Passport to Texas

Fly-fish Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you put “learn to fly-fish” on your list of New Year’s resolutions, here’s your chance cross it off. On March 10, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens offers a day of fly-fishing for rainbow trout.

18—it’s completely fine if you’ve never fly fished before. We’re going to have volunteers from fly-fishing clubs from all over Texas. Some 80 to 100 volunteers to work with small groups and one-on-one just to teach everyone who shows up all about the different aspects of fly-fishing.

James Booker is events coordinator for the center. Called Fly-Fish Texas, the daylong event attracts hundreds of eager students and enthusiastic teachers.

32—We have the fly-fishing clubs from all over the state so heavily involved, and so they descend on this site en masse—and are just eager to share their passion or fly-fishing. We also have some of the top fly-fishing equipment makers come and share their latest technologies and their latest poles and rods. We have up to 20 guest fly tiers, and so we convert one whole building of our center into what we call fly-fishing round up. It is basically just a giant fly tying lesson.

Equipment is provided for casting classes, but participants are welcome to bring their own gear.

Fly Fish Texas at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, is from 9 to 4, March 10. It’s family friendly with various activities and food available on site. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Red Tide in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last year’s record breaking heat and drought contributed to one of the longest outbreaks of Red Tide in Texas history. Texas parks and Wildlife biologist, Meredith Byrd, says a species of algae named Karinia brevis causes the condition.

06—And when these algae reproduce very, very quickly, they turn the water red or reddish brown and so that’s what we here on the Texas coast know as a red tide.

Red tide can be irritating to the skin and lungs but is not a serious threat to most people—but certain aquatic life, isn’t as lucky.

15—Red tide does cause toxins that kill fish and are collected in the oyster tissue so unfortunately the commercial oyster season that would have began Nov. 1st has been suspended indefinitely.

Texas parks and Wildlife Water Resources Branch Chief Cindy Loeffler says, because oysters are filter feeders that can filter up to 50 gallons of water daily, they will eventually rid themselves of toxins… just not in time to save this season’s $30-million dollar Texas oyster industry.

16— What has to happen is for the toxin level in the oyster meat to drop below a certain threshold level but unfortunately the drought, predicted to persist at least through early spring, mid-spring so that would typically be about the length of our commercial oyster season.

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

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

Fishing: Last of the Rainbows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Two generations of Texas anglers know the joy of reeling in rainbow trout during the winter months thanks to Parks and Wildlife’s stocking program.

07—I believe it started in the 1960s; so, we’ve been stocking trout for fisherman for winter fishery for over forty years I believe.

Carl Kittle oversees the trout stocking program for Parks and Wildlife. Beginning every December through the first week of March, the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s inland fisheries division stocks more than a quarter of a million of the colorful fish in neighborhood fishing ponds statewide.

06—Rainbow trout are a cold water fish. The winter is the only time we really have water here in Texas that will support them.

Once it starts warming up—which could be any time now—the water will, too, and those fish will not survive. Considering rainbow trout are excellent table fare, it would be a shame to let them expire in the water.

17—They’re excellent eating fish. You can keep whatever fish you catch and I believe it is five per day. The fish that are stocked in general will be between eight and 10 inches, so a nine inch fish would be normal—with the exception of neighborhood fishing program lakes, which should average 11-12 inches in size.

Find the trout stocking schedule on the Parks and Wildlife website. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series, and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

State Parks: Fishing for Rainbows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get to a state park with fishing opportunities while there’s still a chill in the air for your chance to reel in the last of the rainbow trout. Out state park guide Bryan Frazier explains.

The water temperature has to stay below a certain temperature for the rainbow trout to do well, and February’s a great time, because it’s usually the last month that there’ll be stockings for rainbow trout.

It’s a great reason to get outside during what’s typically a mild winter in Texas, and enjoy something else. It’s a new slant on fishing, and you can do it this time of year when you don’t necessarily think about fishing. But. It’s even better for rainbow trout when it’s cold.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW Magazine: Digital Fishing Issue Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you fancy yourself a fisherman, or think it’s time you found out what all the fuss is about, Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine has a treat this February. Editor, Louie Bond explains.

60—You know, we’re really excited this February to offer our readers something new and different.

So, this is the beginning of a new tradition for Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. We hope everybody will check in on the fishing guide this month, and then back again in the fall for our hunting guide.

Louie says the online digital guide is accessible to everyone.

The Sport Fish restoration program supports our series with funds from your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

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