eBook for beginners. Trout Fishing Basics. –

Roundtail chub are native to Arizona and are commonly referred to as “Verde Trout”.  These fish live in the Verde River and are known to bite on many of the same lures and baits that trout do.  The Arizona Fish and Game Department has been working the last few years to turn Fossil Creek into a prime fishery for Verde Trout.  On October 3, 2009, Fossil Creek will open for the first annual Verde Trout fishing season.Fossil Creek will open the first Saturday in October every year and remain open through April 30th.  Only the middle 4.5 miles of the creek is open to fishing (there will be signs).Since this is a special fishery, special rules are in place including:Single Barbless hooks onlyArtificial lures and flies onlyCatch and release onlyThe fishery is open to both spin and fly fishers alike, provided they follow the rules mentioned above.  Of course, all other Arizona Fishing Regulations remain in effect as well.The AZ Fish and Game Department hope that this fishery will help anglers learn more about its native fish.  Other fish can also be found in Fossil Creek including the Speckled Dace, Longfin Dace, Desert Suckers, and Sonora Suckers.You can find more information about each of these fish, by clicking here.  Just click on each of the pictures on the web page for more detailed info.Fossil Creek is located on the Tonto and Coconino National Forests approximately 15 miles east of Camp Verde and 5 miles west of the town of Strawberry. You can find it by driving along Forest Service Road 708.

Free Fly Fishing Workshop for Beginners in New Hampshire
Hillsborough residents will have an opportunity to learn fly fishing May 16-17, 2009. This workshop is FREE and geared toward beginners, age 13 and up. Kids under 16, must be accompanied by an adult.If you want to participate, you must print and return the registration form by May 1, 2009.The workshop will cover the basics of equipment, fly casting, stream ecology, knot tying, safety and how to find those “hot spots” along New Hampshire’s rivers and lakes. The highlight of the two days will be Sunday, when folks will head out to a local fishing hole and put their newly learned skills to the test! Participants should plan to bring their own or borrowed equipment. A limited number of rods will be available for use; when you register, please let Fish and Game know if you will need to borrow their equipment.For more information, about this beginning fly fishing workshop, click here.

Trout Fishing at Lake Amador
Lake Amador has become a prime trout resort in Ione, California. For those not familiar with the area, Ione is located in North Central California (just South East of Sacramento). It’s also just North of Lake Pardee and Lake Comanche (two other popular trout lakes in California).This 425 acre lake has a maximum depth of 468 feet and approximately 14 miles of fishable shoreline. Lake levels have been down in previous years due to drought, but fishing is still good.Like Lake Pardee and Comanche, Lake Amador offers large trout (2-6 lbs), commonly known as Donaldson trout (named after the man who created this strain). Donaldson trout are a hybrid cross of Steelhead, Rainbow and Cutthroat trout. Lakes do this in an effort to give anglers a “trophy trout” experience.Because these are hybrid trout raised in a hatchery, they will eat PowerBait. Other trout baits and techniques are effective as well.One of our readers reported that he witnessed a man catch one the other night at Marina using a small treble hook with Berkeley Trout Power bait. His spinning rod was rigged with a small split shot about a foot above the hook and a red lighted flasher float about 2-3 feet above the split shot. This young man tossed his line out in the dark part of the water (not under the lights) and let the flashing float do the work of attracting trout for him.Lake Amador also boasts other “trophy” size fish including bass, catfish and sunfish. So if you’re looking for a unique angling experience, give Lake Amador a try.For more information about fishing at Lake Amador, click here.For more information about Donaldson trout, click here.

2009 Trout Season Opens April 4th in Illinois
Folks in Illinois are anxiously awaiting the opening of the 2009 trout season. This year, Saturday April 4th will mark the opening of the 2009 trout season. Folks can begin fishing for trout at 5 a.m.More than 60,000 trout have been stocked in 43 locations across Illinois. Anglers 16 years or older do need a valid Illinois fishing license along with an inland trout stamp.For more information about the 2009 Illinois trout season, click here.

2010 Fly Fishing Show
We’ve gotten a couple of emails asking about the 2010 Fly Fishing Show.  So we thought we’d post the dates here for everybody!   So if you’re interested in attending, you can catch the 2010 Fly Fishing Show at any of the places mentioned below:Denver, COJanuary 8, 9, 10Denver Merchandise MartMarlborough, MAJanuary 15, 16, 17Royal PlazaSomerset, NJJanuary 22, 23, 24Garden State Convention CenterCharlotte, NCJanuary 29, 30Charlotte Merchandise MartBellevue, WAPostponed until 2011Pleasanton, CAFebruary 26, 27, 28Alameda County FairgroundsPasadena, CAMarch 13, 14Pasadena Convention CenterFor more information, about the 2010 Fly Fishing Show, click here.

How to Attract Trout While River Fishing
Rivers, streams, and creeks are a lot shallower than lakes – which means that trout can usually see movement on nearby banks. This is why experienced anglers often use care when approaching the water (so as not to startle fish).It’s also important to stay still as much as possible when fishing on the bank. Trout have a wider field of view than we do and can often see us before we see them – and our movement will chase them away.Likewise, careless wading and walking in the water can result in overturning rocks – which in turn send a signal to trout that you’re nearby. This again, will chase them out of the area.While excessive movement can scare trout away – being still can have the opposite effect. The more safe and secure trout feel, the more likely they will be to swim into an area. This is why trout often hang around submerged logs, undercut banks, and large rocks. These structures give them shelter from predators.So, if you want to catch trout, you’ll want to look for these structures when fishing in rivers, streams and creeks and fish close to them. The next key is to be as still as possible when fishing so as not to startle fish away.The video below does a good job of demonstrating this point. It was created by my good friend Timothy Kusherets. It’s hard to see the fish swimming by him in the first two minutes of the video. But about 30 seconds more into it, the fish become much easier to see as they rise out of the water. Notice how they gradually get closer and closer to Timothy as he continues to remain still.

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