(contact: Robin Kepple (307) 473-3400)

CASPER - It may not be the best time to drift a dry fly down a trout stream or cast a bass plug in a plains pond, but it’s a good time to be planning the upcoming season’s trips by picking up the 2006 Walk-In Area Fishing Atlas. The 44-page fishing guide features 59 fishing spots enrolled in the Game and Fish Department’s Private Lands/Public Wildlife Access Program. The new atlas, available at license agents and Game and Fish offices, lists prominent species found in each stream or lake, plus detailed directions to reach the waters, reports Brian Olsen, Game and Fish regional access coordinator for northeast Wyoming.

The program’s lake acreage increased from 273 acres last year to 276 acres. Stream length enrolled has grown from 89 to 100 miles. Sixty-five landowners are participating in the fishing access program.

Olsen encourages landowners who would like to receive a payment for allowing public fishing access to their stream or pond to contact their local Game and Fish office or game warden. "Likewise, anglers who know of some potential fishing on private land, let us know and we’ll contact the landowner," he said. Contracts for 2007 need to be signed by Oct. 1, 2006 and landowners can enroll for one to five years.

To promote the enrollment of more waters, Olsen urges anglers to pack out their trash and any other litter they see. "It is also very important that when we do get some snow or rain, that anglers use some discretion to not tear up the access roads on private property," he adds. Anglers and hunters are encouraged to contribute to the Access Yes program whenever they purchase or apply for a license. Access Yes donations are used strictly for providing access through easements to offer more places for sportsmen to hunt and fish.