March 29, 2014

The Opening Day of Trout Season Retrospective Post - aka The 2014 Opener That Wasn't

Today is opening day of trout season in Southeastern Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania actually has two opening days, one for the Southeast, and one for the rest of the state...further proof that Southeastern PA and South Jersey should secede from their respective states, absorb Delaware and become the new state of Rendellphia, but I digress...


This is the first year in quite a few that I won't be making the opening day of Pennsylvania trout season.  Makes me a little sad...not because the fishing is epic or anything (I prefer an 8" wild trout to a 18" stocked trout any day), I just miss the theatrics...the shoulder to shoulder fishing, the anticipation of an imaginary 8AM alarm to toss in the first line, and the eavesdropping while your neighbors debate the merits of wax worms vs. Powerbait vs. corn niblets...  It's akin to being at a very public place - airport, restaurant, etc... and just "people watching."  Yeah, I sound a bit snobby, but even I leave the fly rod at home on opening day...it's one of those days to scratch a spinning rod / inline spinner itch.

So with no opener down here in Florida, I thought I'd link to some of the previous years' posts.  Note, with this blog starting in June of 2007, there are no records of openers 2006 and older...which sort of sucks...but whatever...

2007
(My second blog post ever in June 2007, no pictures)

2008
(A written account, no pictures)

2009
(Evidently, also the year the camera was invented)

2010
(My friend Mutt with a pig)

2011
(Ponch & John made an appearance)

2012
(Trout Island)

2013
(Somewhat uneventful)

8 comments:

  1. Two opening days, never heard of that. Here in CT it is not till like April 15th.

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    1. They started it a few years back. Claim the western part of the state is colder??? Beats me.

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  2. I can't do opening days, just can't. Luckily around here we have year round seasons for the wild and tailwater trout streams. The "openers" are fully for city stocked ponds and trout parks. That being said I fully get the desire to people watch. What a circus indeed to be fully surrounded by corn checkers. Thanks for the post. Fun to look back at previous posts.

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    1. Thanks Atlas. Trout fishing is open year round in Pennsylvania as well, but like you mentioned, the Spring opener is when all of the stocking happens. PA is not like some other states where trout are continually stocked year round. Definitely missed out on the freak show this year...but I live in Florida now, so I get front row seats to the circus daily.

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  3. Opening day seems to be an east coast thing, except in MA. We have year round fishing.

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    1. That's the rub. PA is year round too. That makes Opening Day all that more nonsensical!

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