Council adopts ordinance allowing senior citizens to fish Reservoir Pond year-round, except in April

Senior citizens in Tyrone now have a standing, written right to fish at Reservoir Pond nearly all year. On May 13, Council adopted Ordinance No. 1476, which permits seniors to fish the pond from May 1 through March 31. The one exception is April, which stays closed to senior fishing so the water can be reserved for the community’s fish rodeos.

Why an ordinance was needed

Allowing seniors to fish year round was something the Borough had talked about and, in practice, allowed — but the Solicitor found no record of any prior official action putting it on the books. Ordinance No. 1476 fixes that. Adopting it as a formal law gives the practice a clear legal footing, a written rule staff and residents can point to, and a permanent place in the Borough Code rather than resting on informal understanding.

What the rule actually says

The fishing window runs from May 1 to March 31 each year. April is the lone month carved out, and the reason is the fish rodeos — the seasonal fishing events typically aimed at younger anglers — so the pond is set aside for those during that month. Outside of April, seniors may fish Reservoir Pond throughout the year under this ordinance.

The new rule becomes part of Chapter 140, Parks & Recreation, the section of the Borough Code that governs use of Tyrone’s parks and recreation facilities.

Read the law: this measure is part of Chapter 140, Parks & Recreation of the Tyrone Borough Code, online at ecode360.com/TY1357.