Silver Creek seasonal trout fishery opens
Oct. 1
Want to catch Arizona’s state fish?
Then
get into an Apache trout state of mind for the Oct. 1 opening of the
catch-and-release only fishery at Silver Creek near the department’s
hatchery there.
“The opening of this unique fishery has become like a small
party each autumn for Apache trout aficionados,” said Kirk Young, the
fisheries chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
This catch-and-release section of Silver Creek requires
Apache and rainbow trout to be immediately released unharmed, and is
artificial flies and lures only with barbless hooks. This segment of
Silver Creek is open for fishing from Oct. 1 through March 1 of each
year.
“This seasonal fishery is especially revered by fly and spin
anglers who have discovered the joys of fishing for native Apache
trout,” Young said.
Silver Creek is located east of Show Low about 5 miles on
Highway 60. Turn north off 60 onto Bourdon Ranch Road for five miles to
Hatchery Way Road. Turn east on Hatchery Way Road for 1 mile to where
you can park at the Silver Creek Hatchery. Then simply follow the signs.
Don’t forget that the White Mountains of Arizona is the only
place where you can fish for pure-strain Apache trout. This large area
offers lots of opportunities to fish for this native salmonid.
Apache trout can be caught by a variety of methods, including
wet or dry flies, or small lures such as spinners. For more information
on how and where to fish for Apache trout, visit the Arizona Game and
Fish Department’s Web
site.