Published: May 25, 2008 01:09 am         

Ample water not bad thing

If it keeps raining the way it has, all of the trout that have been stocked recently are going to get soaking wet.

Wet is wet, I guess, whether a trout is in two feet of water or swimming in water up to an angler’s eyeballs.

High flows such as we have experienced in our area trout streams during recent weeks have a variety of effects. For one thing, angling pressure tends to dwindle when waters are outpacing the Amtrak on the streamside rails and when those same streams are the color of a recently plowed Illinois farm field.

With fewer people drifting salmon eggs or worms or flipping spinners or flicking flies, more trout survive.

With more water in which to live, trout may drift a while or even move upstream.

The weeks following this kind of bank-to-bank water are the weeks during which those little pieces of stream away from easily stocked locations provide better fishing for hatchery trout.

Every stream has these places, spots alongside which hatchery trucks cannot easily transfer trout from tank to creek. You probably have a few favorite places of your own.

My best guess right now is that good fishing for hatchery trout will extend well into June or perhaps July because of this liquid wealth that we are currently (choice of word intentional) experiencing.

Deeper waters are also more difficult for the sun’s rays to reach and stay cooler longer. Thus, those temperature-sensitive trout won’t have to deal with heat as early in the spring/summer season as usual.

BATTIE MIXON FISHING RODEO

Don’t forget that the better-than-ever Battie Mixon Fishing Rodeo for anglers 15 and younger takes place on the C&O Canal at Oldtown Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mike Cornachia, the rodeo’s organizer, said the event has been chosen by Gov. Martin O’Malley as one of three youth angling events where tagged fish will be released as part of the Maryland Fishing Challenge.

“There will be 100 or more tagged hybrid bluegills as big as a man’s hand,” Cornachia said.

Each young angler who catches one of these tagged fish will immediately receive a special T-shirt.

At the end of the rodeo four of the tags will be randomly selected and those four anglers will be eligible for nice prizes at an event near Annapolis later in the year.

This year’s rodeo will have the most fish ever, with 500 trout, 500 hybrid bluegills and 1,000 catfish.

Cornachia said anybody who wants to help stock the fish should be at the fishing site on Friday between 8 a.m. and noon.

This is the 60th annual rodeo and Cornachia expects up to 2,500 people to attend.

“The rodeo is really taking off again,” Cornachia said. “I’ve had clubs call me after they read about it in the Times-News and want to help sponsor.”

If you want to see what has been attracting hordes of young anglers and their families to Oldtown on an annual basis, swing by the Battie Mixon Fishing Rodeo.

Just don’t forget the camera.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.