In this week’s “Into the Wild,” KYW’s John McDevitt takes us on a fishing trip for beginners on the banks of the Schuylkill River. The free program takes place once a week in Southwest Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Before anyone can cast a line into the Schuylkill River, the day starts with some instruction in the Bartram’s Garden parking. Amber is our teacher.
“Have you ever fished before?” she asks.
Hearing many in the group murmur “no,” Amber begins: “So this is the rod you’ll be using …”
She gives us a briefing on the anatomy of a fishing pole and a rough refresher on casting: “You're going to pull it back and swing it out, right, and with your eyesight you are minding, looking, aiming for something in the water …,” she says.
“So it’s kind of like a flick. And you let it go, and it will just go out …”
And then, we’re off down to the water, where we can put a worm on the hook ourselves — or have it done for us.
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Every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m., through August, Bartram’s Garden plays host to a free catch-and-release fishing program on the banks of the Schuylkill. Poles are provided. Live bait is available for purchase. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. And you don’t need a fishing license.
'Just a way of engaging with the river'
Vayda Good from West Philadelphia and Eliza Culp of South Philly have been free fishing at Bartram’s a few times.
“We have seen so many fish, and we caught zero fish,” says Good.
“We — so many nibbles, you know? I need to catch something for my ego's sake,” says Culp.
“I caught a catfish as a child in the Delaware River using a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” offers Good.
With no PB&J to be seen, we’ll just have to see how we do with the worms today.
“It’s just a way of engaging with the river,” says Chloe Wang, river program manager at Bartram’s Garden. “We want to provide as much access to the river as possible, because we are a public park, and the river is a public waterway, so we want it to feel like it’s an extension of the park here.”
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More than 40 species of fish live in the tidal Schuylkill River, including white perch, carp and bluegill.
On this particular Wednesday, Ben Pisanty of West Philadelphia is a first-time angler — and also the first to catch a fish. A bluegill, according to Wang. And he caught it quickly, just moments after dropping his line in the water.
“Right in the water,” Pisanty said. “And then looking somewhere else. You don’t want to embarrass the fish. If you are looking, then they run away.”
Wait — this first-timer has a technique?
“Definitely.”
Is it “beginner's luck”?
“Definitely,” he says again. “We just started, so I hope everybody gets to experience that luck.”
After a couple of Instagram moments with Pisanty’s fish, the creature is freed from the hook and, with a soft plunk, it is back at home in the river.
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Is it safe to eat?
Some urban anglers say the tranquility of fishing on the Schuylkill and other rivers and creeks in the city is reward enough. But some people like to take their catch home for dinner. Fish caught at the Wednesday night program at Bartram's must be released back into the river — but elsewhere, if someone wanted to eat the fish they catch, would it be safe?
Fish can carry in their tissue dangerous chemicals, such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), that get into waterways from industrial and agricultural run off or from dumping. Even so, fish caught in urban waters may be safe to eat. Once upon a time, the Schuylkill was so polluted that oxygen levels were too low to sustain life. But since the '70s, starting with the federal Clean Water Act, the river's health has increased.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, the state's Department of Environmental Protection issues fish consumption advisories for species and locations known to be dangerous. And DEP uses a chart to specify how safe specific fish are expected to be.
For example, in the Schuylkill, catfish may be safe in moderation, but American eels may have levels of PCBs that are unsafe in any amount.
More information about fishing in Pennsylvania can be found with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled Vayda Good's name.
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