Take the Clean Angling Pledge at www.CleanAngling.org
The new fishing license year starts April 1st! The new licenses are available now at the fly shop. Anglers in New Mexico spent an estimated $295,874,000 in 2006. More than $125 million was spent on trip-related expenses, and more than $50 million was spent on food and lodging. As you can see, fishing is an important part of New Mexico's econmomy. Consider that fishing is still an affordable form of recreation. Just about wherever you live, there is some fishing to be had within an hour's drive. And please take a kid fishing. It's free if they are 11 and under and $18 for ages 12 to 17.
Come join New Mexico Trout for their Rio Guadalupe cleanup on Saturday, April 4, 2009 from 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Meet at the gate on FR 376 above the Gilman tunnels. Bring work gloves and wear sturdy shoes. We will need 3 to 4 members with pickups to haul the trash we pick up. Ron Loehman of New Mexico Trout will provide one of them. The gate will be locked, but Ron Loehman will have a key. We can’t leave the gate open so we will all need to go in together. Trash bags will be provided by the Forest Service. The Forest Service will arrange for somewhere in the area where we can dump the trash we pick up, possibly at the dump site on SR 4 south of Canon. Those who want to carpool as drivers or riders are encouraged to meet in the Bernalillo Park and Ride between 7:30 and 7:45. Free Lunch will be provided. Please tell us you will be participating no later than 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 1, 2009. RSVP to Ron Loehman ronloehman@gmail.com. Also, tell him if you can provide a pickup.
Youth Fly Fishing Photo Contest!! We would like to see the future of fly fishing grow and what better way than to get our kids involved. So we would like you to email pictures of your child with their fish. Here are the rules: fish must be caught and landed by the child in the photo, fish must be caught with fly rod and artificial fly, child must be 12yrs or younger, and fish must be caught this year. Send you’re photo to hda@highdesertangler.com, and please limit your e-mail to one photo per day. You can enter daily if you like. So start shooting at every opportunity and pick your best ones! The HDA staff will be judging these photos. That being said, it’s not all about size, although it won’t hurt. Any species of fish counts. We want to see good times being had by the kids, good backdrops of where they were fishing, and massive fish catching grins!!! The grand prize will be a Ross Worldwide “Journey Series Youth Fly Rod,” either a blue rod for boys or a pink rod for girls. The contest starts now and the judging and results will be announced August 1st!! Get the kids out this summer and have a great time.
The Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited has started a youth education program. The program has several education projects in the works. They include Trout in the Classroom, summer camps, fly casting, fly fishing clinics, and field trips. Trout in the Classroom enables schoolchildren to raise trout in their classrooms, learn about the trouts lifecyle and ecosystems, to be later release into the wild. Lets face it; we've all seen and have complained about the litter problem on many of our local streams. This is a start in changing the hearts and minds of the people who matter most; the future stewards and community members of our local fishing resources. Participating in educating our youth during the school year is also another way to stay connected to our sport or craft during the off season, leaving summers wide open to you own fishing and time with family.Nothing happens until you get involved. Please consider volunteering in the Truchas Chapter Youth Education Program. To get involved, contact John Wright at twe@grappawireless.com.
