Skip to main content

Game-Changing Pennsylvania Legislation

Game-Changing Pennsylvania Legislation

Trouble has been brewing along Pennsylvania's Lake Erie shoreline as more and more landowners are closing their properties to public fishing, but at the same time allowing paid, private access to affluent customers who want to enjoy the bounty of Lake Erie's "Steelhead Alley" in solitude.

The problem is that this "bounty" is 99% stocked steelhead, paid for by the state and ostensibly by the angling public. What the landowners have createdin alliance with outfitters who lease the wateris a series of private fishing preserves stocked by the state of Pennsylvania.

The solution to this problem may be Pennsylvania Legislation House Bill 2357 recently introduced by Representative Dan Moul which states that "Any water in this Commonwealth stocked with fish furnished by the commission, including water areas where stocked fish may migrate into, shall be open to the public for the purpose of free, lawful fishing."

The intention of the law is to give the angling public access to the entire length of Twentymile Creek, Elk Creek, Walnut Creek, and many other Lake Erie tributaries along Pennsylvania's short Lake Erie coast. The bill was co-sponsored by reps Gregory Lucas, Thomas Caltagirone, William Kortz, Garth Everett, Thomas Murt, Gordon Denlinger, and Mark Cohen; a mix of republicans and democrats from both urban and rural areas. The bill was referred to the Game & Fisheries Committee which will reconvene in September 2014.

While the proposed bill is a good sign that state lawmakers are standing by the angling public, the reality is that a law giving public access to private property won't stand up in court.

A more successful tactic may be for the PA Fish & Boat Commission to declare all private property as "nursery waters" in the fishing regulations, and close it to all fishing. They can do that. If the public can't fish there, no one fishes there. Then use the Erie Access Improvement Grant Program to purchase longterm fishing easements on these properties, and re-open them to all fishermen.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
News

Fish Camp's Intro to Bluewater: Protecting the Ecosystem

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Fly Tying

Eric Naguski, a trained entomologist, shares his hatch-matching and fly-tying secrets

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
How-To/Techniques

Fish Camp's Introduction to Streamers: Critical Thinking

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Destinations/Species

In Praise of Poppers

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
How-To/Techniques

Country Musician Colby Acuff Introduces Fin & Feather Fly-Fishing YouTube Series

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Fly Tying

Fish Camp's Intro to Dry Fly Fishing: Dry Fly Rigs

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
How-To/Techniques

Joe Humphreys ''Mr. Penn State'' Reveals what he's Learned in 90 years of Fly Fishing

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Destinations/Species

Fish Camp's Entomology Course: Insect Life Cycle

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
How-To/Techniques

Ed Jaworowski's Fly Casting Video Series, Video 4: The Backcast

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Gear

Fly Tier's Bench: Shanafelt's 3 Mile PMD

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
How-To/Techniques

Fish Camp's Indicator Nymphing: Mending

Riffles, eddies, troughs and more...These are all prime areas of rivers that can hold trout. instructor Mike Dawes break...
Destinations/Species

Fish Camp's Trout Foundations: Where Trout Live

Fly Fisherman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Fly Fisherman App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Fly Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Fly Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Fly Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use