WANTED: College-educated person with upper-level management or policy-making experience in a fisheries, wildlife, conservation, or natural resources organization to fill executive position at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Extreme patience in tolerating cranky commission members a plus.

Three months after shoving executive director Doug Austen abruptly toward the door, the Fish and Boat Commission is head-hunting for his replacement. In July, board of commissioners members informed Austen that they were unsatisfied with his performance after five years on the job, but said they would allow him to work from his office until a replacement was found. Last week, a PFBC press release said a committee had launched a nationwide search for a new executive director.

"I'm basically doing what I had been doing," said Austen, in an interview Thursday. "Today I was working on the Lehigh River, on the Dunkard Creek issue out your way and on a personnel matter. For all intents and purposes, I'm still serving as executive director until I walk out the door."

Since July, said Austen, he has focused on landing federal assistance for Pennsylvania projects and matters related to the national Fish Habitat Conservation Act. Austen helped to write the legislation and chairs its board. PFBC's Brian Barner has been serving as the agency's executive deputy.

Austen said he's pursuing several potential job opportunities and hopes to land on his feet before the end of the year.

"I'm just trying to make things work as smoothly as they can go," he said.

Pennsylvania's team took top honors in the recent U.S. National Fly Fishing Championship, held on creeks near State College. For the second consecutive year, Lock Haven's George Daniel, a pro angler at the TCO Fly Shop in State College, won the individual gold.

Daniels said fishing home waters presented few advantages because Spring, Fishing and Penn's creeks and the Little Juniata River were blown out during the event.

"Conditions were at flood stage," said Daniel. "A lot [of fish] will stay at the bottom, but even in mud conditions some trout will move up into the grass of the flood plain and feed."

Daniel's strategy was to slowly fish large streamers over flood plains, loudly smacking the flies on the water during delivery.

"Hard enough for the fish to feel the vibration," he said.

The team advances to the world championship held in Poland in June, 2010.

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