The best place to observe National Fishing and Boating Week --June 2-10--is on the water. That’s where you’ll find Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Doug Austen; over the course of the week, he’ll explore interesting Pennsylvania waterways, meet with constituents, and call attention to the work the Commission and its partners are performing in support of great fishing and boating.

Starting with a float trip and ending with a celebration of a special fishing area, Austen will take in some of the sights-- and sites -- that make the Commonwealth a fishing and boating hot spot.

“I’m always telling the people I meet they need to make more time to enjoy our streams, lakes and rivers. It’s about time I start taking my own advice. Too often I’m in an office or meeting room talking about Pennsylvania’s resources and not out experiencing them. So for National Fishing and Boating Week, I’m going to switch things up a bit by taking my work on the road-- or more accurately-- to the water,” said Austen.

Austen’s trip will begin June 2 at the Schuylkill River Sojourn.

The Schuylkill River Sojourn is a 110-mile guided canoe or kayak trip on the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill Haven to Philadelphia. The waterway serves as the spine for the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area-- a region sporting a remarkable diversity of historic, recreational and cultural attractions. Sojourns are a great way to experience Pennsylvania from a different perspective-- the water.

For more information on sojourns, visit the POWR Sojourn webpage.

Austen’s explorations will next take him to Berks County on June 5.

There, he’ll be assisting PFBC staff performing fisheries survey work on the Little Lehigh Creek. The survey is part of ongoing fish population monitoring to gauge the impacts of habitat improvement projects on the stream.

Addressing habitat is an important part of fisheries management and a growing area of emphasis for the director since coming to Pennsylvania in 2004. He was instrumental in the creation of the National Fish Habitat Initiative and within the Commission created a new division of Habitat Management.

The morning of June 6 will find Austen at Spring Creek, Centre County.

There he will meet with the local organizing committee hosting the 6th Annual FIPS-Mouche World Youth Fly Fishing Championship. This event, featuring fly fishing teams from around the world, with competitors aged 13 to 18, will be coming to Central Pennsylvania August 3-10.

For more information on the event, contact Betsey Howell, Executive Director of the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau at 814-231-1401.

Austen will then journey to the Pennsylvania Wilds.

The Pennsylvania Wilds cover 12 counties in Northcentral Pennsylvania and offer more than 2 million acres of public lands. The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to some top-notch fishing and boating. Austen, a member of Gov. Rendell’s Pennsylvania Wilds Task Force, will meet with the Pennsylvania Wilds Tourism and Marketing Corporation comprised of eight Tourist Promotion Agencies responsible for marketing the region as a premier outdoor lovers' destination.

The afternoon of June 6 and the morning of June 7, Austen will tour Fishing Creek, the Susquehanna River at Lock Haven, and Curwensville Lake.

The evening of June 7 will take Austen to the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards dinner in Pittsburgh. These awards recognize and honor outstanding accomplishments in various environmental initiatives throughout the 29-county western Pennsylvania region.

On June 8, Austen will meet with representatives of the Three Rivers Chapter of Muskies, Inc. and try his hand at fishing for the largest sportfish in Pennsylvania. The species name comes from the Chippewa name for the fish “mas,” meaning “ugly,” and “kinononge,” meaning “fish.”

But musky fishing diehards know there are few things more beautiful than matching wits with these giants. Information on where to find muskellunge in Pennsylvania, fishing tips and photos can be found on a special musky feature page on the Commission’s web site.

That afternoon, Austen will tour a section of the Youghiogheny River with representatives of Venture Outdoors, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making the outdoor recreation community a vibrant centerpiece of the Pittsburgh region. Venture Outdoors was recently awarded a Sportfishing and Aquatic Resource Education Grant from the Commission to purchase equipment to assist in efforts to take fishing and boating programs to people at a range of urban sites.

Austen’s tour will conclude Saturday, June 9, at Yellow Creek, Bedford County, where he’ll speak at a public ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the special regulation trout fishing section of the stream.

A 0.9-mile section of the stream from mouth of Maple Run (Jacks Run) upstream to the cable near Red Bank Hill is currently managed for Catch and Release Fly Fishing Only. The event is coordinated by Yellow Creek Coalition, made up of the Blair County, Fort Bedford, and Mountain Laurel Chapters of Trout Unlimited. The Coalition conducts improvement and cleanup projects, maintains the streamside trail, and is presently working to keep the waterway open to the public in perpetuity.

A jaunt around the state isn’t the only way to discover good fishing and boating in Pennsylvania. There are great opportunities right in your backyard. To find great fishing and boating near you, check out the County Guides section of the Commission website.

To make sampling fishing even easier during National Fishing and Boating Week, the Commission has designated June 3 as a Fish for Free Day. On this date, anyone, not just license holders or youth under the age of 16, can legally fish in Pennsylvania. From 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. no fishing license is needed to fish in Pennsylvania's waterways.

Fish For Free Day provides an opportunity for active anglers to introduce a friend or relative to the lifelong sport of fishing. Best of all, it's a good time and a fun way to spend a day with the entire family.

Need a hand getting started, or restarted, in fishing? Select “Fish” from the left-hand navigation bar on the Commission’s web site and click on “Fishing Fundamentals” from the drop-down menu. There, you can find a list of Family Fishing Programs that provide fun, friendly hands-on instruction for anglers of all ages.

Or you can delve further into the web site to learn more about basic fishing equipment (including a list of sites where you can borrow fishing tackle free of charge), locate fishing destinations nearby and information on the types of fish you may catch.

6/1/2007