Cal U and the California community again will collaborate to present the 23rd annual Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival, set for 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 21 at Rotary Park, off Route 88 (Third Street) in California.
Cal U and the California community again will collaborate to present the 23rd annual Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival, set for 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 21 at Rotary Park, off Route 88 (Third Street) in California.
The free event is open to boys and girls ages 15 and younger. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult must accompany children younger than 13.
Registration begins at 7 a.m.
Kids may bring their own fishing gear, or they can borrow equipment from a Cal U student volunteer as part of the state Fish and Boat Commission's Borrow-A-Rod-and-Reel program.
Expert fishing guides will be on hand to answer questions or help young anglers learn how to catch trout.
The Pike Run Fishing Festival Committee will stock the stream with nearly 600 rainbow, brook, brown and golden trout. As it has done in the past, the committee will provide entertainment and many other activities.
Vendors will sell bait, tackle, food and beverages at the festival, which closes with
a weigh-in, prizes and the awarding of trophies.
The festival is organized and programmed by the University's parks and recreation
management program, the Parks and Recreation Student Society, the Recreation Program
Planning class, and the Cal U Eco-Learning Community, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission, California Rotary, the Borough of California and the California
Borough Recreation Authority.
Dr. Candice Riley, faculty adviser for the event, said the festival generates a lot of good exposure and positive feedback from the public.
"Planning the Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival also gives our students a chance to interact with the community and gain important real-life experience in planning an event," she said.
"This is a wonderful tradition and collaboration between the University and borough."
Restoration Resilient
All fishing festival guests will continue enjoying the expanded fishing and recreational space from the venue's stream mitigation and streamside restoration project, which took place 18 months ago.
Through a contract from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the multifaceted project transformed the habitat for fish and aquatic insects, improving outdoor opportunities for anglers, nature lovers, students and community residents.
The University-based Partners for Fish and Wildlife program at Cal U led the project in collaboration with the California Borough Recreation Authority, Pheasants Forever, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Washington County Conservation District and the Department of Environmental Protection.
Program coordinator Jose Taracido is pleased with how the park and stream are holding up following a second wet winter.
"By manipulating the water and creating the riffles that did not exist before, the gravel sediment is in place and has done really well even with some expected small flood damage," he said. "Downstream from the park the habitat for trout has improved considerably and there's good spawning areas for the fish that come up from the river and so forth."
Another important part of the project involves Cal U biology students, under Dr. David
Argent, who are also monitoring the stream's water quality, aquatic life and insect
communities.
For more information about the fishing festival, contact Riley at riley@calu.edu, call 724-938-5288, or visit www.facebook.com/groups/PRYFF.