Trout Opener!

[maxandgeorgia]

Tomorrow is March 1--Opening Day of Trout Fishing in Missouri! It's a cause to celebrate and a day that takes me back to all the years my dad waded shoulder to shoulder with fellow flyfishermen at Bennett Springs. I wish he were still here to fish along side me today and teach me all he knew about flyfishing. However, I'm sure he'll be casting out a flyrod in heaven tomorrow. For him, heaven has a fine trout stream. Historically Opening Day is one of the nastiest, sleetiest, windiest, coldest days of the year--a point of pride among Missouri fishermen Who among us has a trout opener day story to tell--or any trout story to tell--or any yard-long fish tale of any variety? It's so close to spring camping and fishing time. Let's get inspired! ~G

[markdoane]

March 1st if the day Ice House fishing ends in the southern part of Minnesota.

Haul 'em out or burn 'em!

[flyfisher]

"Join Us for Two Opening Days"

"Fish too big for tall tales. Trout season in Pennsylvania is now so big, we need two opening days just to kick it off. As if that's not enough, our waters are so full of trophies that even the stocked trout will be 30% bigger. So on March 31st head to Southeastern Pennsylvania for the first Opening Day of the trout season. Then hit the rest of Pennsylvania on April 14th. More days...bigger fish...what more could an angler want?"

Or, so reads an advertisement by the PA Fish and Boat Commission in this month's issue of Field and Stream. If the truth were known, there are fewer licensed anglers every year in PA, and this is the first year PA will have 2 opening days. This appears to me to be a feeble attempt to attract more "sportsmen" (??) who follow the fish stocking trucks throughout the state.

When I was a kid, growing up in northwestern PA, trout season always opened the middle of April, and was a big deal for me, and many of my friends. We'd scout the local streams a couple weeks beforehand to see where the stocked fish had been put, and then get up in the middle of the night to ride our bikes a few miles in the dark (and cold -- but who noticed?) so we could be among the first ones along the stream at the crack of dawn on opening day.

Now, opening day of trout season in PA is something I try to avoid, and if I'm fishing at all it's either on some backwoods stream where there are few if any other fishermen, or else I just go out to get a bit of fresh air and enjoy being outside -- fishing among the madding crowds is no longer my cup of tea -- but I certanly was one of those persons for many years!

John

[Colo_StreamN]

Come on out to Colorado where every day is opening day for trout fishermen. We can fish every day of the year but the good water gets crowed in March and April before runoff.

[flyfshr]

We too, enjoy year-round fishing. No opening nor closing days. I've seen pictures where all the fisherpersons were shoulder to shoulder on both sides of the stream or river and couldn't ever imagine being in there with them or what the parking was like, for that matter.

Brad
FF

[IrishRover2]

We've got a little time to wait out here in California to fish our favorite trout streams up in the high country (10,000 + ft.). The image below was taken on Bishop Creek last June. The stream is stocked with rainbows, Alper trout and has plenty of small natives.

Was fortunate enought to pull out a 23 inch(4.5 lbs.) Alper here. Can't wait to get back up there, I know his big brother is waiting for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck to all of you on opening day.

Mike