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Amanda Lynn Casey and William Henry Washney Jr. announce their engagement

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Scouts from Troop 146 visit Dallas Post Office

<p>Waterways Conservation Officer John Cummings experienced something different when he helped stock two truckloads of trout into Frances Slocum Lake on Wednesday.</p><p>For the first time in a couple of years, the task was relatively easy, thanks to the mild winter.</p><p>Last year, Cummings and many other WCOs had to chop holes in ice or carry buckets through deep snow to stock trout during the preseason.</p><p>Not this year.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve stocked Little Fishing Creek and Frances Slocum, and so far it&#8217;s been a breeze,&#8221; Cummings said. &#8220;Not having to bust holes in ice is definitely a step forward.&#8221;</p><p>WCO Aaron Lupacchini echoed that sentiment as he stocked Lily Lake on Wednesday. Last year, when the lake was stocked, Lupacchini not only had to chop holes in the ice, but he had to deal with a blinding snowstorm as well.</p><p>&#8220;No postponements this year,&#8221; Lupacchini said as trout poured into the lake through a tube attached to the stocking truck.</p><p>With the April 16 opener of trout season just three weeks away, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will remain busy stocking more than 720 streams and 123 lakes across the state. It represents a busy time for WCOs, who combine trout stocking with increased patrols to make sure no one is getting a jump on opening day.</p><p>Cummings said the duties are on top of tasks such as routine patrols, serving warrants, filing paperwork and other daily jobs of a WCO.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been looking for a time to get my state truck inspected over the next three weeks, and the schedule is just crazy,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a taxing time, but also exciting. All of my anglers are looking forward to this and I&#8217;m excited for them.&#8221;</p><p>Another benefit of an easy winter is better water conditions to stock trout. At Lily Lake, the water temperature was 52 degrees, right in the prime range of 50 to 65 degrees that trout prefer. Lupacchini said the trout released in Lily Lake, which included numerous trophy golden rainbows, looked healthy.</p><p>At Frances Slocum, where the water temperature was 48 degrees, Cummings said the trout, which included 60 brood fish, were impressive.</p><p>Leigh Bonczewski was among the approximately 20 people at Lily Lake who gathered to watch the stocking. He said seeing the trout represents a sign of spring.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re beautiful fish this year and seeing all these people here shows that this tradition keeps going year after year,&#8221; Bonczewski said. &#8220;Once you see the trout stocking trucks pull in, you know spring is here.&#8221;</p><p>White the trout look good and water temperatures are fine, there may be issues down the road. Both Lupacchini and Cummings said the lack of ice meant water temperatures were a bit higher than normal, and they could become too warm later in the spring after the season opens.</p><p>&#8220;The water wasn&#8217;t kept as cool because of a lack of ice, so we&#8217;ll see what it&#8217;s going to be like later in the season once May rolls around,&#8221; Cummings said.</p><p>While the ice makes preseason trout stockings easier, at many locations the work would be much harder if it wasn&#8217;t for the help of volunteers. That holds true especially for streams where trout have to be carried to the water in buckets.</p><p>Cummings said volunteer turnout has been strong this year.</p><p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t overstate how much we depend on it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It can be unpredictable depending on the weather. Sometimes I&#8217;ll roll up to a place like the lower end of Fishing Creek and there&#8217;s too many people. Other days there will only be three volunteers there. The weather doesn&#8217;t impact the turnout.&#8221;</p><p>One scene playing out at many stocking locations this year is anglers fishing for trout soon after they are released. A regulation change allowing year-round fishing on certain stocked trout waters. The move was made to allow anglers to take advantage of the early bite for crappie and yellow perch. From March 1 to opening day, trout may be caught but must be released.</p><p>Lupacchini said he hasn&#8217;t seen many problems with anglers keeping trout before the season, but cautioned that if a trout is injured and dies, it is considered a violation.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why we encourage anglers to use barbless hooks or lures and avoid using bait that they could swallow,&#8221; Lupacchini said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Michael Vermack, Taylor, volunteers his time each year to help the Fish Commission stock Frances Slocum Lake. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_trout1.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Michael Vermack, Taylor, volunteers his time each year to help the Fish Commission stock Frances Slocum Lake. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio/Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_trout2.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Brian McKinley, left, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Benner Spring Hatchery, hands Michael Vermack a net of trophy fish that were stocked along with 4,800 other fish stocked at Frances Slocum Lake on Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_trout2.jpeg</photo1><caption1>Brian McKinley, left, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Benner Spring Hatchery, hands Michael Vermack a net of trophy fish that were stocked along with 4,800 other fish stocked at Frances Slocum Lake on Wednesday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio/Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_trout3.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Shawn Hillard, DCNR, Frances Slocum Park, lets nine-year old Jack Hurst, Plains empty a net of trophy fish last Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_trout3.jpeg</photo2><caption2>Shawn Hillard, DCNR, Frances Slocum Park, lets nine-year old Jack Hurst, Plains empty a net of trophy fish last Wednesday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio/Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Mentored Youth Trout Days approaching</p><p>The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission&#8217;s (PFBC) popular Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Days return this season, with the first special day taking place on March 26, in the 18-county southeast region.</p><p>Participants can fish in any PFBC stocked trout water in that region from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. But in a new change implemented this year, only kids will be allowed to keep trout.</p><p>&#8220;Without a doubt, the mentored youth program has been a huge success, growing each year as we listen to anglers and make changes to improve the experience,&#8221; PFBC Executive Director John Arway said. &#8220;This year we are refining it again by allowing only kids to keep two trout. Mentors can fish but cannot keep any trout.</p><p>&#8220;This is a very popular program designed to encourage kids to take adults fishing,&#8221; Arway said. &#8220;Mentors can show kids that fishing is fun, and at the same time promote active, outdoor recreation. Adult mentors are encouraged to fish with the children and provide encouragement and tips, but we&#8217;re asking them to release their catch to the water unharmed.&#8221;</p><p>The 18 southeastern counties include: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York.</p><p>To participate, adult anglers (16 years or older) must have a valid fishing license and trout/salmon permit and be accompanied by a youth. Youth anglers must obtain a free PFBC-issued permit, or a voluntary $1 youth fishing license.</p><p>Kids can keep two trout, which must measure at least seven inches. Mentors can fish, but must practice catch and release.</p><p>Participation in the program has grown every year since it was first launched in 2013 and drew 5,110 kids. Last year, more than 28,000 kids signed up to participate.</p><p>The mentored youth event precedes the April 2 Regional Opening Day of Trout Season in the same 18 southeastern counties.</p><p>A second Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day will be held on April 9 in the remaining 49 counties. This is the Saturday before the April 16 Statewide Opening Day of Trout Season.</p><p>A majority of the trout waters will be stocked in advance of the mentored youth days. But some of the waters may not be stocked in time due to weather, water conditions and scheduling logistics. Also, special regulation areas, like Catch and Release Fly-Fishing Only or Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only, are not included in the mentored youth program.</p><p>&#8220;Trout season is a great cure for cabin fever and an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the Commonwealth&#8217;s abundant natural resources,&#8221; Arway said. &#8220;It&#8217;s also a perfect time to share your excitement with others by &#8216;Paying it Forward,&#8217; and doing a good deed.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Maybe you help bait someone&#8217;s hook, offer to take a shore angler out on your boat, or even buy someone a fishing license,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The idea is that we all benefit when we do good deeds for others.&#8221;</p><p>More than 9,200 voluntary youth fishing licenses were sold last year, and another 18,858 mentored youth permits were issued.</p><p>For every voluntary youth license sold, the PFBC will receive approximately $5 in federal revenue from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service&#8217;s Sport Fish Restoration Act program, which provides funds to states based on a formula that includes the number of licenses a state sells. All revenues earned from a voluntary youth fishing license will be dedicated to youth fishing programs.</p><p>Both the free permit and voluntary youth license are available through GoneFishingPA.com or at any of the more than 900 licensing agents across the state.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table class="mceItemTable" style="border:none;width:98%;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;">DPoD7oibh8Y </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;">YOUTUBE</p><p></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPoD7oibh8Y</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;"> Stock trout with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.</p><p></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;"> Tom Venesky | Times Leader</p><p></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

Stocking a sign of spring