First day of Trout Fishing - Monroe County

This is the big day all the fishermen have been waiting for - first day of trout season. The streams have been stocked and the fish are chomping at the bit to take the bait!  On the way into the office I passed a few of the hot spots - Tobyhanna Creek - and noticed a lot of cars.  Lehigh River is teaming over with plenty of fishermen. Here is a picture of Neal VanHine from the Blakeslee office with his happy grandson, Tyler who caught a big fish!   It makes me think of many years ago, before we lived in the Poconos.   I recall  camping at Hickory Run for the first day of Trout Season. We arrived on Friday night and set up camp.   It was cold like today 44 degrees.    I didn't fish - my husband did.  He left me at the campsite, took the car and headed to the Lehigh River - I had a good book to keep me company.  John anticipated being back around noon.  By 2 PM, I started to wonder.  No cell phones then so I had no idea of where he was.  By 3 PM  I was annoyed - did he stop at the local watering hole and forget I was at the campsite?  He finally arrived at 4 PM.  This is his story and he is sticking with it:  He put on his waders and walked into the moving waters of the Lehigh.  Only fishing for an hour - he had not yet caught any fish when he slipped on a rock and water started to fill the waders. He panicked - was able to get out of the water without being swept away and drowning.  But the car keys were no where to be found.  He was wet and cold.  Could not get into the locked car.  Someone helped him get to White Haven to find a phone and call a locksmith or whomever you call for car keys.  The closest one was in Hazleton.  And he would have to wait by the car until the key guy arrived - it took hours until he was finally able to return to the campsite - still damp and without any fish.  Today if this happened,  I suppose the cell phone would have made the situation easier to handle - but then there would be no story of lost keys and wet waiting and me fuming at the campsite.