A painting by Christopher Leeper of Canfield, Ohio, was selected as the winner of the 2003 Pennsylvania Trout/Salmon Stamp Art Competition. The painting, "Morning Memories" depicts a father and son walking to their favorite fishing spot on a path along a stream on a spring morning.

Second place honors went to a painting "Memories" by Susan Bankey Yoder of Atglen, Pennsylvania. Yoder's painting shows fishing memorabilia and vintage fishing equipment. The painting includes items from the artist's fishing memories including the 1975 fishing license buttons. A painting called "Dad & I & My First Fly" by Paul R. Fenwick of Hillsborough, New Jersey placed third in the competition.

The 2003 competition was held at the Fish and Boat Commission's Harrisburg Headquarters on May 8, 2002. According to Tim Klinger, who coordinates the competition for the Commission, "this year's contest was one of the closest ever." At the end of the second round of judging, there was a tie for first place between the paintings of Christopher Leeper and Susan Bankey Yoder and a tie for third place between the Paul Fenwick piece and a painting of a "Wild Brookie and Fontinalis Fin Wet Fly" by Mark Susinno of Harrisburg. A third round of judging broke the ties and established the winners.

Eight judges, including Commission President Leon Reed, evaluated 38 paintings in the first round of the competition. Eight finalists were selected after the first round, judges then ranked the finalists in order of their preferences.

Paintings 4 - 8
4th	"Wild Brookie & Fontinalis Fin Wet Fly" Mark Susinno Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
5th	"First Trout" Christopher Leeper Canfield, Ohio
6th	"Practice" Kevin J McDonald Nazareth, Pennsylvania
7th	"Bridging the Gap" Patrick R Sharbaugh Spring Mills, Pennsylvania
8th	"Father & Son (Matching the Hatch)" Vaughn Stadtmiller West Chester, Pennsylvania

This was the 2nd time a Christopher Leeper painting was chosen for the trout/salmon stamp. His depiction of a fly angler on Neshannock Creek was picked as the winner of the 1997 trout/salmon stamp competition.

Trout/Salmon Stamps -- PFBC Home

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