As my guiding season arrives, we've been getting out on the water after a long cold winter. It's a fun time for me to get out and fish because I'm not super busy right now, but also nobody else is out on the river. This is when I begin to get back in touch with the rivers we guide. Fishing is still generally slow at the end of February and into the first week or so of March - but there's still fish to be caught.

While out there, we're not just fishing for fun or for hero shots. It's about spending time with loved ones, tinkering with new flies and rigs, and making fishing fun again. We spend time talking about how we can each be more involved in conservation efforts and funding - bettering our resource that we use for gain. Above all, we spend this time training and learning the year-to-year changes in the river. That way, when you show up to fish with me, I am up to date and fully locked in.

Pennsylvania is experiencing a lot of big changes. While we are winning some big battles with Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) cleanup, we are also being faced with threats from our very own Fish & Boat Commission as they stock hatchery trout over wild trout in Class A designated waters. To further the threats posed to our cold water resource, AI data centers pose a direct threat to watersheds in the state, as well as families that rely on aquifers and well-water. We have a long way to go, and we are fighting the good fight. Development in Centre County is at an all time high, with more and more farmland being claimed for rezoning, commercial properties, housing high-rises, and sub-divisions.

On the bright side, Pennsylvania's strong outdoor recreation industry is meeting these challenges head-on. We value these resources, making it that much easier to garner support to the cause of protecting them.

Our rivers, lakes, and streams are still cleaner than they've been in generations. Our fish, in certain watersheds, are rebounding after decades of sterile conditions, while other watersheds' populations and genetics only grow stronger year after year. As I make my rounds to all of my favorite waters, I can see the progress we have made, as well as the progress that is still yet to be made. The bass and trout that I have caught so far this year have been healthy, and the streams and rivers have been flowing strong this spring. Overall, it will be another great year of fishing in Pennsylvania.

We have a strong angling community in this state, as well as a strong outdoor recreation economy. I do believe that if we keep advocating for our clean water resource, things will only get stronger in the Commonwealth.

I want to thank everyone for supporting AFG and our goal of redefining the guided fishing experience. I am looking forward to fishing with each and everyone of you this season.

Stay tuned - it's going to be our best year yet!

-Taylor