Get ready to party and catch some rainbows.
The "Welcome Back the Trout" celebration and associated activities at Tempe Town Lake have become a fun annual event to kick off the holiday season just two days before Thanksgiving. On Nov. 21, the Arizona Game and Fish Department will be stocking more than 3,500 feisty rainbow trout in this amazing body of water held in place in the otherwise dry riverbed by two inflatable dams.
This annual event has turned into a fun fishing party that has attracted more than 600 people to enjoy great fishing and free music. Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman will release the first rainbow trout to be stocked into the lake.
The Game and Fish Department will conduct a fishing clinic from 3-5 p.m. at the event. The clinic is timed so youngsters will be out of school and can participate. Free rods, reels, bait and fishing advice will be offered all afternoon. No fishing licenses will be needed for those participating in the event, but a fishing license will be required for future fishing.
By the way, if you don't already have a 2006 Class A fishing license, they are on sale for half-price during November and December. If you are an Arizona visitor, several great deals are available for you, including a four-month nonresident fishing license (includes trout fishing privileges) for just $39.75.
You can buy a fishing license at any Arizona Game and Fish Department office, many sporting goods stores, Wal-Marts, online at azgfd.gov, or by calling toll-free (866) 462-0433. For more information on the "Welcome Back the Trout" event, call (480) 350-8625.
