Fly Fishing

Here's a nice twist for us die-hard fly fishers.

A water in Washington state that has been closed to public access will be re-opening soon as a fly fishing-only water.

That water, Upper Wheeler Reservoir outside of Wenatchee, Wash., will be opened to catch-and-release fly fishing from May 18-Spet. 14 for all species.

The water is owned and operated by the Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District, which worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife WDFW and Wenatchee Valley Fly Fishers to grant public access under the new regulations.

The agreement also includes trout stockings and a land-use agreement by WDFW, as well as site maintenance by the WVFF, according to a WDFW press release.

This marks the 15^th fly fishing-only water in Washington state, and reminds us what working with local officials and waterway owners can accomplish if all parties involved can get on the same page and work together to find common ground.

It's a great model for some of the closed fisheries in my neck of the woods as well as yours.

Do you know of a lost fishery that could benefit from fly fishing-only regulations. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

While reading a recent article in Field & Stream, I stumbled upon an interesting question on their blog: Is fly fishing a sport?

I spent a decade in the newspaper business covering major "ball" sports before going the web route full time, and you might be surprised at my response to that question.

No ... and yes.

It depends on who you're asking.

If you're asking Average Joe fly fisher, someone like, say myself, I'd say no.

"I'd always been first in line to criticize anyone who might describe fly fishing as a sport," Kirk Deeter notes on the F&S Fly Talk blog. "A pastime, maybe. A hobby, for sure. But I'm on record (somewhere) for suggesting that anything fat old people can do as they smoke a cigar or drink a can of beer shouldn't ever be considered a "sport."

But there are plenty of tournament professions and casting competitors at the regional/state/national/world level that would say yes to that question, and I tend to agree if you compete at a high level in a sporting activity it's more sport than hobby.

We've written about the world fly fishing championships as well as state competitions in the past, and I can tell you the best of the best in terms of fly fishing are extremely athletic and professional at their craft.

In Utah, for example, our friend and U.S. team member Lance Egan is a stud when it comes to competitive fly fishing.

He's competed in both the U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships and World Championships, both of which are grueling events that not only test your fly fishing prowess, but your stamina, mindset and are all-day, and, in some cases, week-long events that would make newbie anglers blush.

So to me, it comes down to competition.

Then again, when it comes to fly fishing, you're always competing - whether it be with yourself, the elements or the fish.

So I guess I'm not sure where I come out on that topic.

Is fly fishing a sport?

I'll let you decide on the subject for yourself, because, at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

In the end, I hope you enjoy fly fishing, whether it be as a competitive sport, as a hobby, or, as in some cases, as a spectator sport.

In the meantime, want to learn more about this sport, errr, well, hobby?

Check out some of our introductory articles on:

• Fly Fishing 101 - An Introduction to the Sport
• Fly Fishing for Rainbow Trout
• Fly Fishing for Brown Trout
• Fly Fishing for Golden Trout

With how crazy my life is getting with three kids and work, and more work, I tend to follow the K.I.S.S. rule whenever possible. In other words, Keep It Simple Stupid.

But this whole Tenkara craze is probably a little too simple, at least in my eyes.

I'm interested in the idea of Tenkara -- which is a style of rod (without the reel) invented some 500-plus years ago by commercial anglers hunting trout in Japan -- but not interested in trying it other than maybe once, just because I love to hear my reel scream when I'm on a big fish.

But, you see, Tenkara doesn't use a reel, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes in a recent column.

Tenkara doesn't use a fly line either, which, doesn't really sit well with this fly fisher.

Other than that, looks like fun.

What do you think? Share your comments below.

Good news out of Minnesota.

Along with the general trout season getting underway on April 13, there's promising news on the invasive species front.

The Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center at the University of Minnesota (MAISRC) and U.S. Geological Survey and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have concluded in a recent report that water samples from the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers has showed little evidence of bighead or silver carp.

While recent captures by commercial fisheries show these invasive fish are present in Minnesota, officials say their numbers are likely still relatively low.

"The differences between the 2011 and 2012 eDNA testing results may be partly attributable to the evolving technology," noted Peter Sorensen, MAISRC director, and leader of the research team. "As the bighead results show, this particular technique needs to be refined for detecting this species in open waters."

One challenge for anglers hunting for bigger trout, steelhead, bass or saltwater species, is casting a heavy fly that can make your fly line look more like a yo-yo.

In fact, I still don't have the technique perfected, and I've been fly fishing local lakes for bass for years.

Essentially, the key here is to avoid false casting, which is just going to make your line go haywire and scare the daylights out of any nearby fish - so the best approach is to swing  your line over your shoulder in a nice tight line before your fly loses momentum.

Field and Stream has a nice breakdown of the maneuver in this month's issue, the graphics of which can also been seen on their website.

And when all else fails, just chuck and duck (my favorite casting motto next to grip it and strip it)!

Remember, it all comes down to practice, so the more you fish - or practice in the front yard - the better off you'll be in the field.

Along with sharing news and fishing reports from around the country on the opening weekend of trout season, we'd like to share your thoughts on where you'll be opening the season and also get your reports.

Trout season opens officially throughout most of the West this weekend, but it's already underway throughout other parts of the country.

Share your opening day stories in the comments below, letting us know where you fished on opening day and what the results are.

We're always looking for hot tips on the best fly fishing destinations early in the year, and what the trout are biting on in the early spring in your neck of the woods.

So be sure to share your fishy tales in the comments section below. Tight lines!

All throughout the weekend, we'll be publishing news and fishing reports from around the country as trout season officially opens.

Our latest update comes from Wisconsin, where reports show the State Department of Natural Resources is stocking some 330,000 trout in preparation for the inland fishing season.

The trout opener in Wisconsin is scheduled for May 4.

All throughout the weekend, we'll be publishing news and fishing reports from around the country as trout season officially opens.

Our latest update comes from Washington, where reports show that more than 2 million trout averaging 10- 12 inches are being stocked as more than 300,000 anglers are expected this weekend.

All throughout the weekend, we'll be publishing news and fishing reports from around the country as trout season officially opens.

Our latest update comes from California, where reports show the Sierra Nevada will see a little snow, but prospects are good at the lower elevations considering how early in the year it is.

Finally! It's here. The trout season opener for 2013 in most Western states is Saturday, April 27, 2013.

In Western states like California, where I am writing, the trout season opener is traditionally held on the last Saturday of April. This year it falls on April 27 - which makes it the earliest opener since 2010 when it was held on the 24^th.

Some East Coast states, such as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania open the season earlier in the month, but anglers there often wait for the conditions to warm and the real fishing doesn't get underway until later in the month or even May.

This year's Western opener comes a day earlier than last year and three days earlier than two years ago, so anglers will get an early jump on things.

Next year, the Western 2014 trout opener will be on Saturday, April 26, 2014, and the 2015 trout opener is on Saturday, April 25, 2015.

For fishing dates and regulations for your state, be sure to check out state regulations books, which are typically available at your local sporting good store. Make sure to pick one up as the rules and regulations change annually.