Before you hang that Gone Fishin' sign on your door, there are a few things you should know. First, make sure you have a fishing license—and that you have it with you. Obtaining a license is easy; you can get one by contacting your state's fish and game department or visiting your town hall. Some bait, tackle and sport shops also provide licenses. If you fish in your home state, your license will run, on average, between $10 to $20 per year. Non-resident licenses are usually more expensive: It'll cost you 2 to 3 times more to fish in a state other than the one where you live. Some fly fishing guides and lodges will provide you with a license when you book a trip.
Saltwater fishing usually doesn't require a license; but if you're fishing in a coastal river or stream that empties into the ocean, make sure you have a license with you. Many coastal states require a license for brackish waters (where saltwater and fresh water mix). And to further encourage you to get a license, fines for not having a license often far outweigh the license fee, so it's money well spent.
But a having a license isn't the only guideline you should follow. It's very helpful to consult the regulations of the state where you'll be fishing, because they specify the game fish that can and cannot be caught during the fishing season. Many ponds and lakes are fly fishing only and are catch-and-release. There are also restrictions in some areas on catch limits, and guidelines for types of bait that can be used. The regulations vary widely from state to state, and you're responsible for knowing what applies to the waters you're fishing.
So check out your state's fish and game department and get the 411 on those fish. All the information they can provide is useful and will make your fly fishing experience the best that it can be. Contact information, including links to websites, appears below.
Alabama Deptartment of Conservation / Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
64 N. Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 242-3471
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
P.O. Box 25526
Juneau, AK 99802-5526
(907) 465-4100
Arizona Game and Fish Department
2221 W. Greenway Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85023-4399
(602) 942-3000
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
#2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 223-6300
1-800-364-GAME (4263)
California Department of Fish and Game
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-7664
Colorado Department of Wildlife
6060 Broadway
Denver, CO 80216
(303) 297-1192
Connecticut Bureau of Natural Resources
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT
(860) 424-3474
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 19901
Florida Division of Freshwater Fisheries Headquarters
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
850/488-1401
Florida Division of Saltwater Fisheries
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
(850) 488-1401
Georgia Wildlife Resources - Fisheries Management Section
2070 U.S. Highway 278, SE
Social Circle, GA 30279
(770) 918-6418
Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources
1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-587-0100
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
600 S. Walnut P.O. Box 25
Boise, ID 83707
Illinois Division of Fisheries
600 N. Grand Avenue W
Springfield, IL 62701
Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife
402 W. Washington Street, Room W273
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-4080
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Bureau
Wallace Building
502 E 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034
(515) 281-FISH
Kansas Wildlife and Parks
900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 502
Topeka, KS 66612-1233
(785) 296-2281
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
#1 Game Farm Road
Frankfort, KY 40601
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000
(225) 765-2887
Maine Fisheries Division
284 State Street
41 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0041
(207) 287-5261
Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Fisheries Service
Tawes Building, B-2
Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 260-8281
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
100 Cambridge Street, Room 1902
Boston, MA 02202
(617) 626-1591
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Stevens T. Mason Building
530 W. Allegan St.
PO Box 30028
Lansing, MI 48909
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4040
651-296-6157
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
P. O. Box 451
Jackson, MS 39205-0451
601-362-9212
Missouri Department of Conservation
2901 W. Truman Blvd.
Jefferson City MO 65109
(573) 751-4115
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
1420 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-2535
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
(402) 471-0641
Nevada Division of Wildlife
P.O. Box 10678
1100 Valley Road
Reno, NV 89520
(775) 688-1500
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
2 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-3211
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
501 E. State St., 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 400
Trenton, NJ 08625-0400
(609) 292-1599
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
408 Galisteo
Santa Fe, NM 87503
800-862-9310
New York State Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
Bureau of Fisheries
50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12233-4750
518 457-5420
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
512 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27604-1188
(919) 733-3391
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
100 N. Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, ND 58501-5095
(701) 328-6300
Ohio Division of Wildlife
1840 Belcher Dr.
Columbus, OH 43224-1329
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
2501 SW First Ave.
Portland, OR 97207
(503) 872-5268
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
P.O. Box 67000
Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000
(717) 657-4444
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management - Fish and Wildlife Division
4808 Tower Hill Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
(401) 788-8168 or 789-3094
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Rembert C. Dennis Building
1000 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-3888
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57401-3182
(605) 773-3485
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Ellington Agricultural Center
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 781-6575
Texas Parks and Wildlife
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
(512) 389-4505
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
1594 W. North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
801-538-4700
Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife
10 South
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0501
(802) 241-3701
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
4010 W. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 367-1000
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
P. O. Box 756
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, VA 23607-0756
(757) 247-2200
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia, WA 98501
(360) 902-2200
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
State Capitol Complex, Building 3
1900 Kanawha Boulevard
Charleston, WV 25305-0060
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection
P.O. Box 7921
101 S. Webster Street
Madison, WI 53717
(608) 267-7498
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
5400 Bishop Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82006
(307) 777-4600
