Trout Stockings Delayed in New Jersey

Dry weather and low stream flows have resulted in another postponement for trout stockings in New Jersey. As a result, the 16 lakes originally scheduled for fall trout stocking have been rescheduled for October 31st and November 1st.

A total of 20,000 brook, brown, and rainbow trout averaging 14 to 16 inches, and weighing 1½ - 2 pounds, will be distributed in 16 streams and 16 lakes and ponds statewide. In addition to these trout, approximately 1,000 broodstock trout (two and three-year old rainbow trout, averaging 17 - 18 inches) will be planted as well.

The older broodstock trout noticeably larger. This is the second year that broodstock trout will be planted in the Fall in an effort to give anglers the opportunity to catch a big one!

For more information about the trout stockings in New Jersey, click here.

Only a Few More Days Left of Fishing at Lake Pardee

On October 28th, Lake Pardee the 2007 fishing season will come to a close! This means you have less than one week left to enjoy the fall trout fishing at Lake Pardee!

After that you'll have to wait for the 2008 fishing season, which will begin on February 2, 2008.

Fore more information about fishing at Lake Pardee, click here.

Winter Trout Season Opens November 1st in Oklahoma

The Winter Trout Fishing Season will open on November 1st in Oklahoma! This means that you'll be able to fish for rainbow trout in the following areas:

• Lake Pawhuska - This 96-acre lake is about three miles west of Pawhuska. Trout season runs Nov. 1-March 31. During that time, the City of Pawhuska waives the City fishing fee.Quartz Mountain - The designated trout area directly below the dam at Lake Altus-Lugert. Trout season runs Nov. 1-March 15.

• Lake Watonga - This 55-acre lake lies within Roman Nose State Park. Trout season runs Nov. 1-March 31.

• Lake Carl Etling - This 159 acre lake is located within Black Mesa State Park in Cimarron County. Trout season runs Nov. 1-April 30.

• Blue River - The Blue River trout area is located within the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area near Tishomingo. Trout season runs Nov. 1-March 31. Bank access and wade fishing is available throughout the area.
  

• Robbers Cave - Located in Robbers Cave State Park, the Robbers Cave trout fishery is located directly below Carlton Lake Dam to the southboundary of the park. Trout season runs Nov. 1-March 15. Bank access and wade fishing is available anywhere within the state park boundaries.

In addition to these areas, you can also catch trout year-round at the lower Mountain Fork River and the lower Illinois River.

For more information about trout fishing in Oklahoma, click here.

Fall Trout Fishing in Utah

If you're looking to take advantage of the Fall Trout Fishing season, there's plenty of good trout action in Utah right now ...

Trout in Utah's northern streams are hitting streamers, small nymphs and Rapalas. Some of the better fall streams include the Green, Provo, Weber, Ogden, Blacksmith, Strawberry, Currant Creek, Huntington Creek, Diamond Fork and the Price River.

Fall lake trout fishing is peaking right now at Flaming Gorge and Bear Lake.

Strawberry remains hot, with fish hitting most jigs or lures all around the reservoir. Scofield, Jordanelle and many other waters are also very good.

You can view Utah's Division of Wildlife and Resources' fishing hot spots online.

For more information about fall trout fishing in Utah, click here.

Top Fly Fishing Mistakes

This morning, I read an interesting article listing the top mistakes fly fishers make. The article was written by John Berry - Arkansas Fly Fishing Guide.

According to Berry, the most common mistakes he sees are:

• Casting too much line - which results in casting beyond trout feeding zones, not being able to detect strikes or set the hook.

• Lack of Line Control - which results in too much slack or drag in the line. If there's too much slack in the line, you can't set the hook (and can therefore lose fish). And if there's too much drag in the line, your fly won't look natural, and fish will be turned off.
  

• Improper Rigging - which often in poor or unnatural fly presentation. One of the most common mistakes here is working with too short a leader/tippet.

• Not Checking Your Fly Often Enough - which can result in a couple of different problems. When you're new to fly casting, it's easy to lose your fly while casting. It's a good idea to check that this isn't happening to you. Another common problem is allowing weeds and other debris to stick to your fly (which makes it look unnatural).
  

Most of the errors described above are seen with new fly fishers. But many trout anglers tend to get a bit lazy about checking the fine details of their gear or technique and may also experience some of these problems as result.

Keeping these mistakes in the back of your mind while out fishing, will help prevent you from making the same ones.

You can read John's full article on the top fly fishing mistakes, by clicking here.

Free Fly Casting Lessons in the UK

Looking for something to do with the kids over Fall Break? If you happen to live near the Albury Park Fishery (near Guildford, Surrey) you might want to consider taking advantage of the free fly-casting lessons.

October 22-26th, the Albury Estate Fisheries will be offering free 30-minute fly casting lessons followed by a trip to the lake to catch a trout. While the casting lessons are free, there is an £8.00 fee for the fish ticket.

Fishing equipment will be provided, but you're welcome to bring your own. You'll also want to bring polarised sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a linen handkerchief.

Although this event is mostly aimed at teaching kids how to fly cast, it's open to all ages.

For more information or to book a lesson, contact Tony Hern at Albury Estate Fisheries on 07976 810737 or Email: tonyhern@alburyestate.com

Trout Fishin' Fun!

I spent most of last week taking my nephews and other friends trout fishing. The kids were on Fall break from school, so we spent most of the week on the lake.

Fishing with kids is always a lot of fun for me (despite all the tangled lines). I love watching their joy and excitement as they're reeling in fish. And I'm always happy to to take time to capture the memories on film!

I've been working to teach our boys the secrets of trout fishing - and so it's always exciting for me when they call it a day after catching their bag limit. They go home proud, knowing they're becoming skillful young anglers.

Despite the great week we had on the lake, we watched other anglers around us struggle. Although some of these anglers were fishing right next to us, they just couldn't seem to catch trout.

Several frustrated anglers came over to ask what our secret was. Each time, I was happy to show them how our poles were set up and offer some bait and fishing tips. As I explained to others, the real trick to trout fishing is understanding trout - what their needs are and how their environment affects them.

While all of these secrets are shared in my "Trout Fishing Tips" eBook, I did my best to condense the information into a few verbal tips.

Of course, I did my best to help other kids on the lake too by re-rigging poles and offering them some of our bait. And it was exciting to watch to watch those efforts pay off as they too started catching trout.

Our boys enjoyed their Fall break trout fishing adventures. Each day became a competition to see who could catch the most trout.

My oldest nephew (pictured on right above) usually caught the most trout - but my youngest nephew (also pictured above in the middle) usually caught the largest trout! His biggest for the week was an 11.5 inch rainbow trout on his little Jack Sparrow fishing pole!

My nephew's best friend (pictured above on left) caught his first fish ever that particular day (not to mention several more). He was so excited that we told him to take the all the trout home and tell his family he was providing dinner that night!

The whole week was like this! We caught our bag limit every outing - and captured many new memories on film.

Fall is one of the best times to be out trout fishing due to cooler water temperatures. And since trout are easier to catch this time of year, it's a great time to get the kids out fishing. Enjoy it while you can!

How To Catch Your Limit While Trout Fishing Lakes

Lynx Lake is one of the nicest fishing lakes in Prescott, Arizona. I spent much of yesterday fishing there with family and friends ... and despite the water levels being very low (lowest I've seen in 30 years), we were still able to catch our limit of rainbow trout.

And of course, as we continued to reel in trout after trout, folks continued to ask us to share our secret - which we were happy to do. But few realized that as the weather changed, so did our fishing tactics - which is what allowed us to keep catching trout when others weren't.

We started off the morning fishing spinners - which worked well. The water was cool and the trout were feeding on the surface. So spinner were very effective.

But by about 10 am, the sun was starting to get a bit warm. As we took our off jackets, we knew water temperatures were rising and trout were no longer feeding on the surface of the water. So we put away the spinners and rigged the poles for bottom fishing.

My favorite bottom fishing rig consists of adding an egg sinker above a snap swivel, and then adding an 18-20 inch leader with a treble hook to the swivel. I like to use the 1/2 oz. egg sinkers because it gives me greater casting distance. We were also using 6-lb test line.

There were three of us fishing yesterday, and some of us used nightcrawlers and some of us used powerbait (all colors). Another thing we did was to add a bit of trout attractant to the leader and bait (many anglers don't think to do this).

Bottom fishing worked very in the late morning and early afternoon hours. And because we were able to recognize when trout changed their feeding zone, we were able to keep catching fish (when others weren't).

These are the kind of secrets that I've revealed in the "Trout Fishing Tips" eBook. Learning to recognize changing weather and feeding patterns is one of the biggest secrets of trout fishing.

Not only did we catch our trout limit yesterday, but we had a fun watching the bald eagles catch their trout too. And I was even fortunate enough to catch some great photos of the eagles. You can check out some of our pictures below.

Good Fishing Day

Extended Trout Fishing in Eastern Sierra Nevada

No need to put away your fishing gear come November 15th! The trout fishing season has just been extended for three prime trout fisheries in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

So come November 16th, you can keep fishing in the East Walker River, Hot Creek, and the Upper Owens River ... and you can keep fishing until November 15th, 2008!

The change was made for two reasons. First, it was determined that closing these waters didn't help the fishery any. And second, it was determined that by keeping them open all year, might help relieve some of the fishing pressure in other regions while providing greater angling opportunities.

This year is a test, to see how things go. So enjoy it while you can!

There are special fishing regulations in effect for these trout waters, including the use of barbless hooks and artificial lures. So be sure to check the rules and regs before going fishing.

Trout Fishing Being Restored at Lake Davis

Most anglers know you're not supposed to release non-native fish into the water. Why? Because it usually ends up destroying the existing fishery. Sure enough, that's what happened Northern California's Lake Davis.

For a while now Northern Pike have been destroying the trout fishing at Lake Davis. Pike are believed to have been introduced into the water back in 1994 by anglers used to fishing for them in the Midwest and Great Lakes. But the problem is that pike are voracious predators and they've been eating the trout - thereby destroying the trout population and fishing.

This past week, California's Department of Fish and Game dumped gallons of rotenone (which is harmless to humans and other animals) into the lake to remove the pike. The goal is to restore Lake Davis to a prime trout fishery.

The whole process will take about 45 days. Lake Davis will be restocked when it's free of any of the rotenone - which is anticipated to occur before the reservoir freezes over.

The majority of the stocking will occur in Spring 2008 rainbow and brown trout.

However, the fear right now is that some pike may escape into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, thereby threatening the salmon and steelhead populations in California's river system.

For more information about Lake Davis and the current problem, click here.

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.