More public meetings on speckled trout this week

On Wednesday, LDWF will hold another in its series of statewide public meetings on the future of speckled trout management at Calcasieu Parish Extension Office, 7101 Gulf Highway in Lake Charles. Time is 6:00pm. Conservationists are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and fill out a BLUE card to comment at the end of session and voice support for a 14" minimum size regulation.

On Thursday, LDWF will hold another in its series of statewide public meetings on the future of speckled trout management at Rapides Parish Extension Office, 300 Grady Britt Drive in Alexandria. Time is 6:00pm. Conservationists are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and fill out a BLUE card to comment at the end of session and voice support for a 14" minimum size regulation.

On Saturday, LDWF will hold the final meeting in its series of statewide public meetings on the future of speckled trout management at Lincoln Parish Library, 910 North Trenton Street in Ruston. Time is 1:00pm (afternoon). Conservationists are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and fill out a BLUE card to comment at the end of session and voice support for a 14" minimum size regulation.

Special events this week - 2/16

On Wednesday, LDWF will hold another in its series of statewide public meetings on the future of speckled trout management at East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Avenue in Metairie. Time is 6:00pm. Conservationists are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and fill out a BLUE card to comment at the end of session and voice support for a 14" minimum size regulation.

On Thursday, LDWF will hold another in its series of statewide public meetings on the future of speckled trout management at Slidell Municipal Auditorium, 2056 Second Street in Slidell. Time is 6:00pm. Conservationists are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting and fill out a BLUE card to comment at the end of session and voice support for a 14" minimum size regulation.

Starting Friday and continuing thru Sunday, it's Troutfest 2020 at Lazy L&L Campgrounds in New Braunfels, Texas. Sponsored by Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited is a fly fishing banquet and exposition to raise funding to conserve, protect and restore the cold tailwater fishery below Canyon Dam, the southernmost year-round trout fishery in the USA. Seminars, fly tying demonstrations, casting clinics, Kid Fish Pond, vendors and much more.  For more info, go to www.grtu.org.

Time for fly anglers to fight for conservation!

Tonight kicks off the first of 8 public meetings hosted by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the future of speckled trout management. The meetings are in response to biologists studies that show that seatrout are overfished, and changes are necessary in order to recover the stock.

Some of the responses I've seen on Facebook give new meaning to the word "stupid". Some of the very same folks who said that the Calcasieu limit of 15 was implemented despite the "science", and we should've listened to the biologists, are now saying the science is unreliable, the biologists are not always right and no changes should be made. Honestly folks, you can't make this sh*t up!

Regardless, it points out that there will be resistance to tighter limits. Those of us who support conservation MUST be at these meetings and make our voice heard. I hate to say this, but there are a good number of fly anglers who either don't care about speckled trout, or give conservation lip service. Therefore those of us who DO LOVE to fly fish for specks must carry the burden.

The chart says it all. We need a 20% savings in the spawning potential ratio. This means a 14" minimum size limit with either a 15 or 20 daily limit.

Personally I strongly support 14/15 - 14 inch minimum size and 15 fish daily limit. This will get us back above the conservation target in the least amount of time and keep us safely above that target for the foreseeable future. 

For meeting dates and locations in your area, check out our Calendar page.

Special events this week - 2/9

On Monday, LDWF will begin the first of several public meetings on the future of speckled trout management, with a meeting at the North Branch Library on 4130 West Park Ave in Gray. Time is 6:00pm.

On Wednesday, LDWF will hold a public meeting on the future of speckled trout management at LDWF headquarters on 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Time is 6:00pm.

On Thursday, LDWF will hold a public meeting on the future of speckled trout management at the Lafayette City Council Chambers on 705 West University Avenue. Time is 6:00pm.

This Friday is Valentine's Day. Do something special for the one you love and take them fishing!

On Saturday, it's the 15th-ever Little Mo Fly Fishing Festival at the Community Center in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. This popular event celebrates southwest Arkansas' premier year-round trout fishing river and features between a dozen and two dozen fly tiers from across the Ark-La-Tex. There are also programs, vendors and exhibitors. That evening is the annual "Fly Draft".  The event concludes on Sunday with an on-the-river casting clinic. For more info, including list of tiers and programs and schedule, go to www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com.

Rizzolo Fly Tying Fest this Saturday

On Saturday, it's the 28th annual Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival in Houston.  Location is Bethany Christian Church Community Center at 3223 Westheimer.  Time is 8:30am to 3:30pm. Admission is charged.  Hosted by the Texas Fly Fishers, this event features the largest group of fly tiers of any event on the Gulf Coast, with over 60 tiers. This year's special guest is Gunnar Brammer. For more details, see our January 28th post, or go to www.texasflyfishers.org.