Nobody told Charlie Horning of Leesport that the water was too muddy, or that it was too windy, to fish.

The wind was strong enough to send pop-up chairs cartwheeling, and anglers hadn’t had so much as a nibble.

Charlie, 3, was unceasingly optimistic. He ran back and forth from his grandfather, Ken Riegel of Orwigsburg, and his father Justin Horning, grabbing bait from his grandfather’s stash and hurrying it to his fishing pole. His dad and brother Ben helped him patiently.

None of the four hooked a fish, but it looked like Charlie was hooked on fishing.

And that’s the hope behind the inaugural Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Mentored Youth Fishing Day, held recently at Sweet Arrow Lake in Pine Grove.

It was the first time that the lake was the site for a mentored youth fishing day.

Great minds think alike. Craig Morgan, Sportsmen’s Advisory Board Chairman, and vicechair of Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation, thought, why not Sweet Arrow Lake?

Although area streams were open for mentored youth fishing day, fishing with small children can be more challenging in the tight quarters of a stream.

About the same time, Mark Pisko, Waterways Conservation Officer for the Fish & Boat Commission, Schuylkill and Berks counties, saw a father and son fishing at Sweet Arrow Lake on the mentored youth day.

“I thought, why haven’t I put fish in there,” Pisko said Sunday. He and PA F & B Commissioner Richard Kauffman, District 8, teamed up to stock the lake from a boat, getting bucketful of trout from the stocking truck. “In August I called and took the steps to get it on the stocking list, but when I checked in December it hadn’t made the schedule – but it was easy to fix.”

Before the state’s stocking truck arrived, Sweet Arrow was also stocked by Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation and the Swatara Co-op Trout Nursery, beginning at about 8 a.m.

On a mentored youth fishing day, any youth under age 16, along with a licensed adult with a trout permit may fish on March 23 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The youth must have either a Voluntary Youth Fishing License or a Mentored Youth Fishing Permit – which were available at the A & A Bait Shop nearby. Youth anglers can keep 2 trout, but mentors must return all fish to the lake unharmed.

If a youth didn’t have an adult mentor, Morgan worked from a list of volunteers to pair anglers. Cassie Keller, 15, Orwigsburg, fished with adult Theresa Santai-Gaffney, who lives nearby. Santai-Gaffney saw a FB post from Morgan seeking volunteers and stepped in to help; she also funded and delivered the refreshments, which included hot dogs, coffee and beverages.

Additional support came from: Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation $2,500; Arthur “Pat” Aungst, Inc., Ron Aungst $300; Roederville Game and Fish $200; Scott and Nikki Fellows $200; Alan Felty $200; Gaffney’s Gun Shop $150; Friedensburg Fish and Game $100;

Schuylkill County Sportsmen’s Association $100; Locust Valley Fish and Game $100; Pottsville Kiwanis $100; Pottsville Kiwanis Foundation $100; Operation Hugs and Kisses $100; Eric Dreisbach in memory of his Dad and fishing Sweet Arrow $100; Stony Gun and Archery $100;

Advantec House Inspections, Ryan Reichert $100; Dale Herring $100; Larry Cockill in memory of his dad and fishing Sweet Arrow $100; Theresa and Glenn Gaffney $100; Travis and Marissa Frantz $50; George Yerusavage $50; Jim Setlock $25.