Flyers Field fishing derby reels in young anglers with bountiful trout

With sunny skies and highs in the low 80s, kids reeled in trout Saturday during the second annual Fishing Derby in Pucketa Creek next to Flyers Field in Lower Burrell.

“I’ve seen 50 to 60 fish caught, and we still have the afternoon to go,” said organizer Chris Lowe, an angler for 40 years and a coach for the Lower Burrell Flyers football organization, which sponsored the event.

The football organization paid to stock the stream with close to 190 rainbow and brown trout to encourage kids to take up fishing.

More than 60 young anglers showed up to fish by lunchtime with more expected in the afternoon, Lowe said.

“Hopefully, we’ll get more young children to become anglers and pass on the tradition,” he said.

Kate Gamble, of Lower Burrell, brought her son, Dean, to the event after an athletic event in the morning.

Although they were off to a later start, Dean, 7, was hoping to catch some fish.

“We haven’t caught any but we are having fun,” she said.

Lower Burrell Mayor John Andrejcik, an avid angler and fly fishing instructor, was on hand to show young anglers how to fillet their trout and how to create a lure for fly fishing.

“It was a good day weather-wise,” the mayor said, “and the kids had fun.”