Credit: Maxwell Reil/LevittownNow.com
Parents and their children were standing in the shallow end of Silver Lake on Saturday.
With rods in their hands, the kids were casting into the lake, trying to avoid lily pads in hopes that a bite would soon follow.
For a while, it was fairly quiet, other than the occasional parent chit-chat serving as white noise in the background. But around 1:30 p.m., Andrew Gingrich, of Langhorne, screamed with excitement.
“I got it,” he exclaimed to his mother, holding his rod with a flopping Bluegill attached to the end of his line.
The celebration was one of many as Silver Lake Nature Center in Bristol Township hosted its free Family Fishing Day. The event took place at Silver Lake, just down the road from Silver Lake’s visitors center on Bath Road.
Silver Lake Nature Center hosted the event and the Delaware River Fishermen’s Association sponsored the six-hour activity. According to the nature center, the fishermen association is a “symbiont organization” that meets at Silver Lake on the last Wednesday of each month. The event is a way for the fishermen to provide their expertise and give back to Silver Lake as well as the community.
Kids were taught how to tie a bobber to their string, they were taught how to tie the hook to their string and they were given lessons on how to cast by casting their string into hula hoops on the grass near the lake.
Jerry Kozlansky, director of Silver Lake Nature Center, said the point of the event was to educate families who may not know how to fish.
“These parents want the kids to learn how to fish and maybe they don’t have the knowledge themselves or the skill set and so we and the fishermen’s association can provide them with this opportunity,” he said.
When it came COVID-19 protocol, Kozlansky couldn’t think of a better sport to practice in a year of social distancing.
Credit: Maxwell Reil/LevittownNow.com
“The funny thing about fishing is that fishing poles are typically 5 feet long, so physically you’re going to have to be distanced from the other person on the lake,” he said.
And as families avoid movie theaters and shopping malls, they are now exploring more nature centers like Silver Lake. Kozlansky said the amount of people who are visiting the center to fish or hike has gone up 300 percent from 2019.
“It’s a wonderful thing and I’m hoping it sticks and people get a taste of nature. Hopefully, when this pandemic is over they won’t forget that,” he said.
Amber Ovens, of Croydon, said she couldn’t be more grateful that events like Family Fishing Day are available.
“It’s great to bring the community and the kids together and to educate them. And I don’t know much about fishing so it’s nice that the fishermen are here to help teach my son and the other kids,” Ovens said.
Andrew Gingrich’s mom Alison agreed.
“They’re teaching my son and daughter things I wouldn’t be able to do, and the fact that it’s a free event that’s wonderful. This center is well-staffed and ready to help. It’s just great,” said Gingrich, of Langhorne.
Along with a fishing education, the children won raffles with prizes that included free fishing rods to take home.
After Andrew Gingrich let his Bluegill back into the water, luck struck twice in the family as Alexa reeled in another Bluegill, jumping and smiling towards her parents.
About 10 yards down the lake, 10-year-old Joshua Berko, of Philadelphia, stood in the water and cast his rod.
Credit: Maxwell Reil/LevittownNow.com
Standing patiently, he looked out on the water saw his bobber submerge.
“What should I do,” he asked the fisherman assisting him.
“Just reel it in,” he responded.
A lifelong lesson being learned on Saturday afternoon at Silver Lake.
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