It was the kind of day upon which Fourth of July memories are made.

Blue skies, puffy white clouds, and hills of green framed Northmoreland Lake in Allegheny Township, which was stocked with plenty of trout, according to the visitors who came to fish.

And they picked the perfect day for it, not just due to the sunny, near 90 degree weather, but also because Monday was a “Fish-for-Free-Day” in Pennsylvania. For the entire day no license was required by the Fish and Boat Commission.

One of those taking advantage of the offer was Monica Manning, 61, Monroeville, who was sitting in a solitary beach chair about 25 feet from her husband Larry and daughter Abbey.

“I’ve haven’t fished for 30 years,” said Manning. “It’s free so I figure I might as well try. My husband fishes but I don’t. I always go with him but I sit and read a book.”

Manning said she caught a sunfish which she ended up throwing back. When asked if she was having fun, Manning replied, “I’d have my book if I wasn’t.”

Also at the lake was the Wade family of Cheswick: Katie Wade, 34, her husband B.J., 37, and their children Makya, 8, Rilee, 6; and Willie, 4, and Katie’s brother Joseph Friday, 17, of Plum. They had fishing poles and a cooler full of soft drinks and peanut butter sandwiches and Willie couldn’t wait to get his line in the water. But not before he tried to attach his toy dump truck to it.

“It’s nice just to be able to be out with the kids, going fishing. They enjoy it,” said Katie. “We used to go out fishing all the time when we were younger. It brought back some memories.”

Of course things are different, she said, now that she has children of her own. Parenting, for her, includes keeping the kids off of their phones. Makya asked to have hers but after Mom said ‘no,’ the oldest daughter found herself taking more of an interest in the outdoor activities.

Having better luck catching fish was the Riley family, Bob, 74, his wife Jan, 55, Apollo, and Bob Riley Jr., 48, Braddock who caught a 10 inch bass which he threw back.

Jan also managed to snag a bluegill, a popular pan fish, which she also threw back. But even though they weren’t keeping their prizes, the three family members were still staging a heated competition amongst themselves.

“We’re seeing who can catch the most and what kind of fish they are,” said Jan. “I don’t care if we get a baby, we’re measuring every one. I thought it would be pretty crowded here because it’s free fish day, but it’s not.”

Fishing aside, Bob Sr. said it was a thoroughly enjoyable day with plenty of chicken and cake for dessert.

“What I really enjoy is the togetherness with family,” he said.

Some people were merely happy to soak up the sunshine without even bothering to fish. One such group included Darwin Thomas, 55, and his wife LaVon, 57, of North Versailles, and Darwin’s brother John Snow, 37, Baldwin. They were happy to stroll through the park with their Yorkshire Terriers Penny and Jack.

“We just came out and brought our little Hibachi and cooked some food, some hot dogs and baked beans,” said LaVon. “Then we decided to come down by the lake with the dogs. It’s really their first time coming out to socialize. We’ll go and enjoy the fireworks later.”

The Thomases, who own a pet supply store called Khaboodles in Monroeville, said they were savoring this Fourth of July.

“After the whole covid thing, it’s nice to see everybody out without masks,” said Darwin. “Everybody’s enjoying the park and just getting outside.”

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