Freshwater Fishing News

The Izaak Walton League of America is supporting wildlife conservation by sponsoring National Hunting and Fishing Day. With the League’s sponsorship, NHF Day continues to grow and promote conservation throughout the nation.

The Izaak Walton League is one of the most respected conservation organizations in America. Founded in 1922, the Izaak Walton League takes a common-sense approach toward protecting our country’s natural heritage and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans.

NHF Day promotes conservation efforts by sportsmen and takes place each year on the fourth Saturday in September. This year the event is set for September 24, 2011. The Izaak Walton League’s sponsorship supports the Wonders of Wildlife museum—the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

NHF Day has had many honorary chairpersons who have helped promote the message of conservation. This year, noted businessman, outdoorsman and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens serves as the honorary chair for NHF Day.

Widely known as one of America’s most prominent and influential businessmen, Pickens remains a strong advocate for conserving a heritage that was instilled in him at a very young age. Pickens also is a prominent philanthropist whose contributions to charitable causes exceed $700 million.

Sponsorship of NHF Day 2011 continues to grow and includes Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman’s Channel, Realtree, Cabela’s, GunBroker.com, Yamaha, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Izaak Walton League of America and Pope and Young Club.

For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org

Anglers can learn about the New Hampshire landlocked salmon fishery by attending to a free program on Friday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m., at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H.

Inland Fisheries Division Chief Steve Perry and Large Lakes Fisheries Biologists Don Miller and John Viar, will talk about the landlocked salmon fishery.

An important discussion will involve the Landlocked Salmon Anglers’ Pledge – a cooperative, volunteer effort to help sustain quality landlocked salmon fisheries in New Hampshire’s large lakes, such as Lake Winnipesaukee. Pledge brochures as well as promotional decals will be available free of charge.

A key component of the Anglers’ Pledge includes learning and applying proper handling and release techniques in order to reduce landlocked salmon mortality.

To learn more about the Landlocked Salmon Anglers’ Pledge and best practices for handling fish to avoid hook wounding, visit www.fishnh.com/Fishing/salmon_anglers_pledge.html.

Sport Fish Restoration Program logoFisheries research and management in New Hampshire is funded in part by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program, a user-pay, user-benefit program.

The program is part of a series of free evening fishing and hunting talks coming this spring at Fish and Game.  For more information, see www.fishnh.com

source: New Hampshire Fish and Game

In the USA, National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW) is June 4 – 12, 2011. The event is a national celebration of fishing and boating. The event Coincides with most states’ free fishing days, NFBW occurs each year during the first full week of June.

Free Fishing Days, offered by many states to coincide with National Fishing & Boating Week in June, are an ideal time to schedule an event that includes fishing and boating activities. In general, Free Fishing Days allow the public to fish without a license.

Not all states offer free fishing days. Individual states may place certain restrictions and other regulations may apply. For more information, anglers should check with their state fish and wildlife agency directly.

Free Fishing Days information by U.S. state is also available on TakeMeFishing.org

Fly Fish Texas is an event for Texas fly fishing enthusiasts as well as novice anglers. The annual event takes place March 12 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Show hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center.
“Fly Fish Texas is a great show and the only event of its kind,” said Walter McLendon of Lufkin, who has organized the show since its beginning. “Other shows cater to people who are already fly-fishers, but we try to introduce people to fly-fishing.”

Fly Fish Texas emphasizes hands-on learning and immediate application of newly acquired skills. Visitors can collect aquatic insects from the center’s streams, tie a fly to imitate one of those insects under the supervision of a skilled tier, learn to cast it from a certified fly-casting instructor, then use it to catch a rainbow trout from one of TFFC’s stocked ponds or streams.

Vendors will be displaying and selling fly-fishing gear, and seminars will brief visitors on where and how to fly-fish in Texas fresh and salt waters for a variety of species. The program will include presentations on fly-fishing locations such as the Devils River, the Texas Hill Country, tailwaters below dams and urban waters.

Speakers will also detail where fish are and how to fish for them in both salt and fresh water. In addition, instruction will be available on rigging a kayak for fly-fishing, leader making and Spey rod casting.

For a complete schedule of activities and seminars plus a video of the event, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/ and click on the Fly Fish Texas link.

The Dallas Fly Fishers will teach classes for beginning fly-fishers; pre-registration is required and is available by calling Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222. Instruction will lead to basic fly-fisher certification by TPWD and will focus onlearning about fly-fishing equipment, performing the basic four-part cast, sampling aquatic insects to see what fish eat, discussing freshwater ecology, how to tie useful fishing knots, learning about safety and ethics issues associated with fly-fishing and fly-tying.

source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

The Second Annual Kansas Hunting and Fishing Expo will bring the outdoors inside the Flinthills Mall, 1656 Industrial Road in Emporia, on April 2 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and April 3 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Although targeted for youth, the event is open to anyone interested in a fun-filled weekend designed to promote the great outdoors and inspire youth to carry on traditions that sportsmen and women from across the nation currently enjoy.

“We want to make this show bigger and better than last year,” says event organizer Tonya Carson. “We will be offering numerous events for children, including a wild turkey shoot, an archery competition, Laser Shot and jet ski simulators provided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, wildlife photos provided by Walgreens, a kids craft corner, the National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle program, and much more. Adult guests can enjoy seminars throughout Saturday and Sunday.”

Seminars include a grilling demonstration, a concealed carry class offered during expo hours ($100 per person), and certified Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young scorers showing how to score big game and turkey mounts. “Anyone may bring a mount to display,” Carson explains, “and the public will have a chance to guess scores and earn prizes.”

Four door prizes will be given away, including a grill from Sears, a youth camouflage Matthews bow from JC Construction, a tent from Budweiser, and a gun from the Kansas Hunting and Fishing Expo. Throughout the day, there will be drawings for more donated prizes.

To learn more about this event,  phone Carson at 785-366-3565 or email tstroda@hotmail.com, or go to Facebook and look under Southeastern Kansas Hunting and Fishing Expo.

source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks