Passport to Texas

Fly Fishing Gear

Angling: Fly Fish Texas March 14, 2015 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’ve always wanted to learn to fly fish, check out the 16th Annual Fly Fish Texas event March 14 at the Texas Fresh Water Fisheries Center in Athens.

09— Our entire facility – several dozen acres – is converted into a gigantic fly fishing school for beginners and intermediates alike.

Jim Booker coordinates the event, where among other activities, attendees will learn to cast for and catch fish.

10— We’ll have over a hundred volunteer instructors coming to man the different stations and activities. And these are volunteers that come from fly fishing clubs all over Texas.

Speakers will share tips on where to fly fish in Texas and beyond; and outdoor seminars take place all day.

13—In fact, we’ve just added a really interesting one called tenkara fishing. Tenkara fly fishing is the ancient Japanese form, which involves just the rod, the line, and the tie – no reel is involved.

Fly Fish Texas, March 14 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center offers hands on opportunities for attendees, too.

08—We have an actual classroom here, and on a walk-in basis, from noon until 4 p.m. we will do beginning fly tying classes.

Dive shows, tram tours of the hatchery, vendors and good food round out the day – Fly Fish Texas activities are free with regular paid admission to the center; find a schedule of events on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Texas Outdoor Annual App

Tech: Outdoor Annual App Helps Anglers Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Smart phones and tablets continue to grow in popularity among the general public.

04— We’ve also noticed that our anglers are using those devices.

Tim Peterson, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s director of creative and interactive services, says that as the weather warms, anglers want to get on the water. With the Texas Outdoor Annual app they can spend more time fishing and less time wondering if they’re in compliance.

15— If an angler is sitting in a particular water body or lake – or near a water body or lake – they can use the GPS function in the app, locate the lake that they’re at or near, and they can see the bag limits and the exceptions for that particular lake.

The FREE Texas Outdoor Annual app is a convenient way for anglers of all ages to keep up with regulations.

24—The whole idea with the app was not only to make it mobile, but also make it easy for folks to use while in the field. We’re seeing a wide range of ages [using mobile devices], so it’s not just a younger audience; it’s a new audience. Anecdotally, I will tell you that I spent some time with my 80-year-old father-in-law this last weekend, and he used his mobile device as much as my 12-year-old daughter.

The free Texas Outdoor Annual App is available in iTunes or Google Play storefronts and you can also find more information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Funding for our series provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

A turkey amid the spring growth.

Hunting: Spring Turkey in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Spring hunting season for turkey kicks off this month.

04— In Texas – the majority of the state – the western two-thirds of the state are going to be Rio Grande Turkey.

Robert Perez, upland game bird manager at Parks and Wildlife, says over the long term, Rio Grande turkeys are doing well in their range. Another sub-species is the Eastern Wild Turkey, which occurs in deep East Texas.

13— And it’s population, for many years, Texas Parks and Wildlife and partner –the National Wild Turkey Federation – worked very, very diligently to restore that bird. But there is a spring eastern season in certain east Texas counties only.

And that season runs April 15 through May 14 and encompasses 28 Eastern counties. Find those counties in the Outdoor Annual on the TPW website. Meantime, if you plan to take advantage spring turkey season…

13— To hunt any upland game bird, there’s the upland game bird stamp – a seven dollar stamp – required to hunt pheasant, quail, turkey, or chachalaca. So, to hunt those species, you buy that stamp, and then that goes toward the conservation of that bird.

Find license, hunting and management information for all game species on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series, funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

A fine looking turkey gobbler.

Hunting: Spring Turkey --All About the Bird Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Upland game bird hunters look forward to spring turkey season, which begins March 21in in the south zone.

08— In Texas, what we’ve seen over the last several years – maybe over the last decade – is a continuing interest and growth in the number of spring turkey hunters.

Robert Perez is the upland game bird program leader at Parks and Wildlife. Perez says fall turkey hunting is often incidental to deer hunting.

05— Say, someone’s in their deer hunting blind, and they see some turkeys and decide, “Okay, I’m going to take a turkey.”

But, in springtime it’s all about the bird.

25— It’s more involved as far as calling a strutting male, or a male that’s going into breeding season. He’s going to be more colorful; he’s going to be looking for hens and responding to a hunter’s call. So, he’ll [the hunter] be imitating the calls of the hen, completely decked out in camouflage at the base of a tree or somewhere – trying to get that bird to get close enough to him to shoot. And it can be a very exhilarating, very exciting experience to successfully call in a bird. So, it’s quite addictive.

Find out when and where to hunt turkey this spring when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series, and works to create hunting and wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fishing on the South Llano River

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Spring Break: Fishing and More Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometimes things sneak up on us before we’re ready. Take spring break, for example. Are you at a loss for what to do with the family? Robert Ramirez with Outreach and Education at Texas Parks and Wildlife says there’s something for everyone when you visit a state park.

There is something for everybody: everything from hikes to stargazing. The little “techie” kids can grab their iPads and iPhones and utilize those at night. There are things for the adults. The Go Fish programs are for both kids and adults alike. All our parks are great for fishing, and you never know what you’re going to get in some of those bodies of water down there.

What if you don’t have tackle?

Our state parks – most of them – have tackle loaner programs available. Just look online at the park you’re going to visit and double check to make sure they do have a tackle loaner program available.

Speaking of online, is this where people can go to plan their last minute, but very fun, state park getaway for their spring break vacation?

Yes. Definitely. Go to our website, and under ‘calendar’ click on ‘kids’ and the mid two weeks of March are just chock full of events for kids and families and things for them to do.

Remember: Life’s Better Outside. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.