OUTDOOR BRIEFS

CONSERVATION

Fishing practice catching on

With the growing interest in conservation, many anglers have adopted the practice of catch-and-release fishing. This practice involves catching a fish and then releasing it, in a timely and controlled manner, back into the water where it was caught. The key to successful catch-and-release fishing is doing so in a way that gives released fish the greatest opportunity for survival, otherwise, the practice is nothing more than window dressing.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife offers guidelines for giving a released fish the greatest chance of survival.

It's hard to imagine using a fish hook with no barbs, but the first step in catch-and-release fishing is using barbless hooks. Without the barb, it's much easier to remove the hook from a fish's mouth. While barbless hooks can be purchased, they also can be easily made by bending a barb over with a pair of pliers. Bait fishing with a treble hook is not the way to go.

One of the fun aspects of fishing is playing the fish, but playing a fish to exhaustion will almost ensure a released fish will die. That's probably not a real issue if you plan on eating your fish, but if you plan on releasing it, land your fish as quickly as possible. When you land your fish, use a fine-mesh landing net. Doing so will prevent the fish from thrashing on the shore and make landing the fish much easier.

Fish are covered with a mucus coating that provides them with a level of bacterial protection. To protect that coating, it's important to keep your fish in the water as much as possible. It's also a good idea to wet your hands and net before handling the fish. Avoid touching or putting your fingers inside the gill slits. Hold the fish by placing one hand under the fish near its head and the other hand near its tail.

Once you have control of the fish, use hemostats or needle-nose pliers to remove the hook. This will help to protect your hands from hook-related injuries and is much easier on the fish than sticking your fingers in its mouth. If necessary, cut the line or the hook itself. This can be very beneficial if a fish is hooked deep.

To release a fish, hold it upright in the water and allow it to swim away under its own power. If the fish is bleeding from the mouth or gills due to your actions, you'll need to keep working on your catch-and-release skills.

TROUT PLANTS

Urban ponds a close alternative for anglers

Local anglers should be getting excited for this season's trout plants at their local urban ponds. Anglers can expect to find rainbow trout in three ponds in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as in ponds in Boulder City and Mesquite. The Nevada Department of Wildlife started its annual stocking program in early November and that program will continue throughout the winter months.

Because gasoline prices are keeping some traveling anglers at home, urban ponds provide an opportunity to fish without breaking the bank. In the northwest part of town, anglers can find trout in the ponds at Floyd Lamb City Park but expect to pay a minimal parking fee. Fish can also be found in the ponds at Lorenzi Park near Washington Avenue and Rancho Drive, or Sunset Park across from McCarran International Airport near the corner of Sunset Road and Eastern Avenue.

One of the newest urban fishing ponds can be found at Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City and another at Hafen Park in Mesquite.

"A lot of trout anglers put their rods away for the winter, or head to the Eastern Sierras during the winter, but with these ponds they don't have to," said Doug Nielsen, Conservation Education Supervisor for NDOW. "Fishing these ponds isn't quite like fishing a high mountain lake, but it beats staying at home. I wouldn't put my rod away just yet."

Fish being stocked into the ponds average seven to 10 inches in length with a few pushing 12 inches or more.

These fish aren't the trophies anglers go after in more remote places yet they are just as rewarding to catch. They can also provide a fun opportunity for a son or daughter who is hoping to catch their first fish.

ARTIST HONORED

Duck stamp contest winner announced

Graphic artist James P. Edwards of Raleigh, N.C., is well on his way to fulfilling his goal of becoming a renown wildlife artist. Edwards was selected as the winner of the Nevada Department of Wildlife's 29th annual State Duck Stamp Art Contest for his painting of a pintail duck. Nevada's contest was the second state contest Edwards had entered; he placed third in Michigan's 2008 duck stamp contest.

The winning entry in the annual art contest was selected by a panel of seven judges including two wildlife commissioners. His painting will now grace the Silver State's 2008-2009 State Duck Stamp.

Edwards' painting is outstanding in that it is understated. It depicts a scene Edwards describes as peaceful and quiet in evening light.

The pintail is one of the most widely distributed waterfowl species in the world. Pintails are among the first ducks to migrate south in the fall and north in the spring. A number of the pintail's migration corridors cross the Great Basin, and during the late fall abundant numbers of these ducks can be found in Nevada.