April 1 is the first day of trout season in Pennsylvania. For some, it may be the only time they venture out with their rod and reel.  However, for one area angler, it's just another day to fish.  

Tony Sobina is an everyday angler.  He lives near Oil City in Venango County.  Today, he is in Erie County to fish Elk Creek inside Waterworks Park in Girard.  He's gone fishing for 1,081 days in a row and today he's adding another day to the streak.

"Most people think it's kind of neat.  Just a neat thing.  Yeah, maybe it's a little crazy but it's kind of fun you know,” said Tony with a laugh.  

Tony started the streak on April 13, 2020…almost three years ago.  Tony was retired and his brother asked him why he didn't go fishing every day. Tony thought about it and said, ‘Yeah, why don't I?"

"When I got to probably a couple hundred days, somebody was saying, 'You ought to try for a year.' So it turned into a year.  Then it was, 'Well, I ought to just keep going.  I don't have an excuse to stop,” remembers Tony.
  

Tony can be found on streams throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania.  He also fishes in Central Pennsylvania near State College and Potter County. The streak is going strong.  The only time it was in peril was two years ago when Tony had a kidney stone issue and his doctor told him to get to the emergency room. Pronto.

"So on the way to the emergency room, I stopped and pretty much crawled out of the truck and fished for about a half hour or 40 minutes.  I caught one and missed one,” says Tony.   

Tony lists the days of his streak on a calendar.  He also includes where he went fishing each day, and the number of fish he caught. It's been three days since he reeled one in.  But today, on Elk Creek, he was reminded why he's been doing this every day for three years. The thrill of feeling a fish on the end of the line.

"It's just fun,” he said.  “I just enjoy doing it.  It's been a blast.  I'm just going to keep going."

Tony is happy is caught that fish.  But if he didn't catch one, that's OK too.  Because, for him, there's always tomorrow.