28th Annual World Fly Fishing Championship March 22-30

It's almost that time again for the world's best fly fishers to gather and compete for the World Fly Fishing Championship. This year's competition will be held in the Rotorua region of the North Island of New Zealand.

The championship will be held across three areas of the region. The first part of the competition will be held the north of Rotorua on Waihou river and the Ohinimuri River.

The lake fishing portion of the competition will be on two of the regions finest fishing lakes which are to the south of Rotorua and Lake Taupo, namely Lakes Otamangakau and Rotoaira.

The part of the competition will be held on the great Wanganui River near to the town of Taumaranui.

All these rivers and lakes contain wild trout only (brown and rainbow trout) and provide excellent fishing. Trout approximately 25 inches (65 cm) are caught regularly in local competitions.

For more information about the 28th World Fly Fishing Championship, click here.

Karel Krivanec Shares His Experiences and Advice

One of our readers is Dr. Karel Krivanec, an avid fly fisher and member of the Czech World Fly Fishing Team (Czech Nymphs). He's been competing in fly fishing competitions for over 25 years. Dr. Karel Krivanec also authored the best selling book, Czech Nymph and Other Related Fishing Methods.

We recently had a chance to interview him and thought you might be interested to learn more about him.


What field is your doctoral degree in?

My doctoral degree is in biology - human parasitology. I have published many articles about biology of tick borne encephalitis virus in the hosts in different natural foci of the disease and my today’s specialty is human mycosis. Fish biology is my hobby as flyfishing.


How long have you been fly fishing?

My first experiments with flies were when I was about 15 years old. It was about 45 years ago.


What age did you start fly fishing?

I started flyfishing seriously when I was at the university. But at that time I was into casting. I competed in it for 10 years.


How long have you been competing in tournaments and when did you become interested in it?

I’ve been competing in regular flyfishing competitions for about 25 years in Czech Republic. I was active competitor in between 1985 - 1992. I became the first champion of South Bohemia and I was 2nd in another Czechoslovak Championship. It was right after the golden metal winner Slavoj Svoboda who was the world champion.

At this time I started to organize several flyfishing competitions. In 1990 I became the president of Czechoslovak National Flyfishing Committee and also Team Manager. (From 1993 until 2006 I was the Czech Team Manager).


Do you have a favorite memory from your years of fly fishing (personal or competition) that you’d like to share?

My best memory is winning team golden medal in Norway 1994. We won because we caught only one more fish then the French team.

In 1996 I was the international organizer of the 16th World Fly Fishing Championship in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic (South Bohemia) where our team also won the golden medal. In 1999 we won in Poland.


What advice do you have for youngsters wanting to compete in competitions?

Fly fishing is a sport like any other and you have to devote your free time to it. If you want to become the World Champion you have to use the best equipment and tackle, you also have to practice countless hours in the river or lake. And you also need luck.


We'd like to thank Dr. Karel Krivanec for taking time to share of his personal experiences and advice to anglers wishing to compete in flyfishing competitions. Be sure to check out Karel Krivanec's book, Czech Nymph and Other Related Fishing Methods for expert advice from a World Fly Fishing Champion!

Women's Fishing Club in Ohio

If you're a woman who likes to fish and live in the Northeast part of Ohio State, you may want to check out the new women's fishing club.

The Fishing Ladies of Ohio are holding their inaugural meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Gander Mountain store in Twinsburg. While only women are invited, the guest speaker is district fisheries management supervisor Phil Hillman of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, tackling the popular steelhead trout fishing in Northeast Ohio.

The goal of the club is to bring women together who enjoy fishing, or want to learn the sport and enjoy going on fishing outings together. There are no plans for regular meetings, but rather to explore the types of fishing available in the state.

Kelly Riesen of Ohio Sea Grant, Suzanne Faerber, Andrea Scott and Jamey Graham have been the driving force behind the group. The meeting is open and registration is required. Call Graham, 330-245-3020 today or Monday.

Fenton Lake Closed for Ice Fishing

New Mexico trout anglers will have to fish somewhere else for a while now that Fenton Lake State Park is closed to ice fishers. This lake is popular for rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing.

The closure came after warmer temperatures weakened the ice making it unsafe for anglers.
For more information, call (575) 829-3630.

How to Make Fishing Lures

It doesn't take long for avid anglers to get hooked on making their own lures. We're creative people and like to experiment. After all, all lures share a similar history ... an angler noticed how fish prey on other living creatures and came up with a way to imitate it.

But in addition to the desire to create something new, there are other advantages to making your own lures - or at least knowing how.

Some trout fisheries have restrictions on artificial lures. In most cases, these restrictions limit the number of hooks on lure or the use of barbed hooks. When you buy a lure, it may not be "legal" out of the box. But the problem can be easily solved by removing or replacing hooks. In some cases, you can get away filing or pinching down barbs.

Lures can also get pretty expensive - especially if you lose a lot due to snags. Yet some of the best trout holding places are full of rocks, logs and weeds which are famous for snagging your lures. Anglers tend to adopt a "spare the lure" attitude and will avoid fishing in those areas. The downside to this attitude is that you may be losing out on catching that trophy trout!

Making your own lures costs a lot less money than buying them. Not only that, but the savings will help eliminate the "save the lure" attitude. So you'll become less concerned about snagging your lures when fishing in difficult trout holding lies.

My great-grandpa used to hand carve his own lures. While I'm not that skilled, I do enjoy buying and kits to make my own lures from scratch. And now, I'm enjoying teaching my nephew to do the same. We share a sense of accomplishment by making our own lures.

If you'd like to start making your own fishing lures, here's some resources you might helpful.

Wooden Lure Making - This eBook will show you step by step how to make your own wooden topwater lures. This eBook will also show you how to paint your wooden lures as well as paint a scale pattern on them. You'll learn how to make poppers, prop baits, and other topwater plugs. If you're a woodworker, you'll enjoy this book.

How to Make Fishing Lures - This 103-page eBook shows you how to make spoons, spinners, jigs, plugs, and more. It does a nice job of outlining the tools you'll need and some nice illustrations showing exact dimensions of the various lures you'll be making. This book is very clear and easy to understand.

If you like to know how to silver-plate your own lures, you'll definitely want to pick up a copy of the book, Spinner Fishing for Steelhead, Salmon and Trout by Jed Davis. Even if you have no interest in steelhead fishing, you won't find a better book with detailed instructions for silver plating your own lures. Few anglers realize the difference between silver and nickel plated lures. Yet it's a proven fact that silver is much more visible underwater than nickel is - and silver-plated lures are hard to find. This book shows you step by step how to make your own silver-plated lures.

With these resources, you'll be able to make your own fishing lures for all types of fishing.

Winter Trout Fishing Tips

Although Spring is quickly approaching, many of us are still enjoying the winter trout fishing season. Depending on where you live, you may be ice fishing or fishing in very cold water. Cold water means lethargic trout.

Some anglers are under the misconception that trout hibernate in winter when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. But this isn't true. The truth is that trout are generally holding in water to conserve energy during the cold winter months. You can still catch them - you just need to get your offering to them.

While trout aren't actively feeding in winter months, they still need eat to survive. Their feeding turns more to "maintenance" rather than eating everything nearby that appeals to them.

In rivers and streams, trout will usually be found hugging the bottom, where the water is warmer. They like deep pools of water, where the water is calmer. In lakes, trout will usually be found in shallower water, often times near shore. Again, they're looking for warmer water that has a good balance of dissolved oxygen.

Artificial lures are very effective on winter trout. Spoons and spinners often produce great results. When fished properly, these lures emit a flash and vibration that can entice non-feeding trout into striking. Often times, this is a defensive strike (trout trying to protect their territory). The flash helps trout to see the lure at a distance and can help wake them out of lethargic stupor. The vibration emits a frequency that sounds similar to baitfish.

Given the choice between a spinner of a spoon, choose spinners when fishing in calmer water and spoons when fishing in fast currents. This is because spinners tend to rise in fast moving water (which may not be where fish are). Likewise, faster moving currents help spoons move more erratically (making them more effective).

Some spoons are designed for jigging, meaning they're fished vertically in an up and down motion. Jigging spoons are typically used by ice fishers. Jigs are another popular ice fishing lure. There many variations to choose from , some with bucktails and some plain.

One way to make your lures more effective in winter is to add a mealworm or a piece of minnow or nightcrawler. Doing so will help appeal to a trout's sense of smell in addition to sight.

Just be sure to check your local fishing regulations ahead of time as some places have rules restricting the use of live bait and artificial lures.

Waxies and Wigglers - Trout Love 'Em!

Simply put, waxies and wigglers are worms. Waxies is another name for waxworms and wigglers are another name for nightcrawlers and other big wiggly worms.

While many of these worms are not commonly found in a trout's environment, they still love them (and so do other game fish). There are over 4,000 types of worms, and trout love them all.

Some of the worms used most often by trout anglers include, nightcrawlers, red worms, waxworms, and mealworms. Mealworms are favorite in my family. We've all caught countless trout and other fish using mealworms.

Many anglers dig up earthworms out of their own gardens to use for bait. Kids love digging up worms! Worms need moist soil to survive, so they'll often be found under big rocks and other structures that help keep the soil damp. Lay a board down in your garden and pour dishwater over it and you'll attract even more worms.

But for those of us who don't have gardens, another option is to buy worms at a local bait and tackle store on your way to the lake or river. Even Wal-mart sells worms for fishing.
But buying worms can get expensive - especially if you fish a lot. You can easily spend a couple hundred dollars a year buying worms. Of course, it's not always easy to find time to stop by the store.

Another option is to rear your own worms - which gives you an unlimited supply of live bait for the rest of your life! Buy them once, and you'll never have to buy worms again (assuming you care for them properly. Kids love worm farms and enjoy raising their own fishing bait.

If you're interested in starting own worm farm, check out the Worm Man. This site sells a large variety of worms including (waxies and wigglers) as well as other things trout like to eat (including, crickets, spikes, and crayfish). You can start your own worm farm today!

Live Bait Versus Artificials

Some anglers look (especially fly fishers) down on those that use live bait to catch trout. They consider the practice sort of like cheating. The use of live bait, to some, requires less finesse. These same anglers will argue that it takes more skill to fool a trout into taking an artificial fly or lure than it does to dangle live bait in front of trout.

While I can agree that it sometimes does take more skill and finesse to get trout to strike an artificial bait, I also believe that the use of live bait takes a bit of skill.

For one thing, it doesn't matter if you're using live natural baits or artificial, you still need to have the skills to figure out where trout are holding. It also takes a bit of know-how to properly hook your live bait and present it in a way that looks natural to trout (or they won't strike).

However, one of the downsides to using live bait is that trout will often swallow it making it difficult or impossible to remove the hook. This doesn't normally happen with lures.

If you plan to practice 'catch and release', you should avoid fishing with live bait. However, even when fishing for dinner there are times when you may need to release your catch (like when it's too small to keep). Fishing with live bait in this situation is perfectly acceptable, but you still may face the problem of having the fish swallow the hook.

One way to combat this problem is to use single barbless hooks (which are easier to remove). You can also pinch down or file the barb off your hooks to make them easier to remove from fish.
In situations where you can't remove the hook without causing internal damage to the fish, it's best to clip the line as close as you can to the hook without trying to remove it. Trout do have digestive enzymes that can dissolve the hook over time (unless it's stainless steel).

Whether you choose to use live bait (worms, minnows, etc.) or artificial lures, understanding the common problems associated with each as well as how to overcome them will make you a better angler while preserving trout fisheries for future generations.

Fly Fishing Clinic for Kids in Ohio

A special lottery is being held for kids interested in learning more about fly fishing. Thirty slots are reserved for the special clinic - 15 are available for the morning session that begins at 8 a.m., and another 15 for the afternoon session that begins at 1 p.m.

The beginners-only fly fishing clinic will take place on Friday, June 13, 2008 on a a half-mile section of Cold Creek at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery in Erie County.

Following the clinic, kids will be able to test their new skills by fishing for rainbow trout in Cold Creek.

To apply, applicants must submit a postcard listing their name, address, phone number and date of birth. Only one postcard per applicant is allowed and no duplicates may be submitted.

Postcards should be sent to: ODNR Division of Wildlife District Two, 952 Lima Ave., Findlay, OH 45840, Attention: Youth Fly Fishing.

Successful applicants will receive an assigned session. Permits are non-transferable. All anglers must be age 16 or younger by the date of the session and be accompanied by a non-fishing adult.

For information on Ohio's fishery resources, call (800) WILDLIFE (1-800-945-5433)

Fly Fishing Tournament in North Carolina

The 2008 Pisgah Fly Masters tournament will take place March 29-30 on the Davidson River in North Carolina.

The Fly Masters tournament will consist of casting for distance and accuracy on Saturday at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. On Sunday, the top 10 finishers will compete on a private portion of the Davidson River.

First place will take home a Sage 8-foot, six-inch Z Axis rod, Lamson Velocity reel with Rio fly line — and bragging rights.

You must register by February 15 to participate in the Pisgah Fly Masters Tournament. There is a $50 registration fee. Competition is limited to the first 125 entrants. For more information, contact Emilie Johnson at (828) 877-4423.

Proceeds from the event will be used to benefit classroom construction at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education ( a visitor and learning facility near Brevard). The planned classroom will be used for educational programs including aquatic habitats, fly fishing and fly tying.

You can check out the rules for the Pisgah Fly Masters Tournament by clicking here.