There are certain to be more plentiful fishing days in Venango County this year, but no one could have asked for a nicer one than Saturday.
A temperature around 80, low humidity and a mild breeze greeted visitors at Petroleum Center in Oil Creek State Park. Few if any were there to fish -- Oil Creek is so low and clear that even dreaming about trout was an impossibility.
No, most folks were simply enjoying the paved creekside trail, or picnicking at the day-use area. The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad train hauled tourists south and back to Titusville again, its great whistle filling the quiet valley.
If any of them looked closely, they'd have seen at least one keeper smallmouth at the Petroleum Center bridge, where the shells of big crayfish litter the creek bed.
At Two Mile Run County Park, Justus Lake was alive with half a dozen or so boats -- just few enough that it didn't feel crowded. A few shore anglers tried their luck. Baitfish and small bass patrolled the shore, and Tri-City Speedway roared to life up the hill. Cedar waxwings swarmed the air swallow-like, dining on unseen insects that never appeared to take the hint.
Sunset comes too soon some days.