Littered Legacy? Angler's character is defined by what is left behind

A dead crayfish, tangled in discarded fishing line, was among the items found during an impromptu litter cleanup on May 21 at the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam near Sunbury.

​Knotted in a nest of discarded fishing line, the body of a small crayfish washed ashore near the Adam T. Memorial Dam outside of Sunbury.

The corpse was among a massive pile of litter cleaned up on May 21, the first of several pick-ups at that location over a week's time that highlight a growing issue as we head into a Memorial Day weekend where people surge to local waterways to celebrate the unofficial start of summer.

Along with the dead crayfish, the pile of garbage left behind – most likely by anglers who frequent the location – included empty bait containers, fast food wrappers, packaging from hooks and sinkers, an empty beef jerky bag and a discarded fishing license holder – along with a tangled ball of bright green fishing line.

Early the next morning, on May 22, the site was littered with more trash from the night before, including a Zip-Loc bag of blood and hearts/livers likely used as bait. 

Five days later, on Thursday, May 27, a new pile of trash had already accumulated, including numerous soda cans, empty Styrofoam bait containers and a variety of packaging.

One small location within the greater 11,000-square-mile middle Susquehanna watershed, within a week’s time, had been trashed repeatedly – a tiny microcosm of an issue literally littering waterways throughout the region.

The saddest element is that this trash is most likely coming from anglers – a group of individuals typically associated with conservation of our aquatic ecosystem. A percentage of fishing license sales goes to valuable programs and other efforts to protect our waterways and many anglers are active with groups such as Trout Unlimited and various watershed associations tasked with preserving the natural resources they love in the hopes of passing down a legacy of stewardship to the next generation.

One of the biggest issues facing the angling industry is lack of access to quality fishing holes – mostly because landowners are restricting that access via their property due to concerns over litter and property damage.

Earlier this spring, my daughter and I enjoyed fishing for trout along a stretch of the Little Shamokin Creek that we had not previously explored. Unfortunately, we discovered a shoreline littered with half-full plastic drink bottles, an empty can of corn likely used as trout bait, worm containers and packaging that was fresh enough that it must have come from careless individuals earlier that same day.

As we collected the items, I wondered how long it would be until they were replaced with more garbage, and I could see why landowners would want to protect their property from this sort of mess.

In late April, an osprey was discovered dangling from a bridge near Lancaster, its wing tangled in discarded fishing line. The media coverage of the bridge-side, rappelling-based rescue mission led to a video that hopefully will spark more people to learn and adapt the seven principles of the Leave No Trace movement.

Ultimately, outdoor activities provide a valuable litmus test of a person’s individual character.

A pile of garbage was collected on May 21 at the Adam T. Memorial Dam near Sunbury.

Among the trash picked up on May 21 at the Adam T. Memorial Dam near Sunbury was this ball of bright green fishing line.

The morning of May 22, a new bag of trash is collected at the Adam T. Memorial Dam near Sunbury -- less than 24 hours after it was cleaned up previously.

A new pile of litter is collected at the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam on Thursday, May 27, just five days after the area was cleaned up previously.

Above is a video from media coverage of a bridge-side rescue effort of an osprey caught in discarded fishing line near Lancaster.

Hunters face split-second safety and ethical decisions each time they lower their weapon, primitive circumstances inspire creativity and opportunities for problem solving on hikes and camping trips, people get away from electronics and social media and rediscover the therapeutics of being outdoors. Ultimately, these activities provide unique moments of reflection and personal growth that you can’t find elsewhere.

When I was younger, I used to assume that outdoor success was measured in fishing creel limits and the size of the rack on a recently harvested buck.

However, a true outdoorsman is not defined by what he or she brings home, but more importantly, what is left behind.

Let's all do our parts to leave behind a legacy defined by advocacy in place of apathy.