Fishermen’s stories and fond memories were shared on Friday night at the hatchery in Slatington as members of the community, friends and family of the late Robert G. Herzog Sr. dedicated a bench in his honor.

The bench is the result of multiple donations made in Herzog’s honor after his passing in September 2016 after a battle with lung cancer. His family asked that in lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Herzog and the contributions to the community donate to the Springside Sportsman Club Inc., a group Herzog was a member of.The dedication ceremony began as a crowd gathered around the pool of fish at 7 p.m. Friday. Lorne Palansky, president of the Springside Sportsman Club, gave introductory remarks and told those in attendance about Herzog’s volunteer work with the hatchery throughout his life.“He will always watch over this hatchery.”Bob Herzog Jr. then spoke to the crowd, telling a story about his father’s discipline in fishing, his high standards for the sport, and his love of sharing the sport with his family. Bob Jr. said he spent hours trying to tie flies to his father’s approval, but was always met with constructive critique. Herzog Jr. said he thought the flies were awful.Years later, Herzog said, at the age of 10 he joined his father for a day on the river. Herzog Jr. said his father produced a box filled with the same “awful” flies.“It teaches you how to be patient, how to be a man, and how to stand on your own two feet,” he said. “We were a mile apart, but I was never closer to my Dad than when we were fishing.”The Rev. Kris Snyder-Samuelson, pastor at UCC Neffs, then led the crowd in prayer and a solemn verse of Amazing Grace before Marc Grammes addressed the crowd to talk about the impact Herzog’s work with the hatchery meant for future fishermen and women.“Fishing was a part of his life,” Brent Herzog said, Robert’s eldest son. “He was always about fishing, it was a big part of him.“I think he’d say get involved, fishing is a great outdoor sport and family event, I think he wanted to see kids get involved more and more,” Brent said of how his father wanted the community to carry on volunteering at the hatchery. “It seems like some of those outdoor sports are going by the wayside. Getting involved in something like this would be great.”The ceremony concluded with Herzog’s widow, Janice, and grandson, Teague, taking a seat on the bench and greeting those in attendance.