Drought conditions that turned Rocky Mountain rivers into Pennsylvania-style streams gave Lock Haven, Pa.'s George Daniel the edge he needed to win the gold medal at the 2008 U.S. National Fly Fishing Championship Oct. 4-6 in Boulder, Colo.

Daniel, a pro angler who works at the TCO Fly Shop in State College and has presented casting demos in this area, out-fished 70 challengers on Colorado's Big Thompson and Poudre rivers, and two lakes.

"The thing that got me the win was ... they're having a drought," said Daniel, "extremely low, low water and the trout were extremely spooky. Those rivers were just like creeks in the east. A lot of those western guys are used to banging out 20 or 30 fish an hour; this was producing one to three fish in two hours. You had to fish slowly, thoroughly, in one or two passes, like in creeks around home."

With a first-place showing, Daniel won a spot on the U.S. fly-fishing team that will compete in the world championship, held in March 2008, in New Zealand.

Heather Seitz, an 18-year-old graduate of Hampton High School, placed 62nd of 70 a few days before undergoing hip surgery. Seitz, who competed in international competition this year with the U.S. Youth World Fly-Fishing Team, plans to try out for the team again in 2008.

Beaver Run Reservoir

Weeks before an election, 3,000 constituents can't be wrong. At a recent meeting of the Westmoreland County commissioners, members of the Westmoreland County Sportsmen's League presented a petition signed by 3,000-plus county residents who would be politically pleased in this election period if the incumbents were to persuade the appointed board members of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County to reconsider their opposition to opening part of Beaver Run Reservoir for fishing.

The 1,300-acre lake in northern Westmoreland County is one of two sources of drinking water for the region (the other is the Youghiogheny River). In March, the Pennsylvania Fish and Game Commission explained to water authority board members how public angling on the lake could be managed, modeled in part on Quemahoning Reservoir, which supplies water to Cambria and Somerset counties and was opened to public angling in 2001 with no adverse affect on water supplies.

"We'd like to see fishing on a very limited basis, just from Route 286 south," said Sportsmen's League vice-president Sam Rugh. "[The board's] concerns about security and pollution and traffic all could be resolved. We went to the commissioners who appoint the Water Authority board and said, 'Here are the petitions, where do you stand?' "

Rugh said he has yet to get a firm answer from the commissioners.

"We've tried talking to those who are running against incumbents [in the November election]," he said. "So far, they've expressed no interest."

The Sportsmen's League is still collecting signatures. For information call 724-537-2958.