Dale, the ice hasn't formed on the ponds here in W. PA., but the fishing season hasn't started yet, either! Oh, a few die-hards go out, but most sit at home and watch the fishing shows on TV on Saturday!
I have one gripe about those shows: they show those guys pulling in a fish as soon as the bait or lure hits the water, and also shows them hoorawing about how great the catching is in whatever pond or lake they're in!
Well, from my experiences here in Pennsylvania, i think they must have a scuba diver down under the surface, with a basket of fish, and he hooks one on as soon as the lure hits the water!
Oh, i have drowned a ton of worms, lost countless lures and plugs of all kinds, in all kinds of streams and lakes, and never caught even one fish of any size, except maybe a youngster fish that didn't know any better than to bite whatever i dropped down to him!
And of course, the PA. fish Commission, with all their wisdom, and probably from watching too many tv shows, keeps upping the cost of fishing licenses, to the point that going fishing means a significant outlay of cash before we even can start the car, or truck, and pull out of the driveway!Way back in the fifties, the F.C. gave you a booklet with the regs in it. A small booklet that would fit in yer shirt pocket! What do we get now?? A magazine size book, about 30 pages, and enough regs to fill a medium size notebook! 10 years or so ago, i plunked down $10 for a permanent retiree's fish license, and also rec'd that booklet! By the time i had read thru most of it, i decided the PETA folks must have made it, because there weren't hardly any streams where there were fish, artificial lures could be used here, 10 yards down stream, those lures were disallowed, natural bait had to be used, 10 yards further down, some other lure, plug, fly, on and on, ad infinitum! Of course, there were warnings not to eat any fish!! Why fish, if ya can't eat at least one or two freshly caught trout, fried in butter over the gasoline stove, outside, on a frosty morning, without worrying whether yer eyes are going to turn red, or yer lungs might not work, or something equally as bad!
and, the fish wardens got so nasty! I got blamed 3 times for somebody elses littering, but got out of any charges!
So, i gave up fishing! completely and permanently!
Go fish-have fun-don't move to Pennsylvania!
Rusty Jones

Well, looks like we might have something going in this neck of the woods for a long weekend in March ... 17th through the 20th.

Doing a little camping/fishing at Biden Lake. That's in the Uwharrie National Forest and their Arrowhead C/G. Nice sites, flush toilets and hot showers. Understand some of the sites now have electical hook-up.

Don't know who might be close to that area, but consider yourself invited!

Dale

Oh so jealous...Up here in Alberta it'll likely be the middle of MAY before I'll get to hit the water ... killing me worse this year than last, because my Christmas present from my dear hubby was a new Cortland fly rod which I can't wait to try out!! Maybe I'll have to pack it up and head south for a few months...LOL
Verena

So, Dale how did your fishing weekend go?

Rusty, you are too funny! I'm not into fishing myself but I love boating and kayaking! I won't give up a day out on the water for anything! Everybody else can fish. I'll be happy with a good book or some drawing supplies to keep me busy! Add a blanket for taking a nap and I'm set for the day!

Yes, Jen, i always enjoyed our canoe float trips down some lazy crick, or the upper reaches of the Susquehanna River!
After our youngest son moved out , in one of his many love affairs, and after we sold our pickup, i didn't get out much! Couldn't haul the canoe on the motor home, and wife didn't like towing it around on a boat trailer!
We always went canoeing on Mother's Day weekend! All of us Cousins and spouses would go down east to Orbisonia, Pa., then turn back into the foothills, to a small campground beside the Aughwick Creek. We'd haul the canoes up the crick about 10 miles or so, then float back down to the camp! Some of us would fish a bit, but never caught anything worth braggin' about. One day, the rain started, and by the time we got to the take-out place, our canoes had a half-foot of water in them! Not fun in an aluminum canoe, with lightning thrashing about!
Oh yes, a lot of good memories! Now, most of the cuzzinz are in poor health, except me! They have sold or given away their canoes! I still have mine, and now the errant son says he wants it! He'll probably get it--at 81 3/4 years of age, i probably won't use it again!
Hopefully the gasoline situation will settle down some! I have some Bluegrass weekends coming up, about a tankful away and back! At 10-11 mpg, the coach really drinks the gas!
So, have fun with yer camping and whatever! Nice to hear from you!
Rusty