"Reel Fun" Fishing Program and Photo Contest is Making a Splash

By -
Vermont State Parks and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are teaming up this season with an exciting new program that will encourage park visitors to take advantage of the diverse, easily accessible and family-friendly fishing opportunities that exist in most Vermont State Parks. 

"We're thrilled to partner with Vermont Fish & Wildlife to help make fishing more accessible to anglers at Vermont State Parks," said Craig Whipple, Director of State Parks. "There's a strong history of recreational angling at our state parks and we want to continue to bolster that tradition through the 'Reel Fun' program. Whether you want to fish from shore or take out one of our canoes, kayaks or paddleboats, we hope that you will make fishing at a state park a must-do activity this summer."

In addition to hosting "Let's Go Fishing" clinics with trained instructors, 10 state parks will now be providing fishing equipment to visitors on a loaner basis.  Included in the equipment will be rods, reels, fishing line and an assortment of lures or baits that can be signed out by park visitors in order to help provide instant access to the sport of fishing. A guide will also be available that includes information about the waterbody, a lake or river map, a list of fish species present, fishing tips, and techniques applicable to each waterway, as well as information about obtaining a Vermont fishing license.

The following state parks will be participating in the "Reel Fun" initiative in 2015: Grand Isle State Park on Lake Champlain, Lake Carmi State Park, Stillwater State Park on Groton Lake, Branbury State Park on Lake Dunmore, Silver Lake State Park, Wilgus State Park on the Connecticut River, Half Moon State Park on Half Moon Pond, Lake St. Catherine State Park, Woodford State Park on Adams Reservoir, and Brighton State Park on Spectacle Pond.
 
"From my personal experience camping and fishing with my family, I can attest that Vermont's state parks and fishing are a natural combination," said Eric Palmer, director of fisheries with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. "The 'Reel Fun' program will help to make fishing in our state parks an easy option to anyone who might want to try it out." 

The program will include a "Reel Fun VT" photo contest where visitors can submit photos of themselves fishing at ANY state parks, not only the parks participating in the program, to either Vermont State Parks or Vermont Fish & Wildlife.  At the end of the summer, three winners will be chosen. The first place winner will receive two starter fishing kits as well as a weekend of free camping in a Vermont State Park.  The second place winner will receive one starter fishing kit and a 2016 season vehicle pass for Vermont State Parks.  The third place winner will also receive a starter fishing kit and a punch card good for 10 visits to any Vermont State Park!

Visitors can submit "Reel Fun VT" photos via email to fwinformation@state.vt.us or parks@state.vt.us, or can use #ReelFunVT to tag photos on Twitter. 



by Chris Adams
Vermont Fish & Wildlife

Comments

  1. katiemJuly 12, 2016

    is this happening in 2016 too? Sounds fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. VT State ParksJuly 12, 2016

    Yes it is! More info here: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/fishing-reel-fun.html

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Feel free to let us know what you think.

Popular posts from this blog

Vermont State Parks Total Eclipse Updates

By -
Image
Although it falls outside our regular park season, several Vermont State Parks will provide good viewing locations for solar eclipse on April 8. These parks include:   Bomoseen, Boulder Beach, Branbury, Crystal Lake, DAR, Elmore, Mt. Philo, Grand Isle, Knight Point, Lake Shaftsbury, Lake St. Catherine, Niquette Bay, Silver Lake, and Waterbury Center. Address and other general park information is available at www.vtstateparks.com .   The following previously listed state parks are no longer recommended eclipse viewing areas: Emerald Lake, Little River. Please be aware that park facilities will still be closed for this event. Portable toilets and/or pit/composting toilets will be available. Park staff may be available on a limited basis.   Parking will be available at each of these locations, but it may be limited depending on the number of visitors. When lots are full, please do not park on the grass or in other areas of the park as resource damage is likely due to soft...
Read more

July Flood 2024 State Parks Status Updates

By -
Image
Post last updated at 08/26/24 at 9:00 AM The only park affected by the flashing flooding on 7/30/24 was Brighton State Park. The park is fully reopened on Wednesday, August 7th. Roads were damaged in the park, locally in the town, as well as the nearby state highway. Park staff have contacted affected reservations.  All parks affected by the July 11 flood have reopened, although 3 parks still have reduced operations. This page will be regularly updated as more information is made available and road repairs are made. Swimwater results are current . Swim areas are posted when there is an increased risk of impaired water quality. For water monitoring results outside of Vermont State Park swimming areas, check out the Vermont Department of Health Cyanobacteria Tracker Map . Parks in the NE part of Vermont bore the brunt of the storm.  Park visitors with affected reservations have been contacted by the parks.  We apologize for this inconvenience. Our priority is to pro...
Read more

Reservation FAQs: How can I add to/change an existing reservation online?

By -
Image
 As of March 18th, 2020, Vermont State Parks launched a new reservations system at www.vtstateparks-visit.com . We are launching a Reservation FAQs series to help you navigate this new system. To learn more about the exciting new features of our reservation system, click here.  How can I add to or change an existing reservation online including site changes or cancellations? Visit www.vtstateparks.com  and s elect 'RESERVE' Scroll down to and select 'Make Reservations' Select 'Sign In or Sign Up' Type in the email and password on file then select 'Sign In' Go to 'Current Reservations' Find your reservation you want to edit and select 'See Detail' The top right section above the 'Order Details' gives you options to: Change Reservation - Change dates and/or sites within current park Transfer to Another Park - Move dates and sites to a different VT State Park Cancel Reservation Make Another Reservation For this example, let's say...
Read more