Arkansas Fishing Group Wins Conservation Award

[Tim Smith]

From the AFS newsfeed:

The Robert M. Jenkins Award is presented by the Arkansas Chapter of the
American Fisheries Society. It is an exclusive award given to organizations
that show outstanding achievement in their field. It was last awarded in
2009 to the Arkansas Bass Association of Outstanding Conservation
Achievement.

This year, the Central Arkansas Dead Drifters Ichthyological Society
(CADDIS) was presented the Robert M. Jenkins Award for its work to educate
youth in the Arkansas River Valley about the sport of fishing.

"It's unbelievable," CADDIS President Jerry McKaughan said. "We never
dreamed we'd win this. We just do this because we want to educate the
children ... first and foremost about being outdoors."

Nothing shows CADDIS's dedication to teaching kids about fishing like their
annual Trout Day at Pleasant View Pond - an event CADDIS has put on since
2004. It is held on the first Saturday of December.

"Trout Day represents our participation in the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission's (AGFC) Family and Community Fisheries Program," according to
CADDIS's website, www.caddisflyfishers.org

"This year we had 119 show up for our trout clinic on a Tuesday," McKaughan
said. "We always have over 200 on average out for Trout Day."

Trout day was CADDIS member David Snellings' brainchild. In 2004, Snellings
had an idea to "Catch a limit of trout in Russellville."

"We got ahold of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission," McKaughan said. "We
reached the Russellville Parks and Recreation Department - Parks and Rec are
a big part of this because it's their pond - and everybody said sure, let's
do it."

The trout are furnished by the AGFC and come from fisheries north of
Harrison. Trout are a cold-water fish and won't live in Pleasant View Pond
after the water warms up in the summer.

"We get the fish two days before the event," McKaughan said. "Typically they
bring about 600 trout unless I press them, then they might show up with 900.
They'll bring about 400 more in January, February and March."

All you need to trout fish in Russellville after Trout Day is have a trout
stamp on your fishing license, or be under the age of 16.

"We're a fly fishing club, but Trout Day is about the kids," McKaughan said.
"We give away 50-60 light-tackle rods and reels. We bait the hooks for the
kids, we rig them for them."

About CADDIS

CADDIS is a group of men and women of all ages and levels of experience that
enjoy fly fishing. The club's main goal is to promote the sport of fishing,
of all kinds, with future generations. To that end, the club offers club
memberships to students at a discounted rate.

CADDIS also promotes conservation. Members are kept informed on the current
issues regarding all Arkansas fisheries. The group encourage
catch-and-release fishing to promote population growth, but respect all
anglers right to harvest their catch. Club activities include fly tying, rod
building and fishing.

CADDIS meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Western
Sizzlin' in Russellville, 1105 East Main St.

For more information, visit the club's website www.caddisflyfishers.org

Read more:
<http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/17582405/article-Trout-Day-earns
-CADDIS-award?instance=top_news#ixzz1mrMzX0Tv> The Courier - Your Messenger
for the River Valley - Trout Day earns CADDIS award

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

A noble cause and a good reward.

Yes, it is. We need more of these kinds of groups. Educate the children and they will do the same.