On any given weekend morning along the leafy banks of the Skippack Creek, fishermen are spread along its quiet length, rods proferred out over the water like chips over a craps table.

In the murky depths nearer to shore, rock bass, fall fish, sunfish, and the heavier catfish and trout lurk. Near the center of the creek, where the water moves more quickly, a passing fin vanishes in gurgling eddies. Come July 4, there are likely to be a few more rods in Montgomery County creeks like the Skippack, and in other locations in Chester County and around the state.

Saturday is the year's second fish for free day in Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), giving visitors, friends, families, and new anglers a chance to test the waters. Fish for free means that anyone, even if they are not a resident of Pennsylvania, can legally fish without a fishing license.

"Fish-for-Free days are one of the ways that we can introduce friends and families to the sport of fishing," PFBC Executive Director John Arway said in a press release. "Lakes and state parks are always popular spots during the summer and particularly on holidays. This is a convenient way for visitors to try fishing for free." Fishing locations near Norristown include:

Stony Creek

Kepner Creek

Perkiomen Creek

Skippack Creek

Schuylkill River To help those embarking on their first fishing adventure, dozens of fishing tackle stores around the state are loaning equipement to help

To make the fishing experience more convenient, newcomers to the sport can borrow equipment from dozens of fishing tackle loaner sites across the state.

Click here for thefull list of loaner sites. "We want to encourage individuals to try fishing so we've made it easy by setting up tackle loaner sites," Laurel Anders, director of the Bureau of Boating and Outreach, said in the release. "Many of the sites are right at state parks, which are always a popular place for visitors on holidays like July 4th. We also have loaner sites at county parks and some public libraries."