Opening Day (Fishing Season)

Opening day of trout season in New York State is April 1. There is some reasoning that goes into that. For one, it's easy to remember from year to year. Then there's the whole April First, a.k.a. Fools Day, thing.

It seems that seven out of ten years there's 1) tons of snow on the ground on 1 April, 2) ice on the streams and rivers (or at least ice dams causing horrendous flooding), 3) frigid temperatures throughout the northeast but especially in Upstate New York. If none of these conditions exist you can usually depend upon there being falling snow.

This year we've had a bit of an early spring (although there's been some back sliding lately) and snow on the ground is virtually non-existent and ice in creeks, rivers and (most) lakes is long gone. The daytime temperatures have reached the 70s for several consecutive days during the month of March and the nighttime lows have been, generally, no worse than the upper 20s.

Tonight (Friday night), however, the forecast is for up to 3 inches of snow in New York's Southern Tier. It's arriving a day early. I blame this on the fact that it's Leap Year and that extra day in February through Mother Nature off her game. Like a fastball hitter swinging at a major league change-up, she's just a wee bit early.

PS. I have yet to purchase my fishing license for either NY or PA. I usually get the NYS all-round sportsman's license which includes hunting and fishing but, when I wracked up my knee last fall, I passed on purchasing a tag for NY. PA's hunting and fishing licenses are separate and I just haven't stopped into Cooper's to pick one up. I've got time, PA's trout season doesn't start for two weeks.