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You've probably caught used trout
Despite opening-day images of stringers hanging full of and creels packed with dead trout, a pair of newly released studies show anglers in Pennsylvania release most of the trout they catch. According to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission/Penn State studies, anglers fishing stocked trout streams in the spring caught about one trout per hour and released 63.1 percent of those fish. Similarly, during the course of the legal fishing season on wild trout waters, average catch rates varied from around one fish every two hours for brook and brown trout on large streams to nearly two brook trout per hour (1.76 fish per hour) on small streams. Anglers released 92.7 percent of those wild trout. "In evaluating fisheries, we consider average catch rates of one trout for two hours of fishing time as 'good.' The fact that both wild trout fisheries and stocked waters averaged, and in many cases far surpassed, this measure is exciting," commission executive director Doug Austen said.
Recovering with rods and reels
But the anglers who wear them quickly find these vests connect them with other men who share a common journey."Look at this," said Roger McClure, handing his fishing buddy his rod and shrugging off his vest.The vest McClure wore during the recent Reel Recovery retreat had been signed by anglers from all walks of life. All of them had cancer, and all had faced their own mortality. .
Chuck Scates the coast buster
If you want the skinny on shallow-water fishing in Texas, just ask Chuck Scates. Scates has been prowling the flats around Rockport for 24 years. He was one of the first fly-fishing guides in Texas – maybe the first. Scates will be doing seminars at Cabela's Fort Worth on Sept. 9-10. One thing he's learned after thousands of days on the water: A short, accurate cast beats a long cast that's not so accurate. "Redfish feed with their tails up and their heads down," Scates said. "We get very close to a lot of fish. The key is to put that fly right in front of the fish's nose. I tell customers to hit them in the head. If the fly isn't right next to the fish's face, you probably won't catch that fish." Scates' clients have a lot of days when they cast to 30 or more schools in water that's a foot deep or less.
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