boat Com- event to anglers who fish
"The area is sort of the
mission's instituted last year. there.
tropics of Pa. You can fly-fish
"It is exciting to see the in- The state began its special here all four seasons," said
credible crowds of people regulations program in the Gene Giza, a fishing guide
and the big crowds of kids at late 1930s. Since 1983, the who took advantage
of Tuesthe lake the first day," South program has been emday's weather and a stonefly
Middleton Twp. resident Jim phasized more, said Tom hatch on the Yellow
Hutcheson said. Greene, leader of the Fish Breeches to go fishing.
"Personally, for the fishing, and Boat Commission's cold
Giza's Four Seasons Fly
it's not a big turn-on," he water unit. That was also the Fishing Guide Service is
said. year those special regulation busiest from early March unNot that he isn't serious waters were opened to year- til late October, but he
about trout fishing. The for- around fishing.
doesn't close down over the
mer foreign service officer, Many of the special areas winter.
who learned to fly-fish while are limited to catch-and-re"You'd be surprised the
serving at the U.S. Embassy lease, most only allowing use number of people that get
in Poland, is president of the of flies or artificial lures. cabin fever," Giza said.
Cumberland Valley chapter Some areas allow bait fishing
Many of the fishermen
of Trout Unlimited. He and a limited harvest of who take advantage of the
moved to this area from trout, but no fish may be kept special regulation waters in
Washington, D.C., when he from the day after Labor Day the off-season will sit out
retired four years ago. until the opening day of trout opening day, bemoaning the
"The fishing was the sole season.
crowds.
reason I moved here," he The temperate climate of
Baltz pooh-poohs those atsaid. this part of Pennsylvania, titudes. He said he will wait
The Yellow Breeches and compared with much of the until the afternoon, when the
other streams help give the state, makes it possible for crowds have thinned.
midstate a worldwide reputa- anglers to take advantage of
"You get out. It's a tradition as a trout-fishing mecca. the no-closed-season regula- tion kind of thing," he said.
Hutcheson's lack of excite- tions. The area's limestone "They' re reading too many
ment about opening day springs that feed most of the old fishing books about
stems from guidelines that best trout streams also help.
peace and solitude. There is
restrict a prime, one-mile "The fish can ed all year plenty of time for that later."
stretch of the Yellow around because the water
Breeches and parts of other comes out of the ground CHRIS A. COUROGEN: 255-8112
s reams to catc h-and-release around 51 degrees.
You very or [email protected]