Flyfest promotes fishing in Trinity

Looking down at the Trinity River in Fort Worth the first thought that usually enters your mind is, “It’s a good day on the water — no hazards.”

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Trinity River around the city of Fort Worth is that it’s dirty, full of junk and not safe to use for recreation.

As a result, the fight to encourage Fort Worth residents to use the Trinity as a playground is met with healthy skepticism. The perception is that the water is unsafe.

Not true. You may not want to drink from it, but playing in it is fine.

In recent years, events — including tubing, canoeing and fishing — have been held on the Trinity River, all in an effort to prove, once and for all, that it is a safe and fun place.

In an effort to continue to spread the word that there is fun to be had on the Trinity, the Tarrant Regional Water District is holding the TRWD Flyfest on the river at 10 a.m. Saturday at the ACME Brick offices.

Some 2,200 fish will be released in the river during the morning.

For years, the river has been stocked twice a year with loads of fish, but only a small number of dedicated anglers knew about it.

I can attest there are fish. Dedicated fly fisherman Stephen Woodcock of the Fort Worth store Backwoods recently had me out on/in the Trinity delivering a crash course in the art of fly fishing. I bagged two real versions of Jaws, minus the size.

Catching a 1  1/2 -pound carp on a fly rod can feel like hauling in a shark on a rod and reel.

Fly fishing bears little resemblance to the conventional rod and reel experience, and it requires more touch and time, but the fight and the catch are considerably more fun.

With its easy access points and several natural hiding spots for fish, the Trinity River is actually ideal for fly fishers who don’t have the time to drive to the Rocky Mountains.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Flyfest promotes fishing in Trinity."