Fishing Trips Become Tradition for Upper St. Clair Family

At the heart of every family tradition is a meaningful experience. One Upper St. Clair family knows this very well. Their tradition of fishing has now spanned four generations.

Paul Cryder just got home from his most recent fishing adventure in Canada. It’s a trip he’s been making every summer for the past 45 years. The fishing experience has become a family tradition passed on from Paul’s own father.

Paul grew up in State College, and started going on long fishing trips with his father when he was 11 years old. As he grew up, he began fishing in the waters of Knee Island, in Manitoba, Canada. With a fishing rod in hand, he’ll stand in the freezing waters with about six layers of clothes on, in hopes of catching the biggest northern pike in the river.

The trip has now become a family affair of three generations. Cryder’s son and grandson also go on the trip with him now. It’s a chance for all three to spend quality time with one another, an opportunity they only get a couple of times a year, and it’s usually while fishing.

As you can imagine, Paul has hundreds of fishing stories. Possibly the best one of them all is the story of how he caught the “big” northern pike fish. It measured 48 inches. After snapping a couple of pictures, he threw the fish back into the river.

On average, the men catch 75 to 80 fish a day. They keep the walleye for meals and release the northern pike for another fisherman.

As Paul unpacks from another trip, he reflects on the memories he’s made with his family as he looks forward to another fishing trip within the next few months.

He has pictures of these adventures in frames and photo albums in his home at Friendship Village of South Hills, a senior living community in Upper St. Clair.