Dec. 1, 2021
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host two special winter fishing derbies from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 4, to celebrate the holidays and the opportunity to catch rainbow trout in Family and Community Fishing Program locations. Youths do not need a license or trout stamp to fish in Arkansas, and each derby is free. Anglers 16 and older are welcome to fish as well, but they must have a valid AGFC fishing license. They must also have a trout stamp if they wish to keep any trout they catch. Both the license and stamp are available to purchase at www.agfc.com. Anglers must bring their own bait and tackle, and chairs or coolers to sit on are strongly encouraged. Registration is required for both events.
Number One for Pine Bluff
The AGFC has partnered with the City of Pine Bluff to bring the city’s first Trout Day celebration to Martin Luther King Jr. Park Pond this Saturday. Come out and enjoy some great times with family and friends chasing trout, a rare treat for pond anglers in Arkansas.
“Trout swim year-round in some of Arkansas’s tailwater fisheries, but we’re only able to bring them to Family and Community Ponds once the weather has cooled enough for the fish to survive,” Clint Coleman, FCFP assistant coordinator for the AGFC, said. “They’re fun to catch and offer a different type of meal than the catfish we normally stock. Both are great to eat, but it’s great to be able to give people this opportunity at something they wouldn’t normally get.”
Visit the AGFC’s online Outdoor Skills Calendar, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/174553, to register for the Pine Bluff Trout Day.
Learn to Wet a Line in Russellville
The Russellville Trout Day will take place at Pleasant View Park Pond and is being presented by the CADDIS Fly Fishing Club. Prizes will be awarded at the event, and everyone will be able to bring home their catch of fresh fish. To help anglers start out on the right foot, a special trout-fishing clinic will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Hughes Community Center at 1000 East Parkway Drive in Russellville.
“Trout fishing takes lighter line and hooks than most bank anglers use for the catfish we normally stock in these ponds,” Maurice Jackson, FCFP coordinator for the AGFC, said. “So these clinics are a great way to improve your chances and meet people who will be at the derby on Saturday. Plus, any children 15 and under who attend the clinic will be given a voucher they can redeem at the derby to receive free fishing gear.”
Visit the AGFC’s online Outdoor Skills Calendar, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/174548, to register for the Russellville Trout Day and fishing clinic.