Many fly-fishing enthusiasts received a great Christmas present of more than 1,000 catchable-sized brook, brown and rainbow trout that arrived just before Christmas at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville.
Members of the Cumberland County chapter of Trout Unlimited and Wounded Warriors assisted Commission personnel with transferring the fish from the hatchery truck to two ponds in preparation for four fly-fishing clinics to be conducted starting in early January.
The clinics, sponsored by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation, are scheduled for Jan. 12, Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and 16. Two additional clinics will be conducted on March 1 and 8 for Boy Scouts who want to earn their fly-fishing merit badges.
The Jan. 12, Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 clinics are open to first-time participants only and will focus on fly-fishing basics —casting, knots, laws and regulations and general equipment knowledge.
The Feb. 16 clinic is for anglers with advanced fly-fishing skills and will cover more complex techniques, such as advanced casting, fly tying and equipment assembly.
In addition to stocking the ponds with trout, Commission personnel will provide loaner rods and reels and tackle to all registered participants.
Clinics are limited to the first 40 people, and pre-registration is required. Last year, clinics filled up quickly and Kris Smith, center director, expects the same positive response this year.
“Our clinics are set up so every angler who participants will leave with a basic knowledge of the challenging and rewarding sport of fly fishing,” Smith said. “These clinics provide a great opportunity for anglers to try out a new method of fishing that can be used in streams, lakes, ponds, and the ocean to catch freshwater and saltwater species.”
Interested anglers should contact Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation at Lake Rim, (910) 424-6134. A fee of $5 for each participant is due at the time of registration.
For more information on fishing in inland, public fishing waters, call the Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0187 or visit www.ncwildlife.org.
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