INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — This weekend is the last opportunity in 2016 for adults to fish for free in Indiana. June 4th and 5th are the final two days of the Free Fishing Days this year.

On these special days, Indiana residents who are age 18 and older can fish public waters without needing a fishing license or a trout stamp. Places that are known as “paid lakes” are not included in this program.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR),Free Fishing Weekend is a great opportunity to take someone fishing who doesn’t already have a license and also offers time for families to teach youngsters how to fish since kids 18 and younger never need a license.

The DNR Go FishIN program will also offer free Family Learn to Fish Workshops in Carmel, Porter County, Edinburgh and Evansville. These are the last of 16 Family Learn to Fish Workshops in 2016.

During these three-hour workshops, attendees will learn basic fishing skills so that they can fish confidently on their own.

Also included in this weekends fishing activities several city, county and state parks will be hosting fishing derbies. For more information on Free Fishing Days or the workshops, visit GoFishin.IN.gov.

Oregon's outdoors will be at its most economical this coming weekend, June 4 and 5, when fishing and camping won't require donating a cent to state coffers.

The two-day event includes Free Fishing Weekend, when anglers won't need a fishing license, tag and endorsement to drop a line in Oregon waters. To ensure there's something to catch, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking more than 185,000 trout at 80 locations around the state.

"It's a great opportunity for families to get out and enjoy a day or two of fishing,” said Rick Hargrave, administrator of ODFW’s Information & Education Division. “Lakes and ponds are fully stocked and a number of rivers are open."

ODFW is also hosting free events at local fishing holes — including seven locations in the Willamette Valley — where volunteers will offer fishing gear, bait and instruction to children that show up. (See below for breakdown of times and locations for fishing events).

Free camping is also being offered, courtesy of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. All state park sites will be free on the night of June 4 at traditional sites — full hookup (sewer, electricity and water), electrical hookup (electricity and water), and tent sites. Parking is free both June 4 and June 5 at the 26 parks that charge a day-use parking fee.

Campsite reservations may be made by calling 800-452-5687 before 5 p.m. June 3. Or, reserve online at www.oregonstateparks.org. While the campsite rental is free, an $8 nonrefundable reservation fee still applies. Of the 52 state park campgrounds, 42 take reservations.

"State Parks Day is our way of thanking Oregonians for their commitment to our state parks," Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director Lisa Sumption said. "We invite Oregonians to come out and explore a new park or visit an old favorite."

OUTDO – States are offering a chance to go fishing without the expense of purchasing a fishing license during Free Fishing Days this month
 
Idaho Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 11.
 
Washington is offering two free days, Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12.
 
Montana will hold two free fishing days on Father’s Day weekend, June 18-19.
 
Although fishing license requirements are suspended for this special day, all other state rules remain in effect. These include regulations such as bag and length limits or special fishing regulations.
 
All of the states make regulations brochures are available online or free at local sporting goods stores and other retailers.
 
Free fishing day provides a no-cost opportunity for novices to give fishing a try.
 
To help beginning anglers, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is sponsoring fishing events at selected waters throughout the state.
 
Staff and volunteers will answer questions and help beginning anglers learn about fishing tackle, casting, fishing techniques and fish identification. Some fishing tackle and bait will be available for persons who do not have their own gear.
 
Idaho Panhandle Region events on June 11 start with a 7 a.m.-11 a.m. session in Coeur d'Alene at Ponderosa Springs Golf Course. The course has a 27-year tradition closing to golfers for those four hours so youngsters will have a chance to catch their first fish.
 
North Idaho events planned from 9 a.m. to noon on June 11 include:
 

• Bonners Ferry, at Snow Creek Pond.
• St. Maries, at Spicer Pond.
• Enaville, at Steamboat Ponds.
• Mullan, at Lucky Friday Pond.
• Post Falls, at Post Falls Park Pond.
• Priest Lake, at Priest Lake Golf Course.
• Rathdrum, at Rathdrum City Park.
• Sandpoint, at Round Lake State Park

 
Rainbow trout are being stocked in each location for the events and should provide good fishing, says Phil Cooper, agency spokesman.
 
“Limited equipment will be available for use,” he said. “anyone with tackle of their own is encouraged to bring it along.”

 

The State Government has announced an overhaul of New South Wales commercial fishing rules, saying it will make the industry more sustainable.
 
Catch quotas will be applied to fishing shares, so some businesses will need to buy extra shares to support their needs.
 
Financial assistance will be offered to fishers, and there'll be payments of up to $20,000 for those who want to leave the industry.
 
The Government will spend $16 million in financial support for fishers affected by the changes.
 
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said far too many fishing shares had been issued in the past 20 years.
 
"And those shares in the marketplace have very little value and no certainty when it comes to fish stocks," Mr Blair said.
 
"What we're doing today is putting certainty into those fish stocks and adding value back into those shares."
 
Mr Blair said the Government wanted more seafood in NSW to be consumed in NSW households.
 
"Fifteen per cent of the seafood we eat in NSW comes from NSW waters, and that's something that we want to change," Mr Blair said.
 
"At the moment there is too much imported seafood being consumed."
 
He said the new rules would maintain the viability of an industry which makes $90 million for the NSW economy.
 
Mr Blair said the industry had been struggling under detailed regulations and this would bring in more manageable practices.
  Industry group calls for more detail on new laws   Executive officer of the Professional Fishermen's Association Tricia Beatty said her organisation needed more information on how some of the quotas would work.
 
"Our industry has been faced with a lot of uncertainty because they didn't know what the decision would be for the last four years, so we're [welcoming] that we finally have been told what's going on," Ms Beatty said.
 
"However, there's still a lot of detail that has not been provided and still needs to be worked through."
 
But she said the industry had some concerns about whether the proposed quote arrangements are viable.
 
"At the moment we are working with the NSW Government to work out these details," she said.
 
"The NSW Government has made that commitment to work with industry to resolve our issues."
 
She said the seafood labelling scheme would allow consumers to make more informed decisions.
 
"I'm pretty confident the NSW consumer will choose rightly to eat local, fresh product, so that's been a welcome commitment."
 

Fly fishing is seeing a spike in popularity with women in the Sea to Sky corridor.

 
Cortney Brown didn’t know what she’d haul in when she cast her idea at Whistler’s Great Outdoor Festival (GO Fest).
 
As a young girl, the southern Californian would head to mountainous Wyoming with her mother. There the duo would find a river to themselves, get out their fly fishing rods and take in the beauty of their surroundings. It was in the flowing water that her mother’s passion for the sport washed onto her. And it was that passion Brown hoped to cultivate in others with her inaugural Women’s Only Fly Fishing Clinic.
 
“It was something I had been thinking about doing for a really long time,” she said regarding the workshops. “I really enjoy fly fishing and wondered why there weren’t more women in the sport.”
 
The clinic became one of the hot tickets of GO Fest. The first class sold out, forcing Brown to add an additional workshop. The whole event went so well, that Brown is now considering starting a women’s fly fishing society in the Sea to Sky corridor.  
 
“Really I am just trying to find women to come fish with me,” she half-heartedly joked.  
 
Brown first came to Whistler on a snowboarding trip, which turned into a lifelong pursuit of exploring the corridor’s lakes and rivers. Today she calls Squamish home and manages Trout Country Fishing Guides.
 
“I am so happy that I can now focus on sports fishing as a living,” she said.  
 
Fly fishing is experiencing a resurgence of sorts, Brown said. While the Sea to Sky corridor hasn’t seen the same pick-up as Northern B.C., a growing number of visitors and locals are choosing to check out the sport, she said. Brown attributes the spike in interest to the cultural movement to understand our food sources and the increasing popularity of forging.
 
“Fly fishing is a great way to get out and explore the area,” she said. “You are continually learning.”
 
Fly fishing is “moving meditation,” Brown said. One has to retain a sense of calmness as they wait for a fish to bite. Then there’s the adrenaline of reeling it in, looking at the beautiful creature before setting it free, she said. Brown has learned to read the ripples that make their way to the water’s surface. She takes note of the vegetation on the river’s bank and other animals that may also be looking for a meal.
 
“You can really explore what is happening under the water,” she said. “You have to pay attention to the spectrum of life. It really puts you in the moment. You learn to read what is going on with the river.”
 
The sport gives one an appreciation for the environment, she added. A major part of the workshop was going over angler awareness, which includes catch and release practices. Overfishing in the ‘60s has impacted the amount of fish sports fishermen see today, Brown noted. While some fish numbers slowly returning, it’s important that people aid their progress, she said.
 
Brown hopes to continue to share her love of sport fishing with other women. Anyone interested in helping her create a women’s fly fishing society can email  cortney@fishwhistler.com.
 
“I wasn’t sure if the clinics would be a success,” she said. “Now I am just excited to see those women at the river.”
 

Jeff Vernon and Cheril Connell, both of Killeen, won the Tuesday Night Tournament with a two-fish bag weighing 12.16 pounds. 
 
The duo also earned “Big Bass” honors with an 8.6-pound catch. Their total first-place prize was $915.
 
The weekly event — sponsored each week by Tightlines Premium Fishing Tackle — usually takes place at Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir.
 
But due to rough conditions, last week’s event was held at Belton Lake.
 
Second place went to Chris Tatum and Justin Tatum with a three-fish bag of 9.14 pounds. Willie Vickers and Billy Hirschman took third place (8.67 pounds). Fourth place went to Adrian Barnes and Daniel Barnes (8.31).
 
“The conditions at Belton turned out to be pretty good,” Vernon said. “It was a little windy but not cold at all. The main lake was a little choppy, but we put ourselves in a spot where it wasn’t so windy. I have an 18-foot boat instead of the 21-foot boats like most of the others in the tournament.”
 
Vernon hauled in the 8.6-pounder around 8 p.m.
 
“It was a good fight but a lot of fun,” he said. “When I first hooked it, I thought it was a catfish because it came out running, not going to the top like a bass normally does. But a little bit later, it came to the top just enough for me to see it was a bass. My normal fishing partner couldn’t make it so Cheril, my girlfriend, was the one who netted this fish.
 
“It was the first fish she ever netted.”
 
She enjoyed the experience.
 
“It was all pretty exciting when Jeff caught that big fish,” Connell said.
 
But this week, Vernon will be competing in the TNT with his regular fishing partner.
 
“Well,” said Connell, with a laugh, “I guess I’m just the second fiddle. Jeff has been teaching me well about fishing. So, if he keeps me as the second fiddle, I may have to just compete against him.”
 
Contact Allan Mandell at amandell@kdhnews.com or 254-501-7566 and read his column at KDHPressbox.com