Mentor Youth Trout Day: A unique opportunity to teach, learn and create memories on the water

Brycen Scheffler has been fishing one special day with his grandfather for half his life.

Sixteen-year-old Brycen of Leesport, Berks County, has gone out on Mentored Youth Trout Day in Pennsylvania for eight years, spending time with his grandfather, Terry Werley.

Mentored Youth Trout Day will be 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 25 on public waters that have been stocked with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. It’s one week before the statewide opening of the season on April 1.

It’s a day where those under the age of 16 can fish with a mentor without being pressured by the crowds associated with the first day of the season.

“It gives you the opportunity to fish all the different spots rather than being stuck in one hole and you can’t move because there are too many people,” said Werley, 72, of Mohrsville, Berks County, comparing it to the first day of trout season

Brycen added, “It’s less stressful and more calming when you’re not elbow to elbow with someone on a little creek."

In 2018, he caught a 23-inch brook trout while fishing on Little Swatara Creek near Strausstown. The brook trout, one of his biggest fish, was a trophy catch that will be made into a replica mount.

In other times of the year, the duo fish for striped bass, which grow larger than trout. One year he caught a 37-incher.

Being a mentor creates unique bonds for those who like the outdoors. For Werley, it gives him a chance to teach his grandson what his own grandfather taught him.

"My grandfather was a big influence and took me out fishing whenever we could,” Werley said. “He supplied me with equipment and spent all the money on me and took care of me."

Now he does the same for Brycen.

“It’s fun to teach him what works, what don’t work, when you should change and when it’s time to move and just spending time doing that is really good,” Werley said.

When it all comes together and a young person starts reeling in a fish, Werley said, it’s something special.

“It’s something only a grandfather can get excited about because you’re much happier for him to catch it than you are for yourself to catch it. It’s just a proud moment," he said.

Brycen has also enjoyed being mentored by his other grandfather, Ben Scheffler of Kempton, Berks County, during the various hunting seasons. In 2021-2022, the teen shot a 400-pound bear and a 7-point buck while hunting with Scheffler and a spring gobbler that had an 11-inch beard while hunting with Werley. Getting all three big game animals in one license year is a feat known as the Triple Trophy and Triple Crown for Pennsylvania.

Werley said getting the turkey in the spring was emotional.

“We knew he needed that for his triple crown and for it to come running into the decoys first thing at daylight, it was really, really something," he said.

"I feel really extremely lucky to have my grandfathers," Brycen said. "If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to do something like that.” 

He’s already bagged four bucks in his lifetime including an 8-point in the fall of 2022 with a crossbow.

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Why mentor someone?

“I was born and raised in the hunting spirit here in eastern Pennsylvania,” Werley said. His grandfather, Charles Deitrich, bought a hunting camp in central Pennsylvania near Kettle Creek that has been in the family ever since. “There’s a steep tradition there."

Werley feels some youth may never try to fish if they don’t have someone to show them how.

“It’s something they will remember the rest of their life,” he said while recalling experiences with different youth he’s taken fishing over the years. “It keeps the sport alive."

Now that Brycen is 16, he’s looking forward to mentoring others. He’s hoping to mentor his sister Autumn, 14, this year.

What you need to participate

Participants must have a free mentored youth permit or purchase a voluntary fishing license for $2.97 from the commission.  They are both available online at HuntFish.pa.gov or wherever fishing licenses are sold like sport shops and county treasurer offices.

The license is an investment in the future of fishing. For each permit sold, the agency receives $5 back in funding as a federal reimbursement. The agency doesn’t receive a reimbursement for the free youth permit.

The adult mentors, age 16 and older, must have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license and a trout/salmon permit.

Youth are able to keep two trout that are at least 7 inches long. Their mentors are prohibited from possessing trout.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him atbwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors ,Twitter@whipkeyoutdoors and Instagram atwhipkeyoutdoors.