Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Fishing on Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake will open for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Fishing on October 1st, 2007. The trout fishing season will remain open until June 30th.

There are some new fishing regulations this year, including ...

• Barbless hooks are required.

• No fishing is allowed within 500 feet of any docks (this rule is meant to help protect shore anglers while boats are launching from the dock).
  

• From March 15 to May 16 the area from Sutcliffe Marina to the end of the South Nets will be closed to protect spawning fish.

• No alcohol will be allowed on the Marina Beach and Long Beach

Other rules and regulations still apply, including ....

• Bag limit is two trout.

• Cutthroat trout under 16 inches in length or between 19 and 24 inches must be released unharmed.

• You can keep two trout which are 16-19 inches in length or you can keep one trout 16-19 inches plus one trout over 24 inches.

• You need a special tribal fishing permit and a special tribal boating permit.
  

For more information, and trout fishing tips for Pyramid Lake, click here.

National Fly Fishing Competition in Colorado

The Annual National Fly Fishing Competition will commence on October 3rd, 2007 in Colorado.

This competition constitutes the final round of the regional competitions held across the United States. Fifteen of the competitors will be chosen by the coaching staff of Team USA to represent the United States in an 2008 Olympic style event in New Zealand.

For three days, participants will fish on the Big Thompson River, the Poudre River, Dowdy Lake and Parvin Lake in a bid to make the biggest catch.

Spectators are welcome!

Rule Changes for Lower Columbia River Tributaries in Washington

As of last Saturday (22 Sept. 2007), anglers must release any chinook salmon they encounter on Washington's nine tributaries to the lower Columbia River. The Washington Department of Fish Wildlife (WDFW) say the new rule is in effect because returns in the lower Columbia stocks are lower than predicted.

Tributaries affected are the Cowlitz, Lewis, North Fork Lewis, Elochoman, Toutle, North Fork Toutle, Green (in Cowlitz County), Kalama and Washougal rivers, including Camas Slough.

Fisheries for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead are not affected by the new rule.

At the same time, however, a sudden surge in upriver chinook past Bonneville Dam has prompted fishery managers to restore some retention fisheries for chinook salmon that closed earlier this week.

Based on recent fish counts at Bonneville Dam, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon now expect this year’s upriver chinook return to be about 10,000 more fish than projected earlier this week.

As a result, both Washington and Oregon agreed to allow anglers to retain chinook salmon they catch in the mainstem Columbia River from the Hood River Bridge to the 395 Bridge.

Click here for more information on this rule change.

Trout Fishing is Heating Up!

Fall has arrived in many parts of the country. And cooler temperatures mean better trout fishing action!

So now is the time to get out and fish. Take the kids fishing and enjoy the outdoors and fall colors.

Trout fishing should improve through October and early November as water temperatures continue to cool. Once winter sets in, trout fishing action will slack off again. So enjoy the Fall action while you can!

Click the links below for more trout fishing tips and information ....

Check Your Fishing Line

Steelhead Trout Fishing

Speckled Trout Fishing

Discover New Fishing Spots

Trout Fishing Season Re-Opened in Pu'u Lua Reservoir

Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources announced yesterday a second open fishing season for rainbow trout is in effect now. Trout Fishing is limited to the Pu'u Lua Reservoir in the Koke'e Public Fishing Area.

Anglers with a valid Hawaii State Fishing License may fish daily during daylight hours between sunrise and sunset for rainbow trout. There is no daily bag limit,

Other trout fishing rules include:

• Only one pole and line are allowed, or one line with one lure, or one baited hook attached to one line.
  
• The use of treble hooks is prohibited.
• The use of corn baits is prohibited.

All other existing rules remain applicable. The fishing season will remain open until closed by the DLNR.

A break in the water distribution system which supplies water to Pu'u Lua Reservoir, where DLNR manages the public fishing area is what prompted the second trout fishing season.

The break in the inflow system threatens the trout population in the Puu Lua reservoir, and the only remedy until the water flow is restored, is to have as much of the trout removed as soon possible.

The Agriculture Development Corporation will be making the repairs in the near future.

Due to rough roads, a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended for driving to Pu'u Lua Reservoir. Be sure to check in and out at the check-in station at Pu'u Lua Reservoir before and after fishing (it's required).

For further information or a current list of license agents, call DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources on Oahu at 832-5009 or the Lihu'e Aquatic Resources office at 274-3345.

Difference Between Trout And Salmon

Most people know that trout and salmon are the same family (salmonid). Char, grayling and whitefish also belong to the salmonid family.

One of the things that distinguishes fish in the salmonid family from other fish is that salmonids (trout, salmon, char, grayling and whitefish) need clean, cool water and a healthy habitat to live in. This why invasive species and plants are such a big deal when found in these environments - they threaten the population of salmonids.

Of the salmonids, trout and salmon are very closely related and most trout anglers enjoy catching salmon and vice versa.

Just as there are many different species of trout (rainbow, brown, brook, lake, apache, gila, steelhead, etc.), there are different species of salmon (coho, chinook, Atlantic, sockeye, and chum).

And to the untrained eye, it can sometimes be difficult identifying your catch (especially since these fish have a lot of similar characteristics).

The easiest way to to tell the difference between salmon and trout (when in doubt) is to count the number of rays on the anal fin.

All trout have 12 or less rays in this fin, whereas salmon have 13 or more rays.

This rule is an interesting bit of trivia, it can be useful in helping you identify the difference between trout and salmon.

Outdoor Adventure Day in Georgia

Georgia's Department of Natural Resources will host Outdoor Adventure Day on September 22nd between 10 am and 4 pm at Unicoi State Park.

The event will be held in he large field along Smith Creek downstream from Unicoi Lake Dam. The creek will be stocked with trout during the day - and September 22nd will be a free fishing day!

There will be plenty of activities for kids and adults of all ages including canoeing, trout fishing, fly tying and casting, airgun shooting, archery and skeet shooting. There will also be live wildlife shows and hunting dog demonstrations.

This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about fishing - including fly fishing. Fly fishers from Trout Unlimited and the Georgia Women Flyfishers will be on hand to provide instructions on fly-casting using their equipment.

DNR and US Forest Service instructors will also be on hand to offer tips and help you enjoy skeet shooting. Everything you need will be provided - including shotguns and ammo.

A state park pass ($3) is required for each vehicle. Bring the whole family and enjoy Outdoor Adventure Day together!

Trout Fishing in Kansas

The Trout Fishing Season in Kansas opens October 15th and runs through April 15th. During this time, many lakes and ponds are stocked with rainbow and brown trout.

After the trout fishing season ends, you still may be able to catch a few trout left over from the stockings, but you'll have to wait for the next season for more trout stockings.

However, the Mined Land Wildlife Area Unit #30 (Cherokee County) and Tuttle Creek State Park Willow Lake do offer year round trout fishing (a year round trout permit is required).

Some local governments in areas such as Topeka and Kansas City have their own trout stocking programs. Many of these require a fee, but the state permit is not required. Local city and county recreation departments should be able to give you details.

Here's a list of lakes in Kansas which are stocked with trout during the trout fishing season. Every angler (whether you're catching trout or not) must have a trout fishing permit to fish in these lakes:

• Cedar Bluff Stilling Basin
• Cimarron Grasslands Pits
• Dodge City Lake Charles
• Ft. Scott Gun Park Lake
• Garnett Crystal Lake
• Glen Elder State Park Pond
• Kanopolis Seep Stream
• KDOT East Lake in Wichita
• Lake Henry in Clinton State Park
• Mined Land WA Unit #30
• Pratt Centennial Pond
• Sandsage Bison Range and Wildlife Area Sandpits (Periodically Dry)
• Topeka Auburndale Park
• Vic’s Lake and Slough Creek in Sedgwick County Park
• Walnut River Area in El Dorado State Park
• Webster Stilling Basin
  

The lakes below are also stocked with trout during the season, but only trout anglers need to have trout permit:

• Ft. Riley Cameron Springs
• Great Bend Veterans Memorial Park Lake
• Hutchinson Dillon Nature Center Pond
• Kanopolis State Park Pond
• Moon Lake on Fort Riley
• Moss Lake and Horseshoe Lake in Sedgwick County Park
• Salina Lakewood Lake
• Scott State Fishing Lake
• Scott State Park Pond
• Sherman County Smoky Gardens Lake
• Solomon River between Webster Reservoir Rooks County #2 Road
  

In May 2007 , a new state record for brown trout was set. The fish weighed in at 7.68 ounces and measured 10.66 inches in length.

The Kansas state record for the largest rainbow trout (set in 1982) is currently 9.31 lbs, measuring 28.25 inches in length.

California Wild Trout Getting Help from the State

Last Wednesday, California's senate passed a bill that will help protect wild trout populations in the state. The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Dave Cogdill.

This means it's now the policy of the state to establish and maintain wild trout stocks in suitable waters of the state and establish angling regulations designed to maintain the wild trout fishery in those waters by natural reproduction.

It's a well known fact that planting hatchery trout in waters with wild trout can result in hybridization and decrease wild trout populations. So the passing of this bill means that the California Department of Fish and Game will now have to be careful where they plant hatchery trout - so as not to threaten wild trout populations.

You can read more about California's Wild Trout on their web site.

Trout Fishing the Elk River

Looking for places to trout fish in West Virginia? Try the Elk River - the longest river (172 miles long) in West Virginia which flows entirely within the state's boundaries. The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River.

You'll find rainbow, brown, and brook trout in the Elk River - and some pretty large ones at that! Although many of these trout are stocked - there are plenty of wild brown and native brook trout in the river as well.

The upper portion of the Elk River (above Webster Springs) offers the best trout fishing. This time of year, brown and brook trout will be starting to show their spawning colors.

Jack Bell (writer for West Virginia Game and Fish Magazine) shared the following fishing tips in a recent article.

• Spin-fishermen would do well to lean on Rooster Tails, small Mepps Aglia spinners, spinner- fly tandem rigs, Blue Fox Vibrax spinners and small jointed Rapala minnow lures.
  

• Flyfishermen should look to streamers like Woolly Buggers in olive, black, and yellow matuka-style patterns, Clouser minnows and Mickey Finns.
  

• Nymph fishermen will want to lean on patterns such as the Prince, Pheasant Tail, olive and grey Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear, hellgrammite and red squirrel nymphs. You will want to have these patterns in both beadhead and the normal non-beadhead configuration.
  

• Dry-fly anglers will want to use ant and beetle patterns, small grasshoppers, stimulators, elk hair caddis and midge patterns.

In addition to the Upper Elk River (above Webster Springs) - Cranberry, South Branch of the Potomac near Franklin, North Fork of the South Branch, and Shavers Fork of Cheat and Williams rivers are other favorite trout fishing spots in West Virginia.

New Fishing Restrictions in Queensland

Anglers may not require a license to fish recreationally in Queensland (except if fishing in some stocked impoundments), but they will be fined if caught fishing in the coral reefs during spawning periods.

The new regulations will make it illegal to catch coral trout, cods, gropers, red emperors and parrot fish over three nine-day periods during October, November and December during the spawning season. Violators will be fined up to $75,000!

The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries says these new regulations are intended to help preserve fishing for future generations.

For more information about fishing in Queensland, click here.

Trout Dying at Wildhorse Reservoir in Nevada

Approximately 8,000 to 11,000 trout have died in Nevada's Wildhorse Reservoir over the last couple of days. A lack of dissolved oxygen in the water is believed to be the cause.

Like us, trout need need oxygen to survive. Several factors affect how much oxygen is dissolved in water. Warm weather and still water are two big factors in the desert southwest which affect how much oxygen is dissolved in the water.

Nevada gets pretty hot in the summer - but this summer, has been a little warmer than normal. Warmer weather, means warmer water temperatures - which result in less oxygen in the water. Warmer weather has also caused lake levels to decrease due to evaporation - which again, results in less oxygenated water.

Other factors affecting oxygen levels in the water include decaying algae on the lake bed. This process depletes oxygen from the water (again, making it harder for trout to survive).

Luckily, Fall is quickly approaching which will help cool water temperatures thereby raising dissolved oxygen levels. The Nevada Department of Wildlife is monitoring the situation very closely.

How does this affect trout fishing? When trout are physically stressed, their primary concern becomes survival - and they stop feeding. This means that until their environment improves, they will not be interested in feeding (or taking your offering). Right now, these trout only care about finding cooler, oxygenated water!

So expect trout fishing to remain poor at Wildhorse Reservoir until conditions improve.

Fishing Restrictions Lifted at Yellowstone

Last month, Yellowstone National Park Service imposed a restriction on afternoon fishing (so anglers couldn't fish during afternoon hours). The reason for the restriction was to help trout, which are easily stressed during water temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Any trout caught in warmer water, has a good a chance of not surviving.

But now that afternoon temperatures in the region have cooled down (thus lowering the water temperature too) - the restriction has been lifted. Anglers can now fish for trout during afternoon hours!

Be sure to check all the fishing regs for Yellowstone National Park before you go fishing!

Prime Western Brown Trout Waters

Believe it or not, the desert southwest states offer some excellent brown trout fishing - including wild brown trout. Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, and Idaho are among those states for some prime brown trout waters.

Fish and Game Magazine wrote a great article this month called, "Browns without the Crowds" which contains more details for catching brown trout in these states. It's a great article and worth a read (especially if you live in any of the states mentioned above).

Do you have a favorite river, stream or lake for brown trout fishing? Post a comment and let us know.

Should You Sharpen Fish Hooks?

Hooks become dull over time - especially if you're dragging them along the bottom of a river or lake across rocks and other objects. You can buy hook sharpeners to sharpen your hooks - or you can toss them and buy new ones.

In the old days, a lot of fishermen would rather sharpen their hooks than buy new ones (believing they were saving a few bucks).

Now a days, most of the hooks you buy are chemically or laser sharpened - which helps them remain sharpened longer. Manually sharpening these hooks can have a negative affect on the sharpness (which defeats the whole purpose).

Before you decide to sharpen your hooks, you should check to see if your hooks are chemically or laser sharpened or not. If they are, it's best to leave them alone.

You might also want to keep in mind that anytime you file metal, you run the risk of wearing it down to the point it will bend or break easily.

Trophy Trout at Collins Lake

Collins Lake is one of Northern California's premiere trophy trout waters. This 1600 acre lake is about an hour North East of Sacramento and is open year-round.

Over 40,000 trout are planted each season in Collins Lake, making it the largest private trout planting program. The plantings usually begin in January and continue through May (averaging two plants per week). Many of the trout planted are in the 3-8 lb range.

This year, Collins Lake started raising rainbow trout in pens, in an effort to increase the trout stockings even more!

While trout catches have slowed down for many during these summer months, anglers are Collins Lake are still reporting some great trout catches. This week .....

• A 7 lb rainbow trout was caught by one woman while trolling Sparkle Powerbait 30' down.
  
• 2 Trout over 4 pounds were caught by another woman who was trolling a Blue Fox lure near the dam.
  
• A 5 lb 8 oz rainbow trout was caught by a guy trolling a Rapala lure
  

There is a lot of good trout action at Collins Lake. Catch a tagged trout, and you'll earn a prize!

Latest Fishing Report for Montana

Montana's Fish and Wildlife's web site just released an updated fishing report for the fishing spots around the state.

You can read it by clicking here.

Colorado Youth Outdoors Assumes Ownership of Swift Ponds

The story behind the Swift Ponds and one man's desire to help disadvantaged and disabled kids catch their first fish is an inspiration for many.

But soon ownership of the Swift Ponds will be handed over Colorado Youth Outdoors (an organization offering after school outdoor education and recreation programs).

CYO plans to make several improvements to the land including the addition of a shooting center, an education pavilion, and docks (making it easy for a kid in a wheelchair to get the best spot at the lake to fish).

Since the creation of the Swift Ponds, the goal will remain the same under CYO's ownership - introduce kids to the outdoors!

For more information about the Swift Ponds, click here.

France Wins Gold Medal in Youth Fly Fishing Championship

The 6th Annual World Youth Fly Fishing Championship has come to an end. France, the Czech Republic and England captured this years medals. Team USA came within one point of earning a bronze medal, but finished in 4th place.

The final standings for the youth fly fishing championship were:

• France - Gold Medal
• Czech Republic - Silver Medal
• England - Bronze Medal
• Team USA - 4th Place
  
• Slovakia - 5th Place
• Spain - 6th Place
• Team USA #2 (Team Pennsylvania) - 7th place
• Ireland - 8th place
  
• Canada - 9th place
• Portugal - 10th place

In the 2006 World Youth Fly Fishing Championship, Team USA finished in 5th place. So this year was an improvement!

Handling Trout for Catch and Release

Trout are slippery! They have a protective slime all over there bodies which helps protect them from infectious diseases. If this slime is removed from the trout's skin, they may not be able to fight off infectious diseases.

When you're reeling in a trout, you pretty much know if it's a keeper before you get it out the water. Anything under 6 inches is too small to keep. And many anglers practice catch and release all the time.

So when you're reeling in the fish, you want to be careful not to reel it upon shore It's best to remove the hook from the fish while it's in the water (or at least pull it up out of the water). Letting a trout flop around the ground, deck, boat, etc. can cause harm to it's scales and protective slime.

You want to be careful handling your catch so as to minimize the amount of slime and scales that are removed. Get the hook out as fast as possible while handling the trout as little as you can. If the trout is large and you can remove the hook while keeping the trout's head underwater, that's even better.

You can still take a moment to take photos of the trout you intend to release. Just try and do it quickly and hold the fish by the tail and belly (as shown in the picture) to help minimize damage to it.

When releasing the fish back into the water, you want to keep in mind that it may be tired from the fight and may need a bit help to regain it's strength so it can swim off again.

You can help out by lowering the trout's head in the water and moving it back and forth to force water through it's gills. Hold the fish by the tail until it shows signs of being able to swim off by itself. You don't want to let the fish go if it's too tired to swim away.

Practicing catch and release helps protect and preserve fishing resources. As anglers, we want to do our part by not causing the fish undue harm.

This trout tip (and more) can be found in the eBook, "Trout Fishing Tips".