Bugle Lips & Bread Battles -- Pymatuning Spillway

"Cheap entertainment," a mother said through a smile as her children threw slices of bread into the water and marveled at the frenzied carp show. "We've been here dozens of times, but it's always just as fun."

I understood the young bread throwers' fascination. I had no offerings of my own, but I was right there with them enjoying the show. Nothing contains the thousands of carp that congregate around the spillway at Pennsylvania's Pymatuning State Park. This living simply is good, as it has been for decades because of a longstanding tradition of feeding the fish, so the fish have no reason to go anywhere else.

I'd heard about the carp and had been told several times that I really needed to see them. Apparently only the Liberty Bell attracts more visitors in a year in Pennsylvania. Still, I had no comprehension how cool it really could be to watch a mass of rubber-lipped armor-sided fish begging for bread like spoiled house pets. I shot a couple of video clips, which I'll find the best of and post later, but you really have to see it yourself, so if you're ever anywhere near the Pennsylvania/Ohio border...

Of course, Pymatuning is a beautiful park with cabins and plentiful campsites and the fishing is outstanding, so you don't have to travel there just for the carp. Just don't leave the carp out of the plan when you are in the neighborhood!