Suppose for a moment a die-hard fly fisherman with a few blank squares to fill on his calendar were to tack a map of Pennsylvania on the wall, and then randomly throw a dart with intentions of fishing the nearest trout stream to the dart’s point of impact. If his aim were as true as a standard dart-board’s bullseye, his dart would land right around the middle of the state – smack dab in the heart of Happy Valley.
For Fritz Smith, president and CEO of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the love for hospitality started at a very early age, in a place fueled by tourism.
“I grew up in Washington, D.C., a place where the two major industries were government and tourism,” he said. “You saw thousands of people visiting the Washington Monument and going in and out of the Smithsonian Museum buildings almost year-round. Something inside me said, “I bet those people are spending a whole lot of money while they are here!”
Central Pennsylvania’s State College is a truly happy place for avid anglers. It’s recognized as one of the Keystone State’s best trout fishing destinations with more than 216 miles of trout fishing waters. But trout is not all you can catch in the areas waterways, perch, catfish, and bass are also abundant. Whether you fly fish or cast a line from the shore, here are the places to drop a line in Centre County.
