Fly-fishing for trout

You can fly-fish for trout at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission offers anglers a unique opportunity to catch trout without traveling to the mountains.

The Commission, along with Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation, is conducting eight fly-fishing clinics at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center, located on Raeford Road. The clinics will begin at 9 a.m., with a one-hour overview on the sport of fly-fishing, followed by interactive classes and on-the-water instructions. Clinics will end at 3 p.m.

A basic fly-fishing clinic is on Saturday and again on Feb. 6. An advanced fly-fishing clinic on Feb. 20 .

Two fly-fishing clinics, on March 6 and March 20, will be for Boy Scouts interested in earning a fly-fishing merit badge.

Three clinics, held exclusively for soldiers with Ft. Bragg's Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion, will be on the second Wednesday of each month.

Basic clinics are ideal for participants who have very limited or no experience with fly-fishing. Instructors will discuss and demonstrate the proper fly-fishing techniques, including casting, rigging and knot tying. The advanced clinic is for anglers who have previous fly-fishing experience and will cover more complex techniques, such as advanced casting, fly-tying and equipment assembly.

To make these clinics possible, Wildlife Commission staff stocked two ponds with 1,000 catchable sized brook, rainbow and brown trout on Dec. 15. The trout were raised at the agency's Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Transylvania County.

In addition to stocking the ponds, the Wildlife Commission is providing loaner rods, reels and tackle.

"This is one of the best kept secrets in the Fayetteville area," said Kristopher Smith, Pechmann Center director. "People who live around here would need to drive three or four hours to catch trout in North Carolina, but we have brought the fish to Fayetteville to encourage people to try fly-fishing.

"Most people have always wanted to learn but maybe thought it was too expensive or too complicated. By offering these clinics and providing all of the equipment, we have eliminated any excuse to get out on the water and fly-fish."

Clinics are limited to the first 40 people, and pre-registration is required by the Wednesday before each clinic. To pre-register or for more information, contact Lake Rim Park, 910- 424-6134. A $5 fee covers coffee and doughnuts.