Virginia

Many of you have heard about the challenge of maintaining angling opportunity for the summer flounder fishery along the Atlantic coast. This fishery, one of the most important on the Atlantic, has been threatened with a closure by federal managers in the Exclusive Economic Zone (three miles to 200 miles) in 2009. Clearly such an action would reduce recreational fishing opportunity and have a negative impact on the sportfishing businesses which depend on the summer flounder fishery. The irony of this threat is that summer flounder stocks in the Atlantic are at a 40 year high.

Bainbridge Island, Washington - The top names in Fly Fishing have joined forces together to put togther a world-class fly fishing outfit as a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited-Alaska to help with their efforts protecting the Bristol Bay watershed.

Visit Find Game (http://www.findgame.org), the Department's award-winning online public hunting lands locator!

For persons with disabilities: a calendar of hunting, fishing, and skill-building events, as well as areas designed for access to persons with disabilities can be found on the Department's online events calendar, accessible fishing areas page, as well as the VANWTF site(http://www.vanwtf.com).

L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools’ courses are offered in the waters around Maine, Maryland and Virginia, allowing participants a chance to refine their fly fishing skills beginning in April.

Freeport, Maine (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 27, 2008 --The L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools offers anglers a chance to hone their fly fishing skills in specialized courses and tours that are easily accessible to those visiting or living along the East Coast. These courses, offered in the waters around Maine, Maryland and Virginia, allow participants a chance to refine their fly fishing skills beginning as early as April, and continuing into fall. Costs range from $95 to $395 with a minimum age of 12.

When the summer winds down, many anglers put their fishing gear away. Those who know better head for the Potomac River's striper grounds.

By Mark Fike

In the 1970s, fishing for Potomac River striped bass (or rockfish, as they are locally known) was a big sport, both in terms of the number of anglers and the number of stripers it involved.

Usually the first signs of summer on the Eastern Shore of Virginia are warm sunny days, steady southwest breezes and the guttural calls of laughing gulls. For sportfishermen though, summer usually begins with reports of anglers catching those first red drum, as they continue to migrate north up the coast. And for many local surf-fishermen, the beginning of summer means beach-fishing action that will only get better as the days get longer.

In 1952, the Army Corps of Engineers closed the gates to the John H. Kerr Dam - giving Virginia and North Carolina a 50,000-acre playground, not to mention the flood control for which this lake was built.

Upper New River

Walleye fishing in 2008 will be very good on the upper New River from Fries Dam downstream to Allisonia. Crankbaits, jigs, and live minnows are working well and anglers are catching walleyes and fishing is getting better. In 2007, an angler survey showed anglers are catching more walleyes in February, March, and April than any other time. Catch rates of walleye from sampling in 2007 were high and this should also hold for fishing catch rates. There is a 20-inch minimum length limit on walleye in the upper New River, so throw back the little ones and catch them again.

Region 1 - Tidewater

Beaverdam Swamp: Tom Rummel reports that things are very "quiet" at the park. There is a little luck to be had with crankbaits but that is about it. The water is clear and cold.

The boat creaks. A soft June wind ruffles the young angler's hair. Girls giggle and boys roughhouse. There is a competition going on, but those who do the competing are still having fun to the point that the competition is one of the best parts of the trip.