WGFD Plans Kids Fishing Day

Wyoming Game & Fish Department sent this bulletin at 05/28/2015 09:53 AM MDT
 Fall3

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 MG_KFDJxn1 Jackson Fish Biologist Diana Miller explains fish anatomy to an attentive group of kids.

JACKSON- Kids are invited to “get hooked on fishing” at the 25th annual Kids Fishing Day event Saturday, June 6, 2015.  The event will take place at the Jackson National Fish Hatchery pond four miles north of Jackson. Parents are invited to share in the fun and maybe learn a few tips themselves. The entire event is free of charge. An additional Kids Fishing Day event will be offered at the Golf Course Pond in Afton from 8:00am-noon.

            There will be fun educational activities, a hot dog lunch and the opportunity to catch Snake River cutthroat trout freshly stocked in the hatchery’s Sleeping Indian Pond. “This event continues to be very popular in the community simply because it’s a lot of fun,” says Jackson Fish Biologist and event coordinator, Tracy Stephens. “The kids have a great time learning about all things fishing.”        

All kids age 13 and under are invited to participate in this event. Registration begins at 10:30am including brief educational activities from 11:00am - noon. A free hotdog lunch will be provided by Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited and served by the Jackson Hole Lions Club with fishing to follow. The event is planned to conclude at 3 pm.

Topics for the educational activities will include fish conservation and ethics, fishing skills, fish handling and cleaning, stream habitat and aquatic invasive species. Kids will learn how to identify different types of fish, what they eat (aquatic insects) and fish habitat. Kids also will get to assist fish biologists in stocking the pond. “The insect identification and fish anatomy are always especially popular with the kids,” says Stephens. “All participants will receive a special certificate along with their goodie bags.”

In addition to fishing, afternoon activities include fly casting, fly tying, knot tying and bear safety information.

MG_KFDJxn2 Jackson Game Warden Kyle Lash gives a youngster a Free Resident Junior Fishing Permit.

 

Saturday is also Free Fishing Day across the state of Wyoming. Anyone may fish without a fishing license or Conservation Stamp on free fishing day, Saturday, June 6, 2015. All limits and other fishing regulations apply. More details on Free Fishing Day are listed in the Wyoming fishing regulations booklet and on the Wyoming Game and Fish website at: http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/fishing-1000438.aspx. There are Kids Fishing Day events held across Wyoming in celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week.

Sponsors for the event in Jackson include: Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Teton Conservation District, Teton County Weed & Pest, Teton County Jackson Parks and Recreation Department, U.S. Geological Survey Jackson Field Station, Bridger-Teton National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Lions Club, Snake River Fund and Friends of Fish Creek.

Adult volunteers are always needed to help out at the event and can serve as “fishing guides” for the kids. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, contact Tracy Stephens at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department at 733-2321.

The Game and Fish supports the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Anyone needing auxiliary aids to attend this event should call the number listed above.  Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.

~ WGFD ~