If more than 700,000 people are eager to pay perfectly good money for a Colorado fishing license each year, it only follows that a lot of folks will be happy to fish for free Saturday and Sunday.
That’s the lure being tossed out by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, with the notion that more people will become hooked on the sport. The annual offer is in conjunction with National Fishing and Boating Week, a broader celebration of the delights of water sport.
Despite the fact much of Colorado is characterized as a semi-arid environment, the state boasts 10,000 miles of rivers and streams, along with about 2,000 lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Although many streams are swollen by runoff, most lakes below 10,500 feet are free of ice. Given a solid runoff, water conditions generally are good across much of the state.
DOW annually stocks about 3 million catchable-size trout, 14 million trout fingerlings and 80 million fry and fingerlings of warm-water species such as bass, walleye and catfish.
Although fishing is free, participants must observe all state regulations and respect private property. Best of all, kids 15 and under are exempt from license purchases year-round. For statewide information, check the DOW website at wildlife.state.co.us or phone 303-291-7534.
– Charlie Meyers
On the couch
On: Roger Federer, who has dominated men’s tennis the past two seasons, goes after a career Grand Slam this weekend at Stade Roland Garros in the French Open. Federer, who is from Switzerland and has gone 46-2 this season with six titles, may meet his match in Rafael Nadal, a Spaniard who has gone 46-6 and with five titles. Nadal turns 19 today as he meets Federer, 23, in a men’s semifinal. The survivor will meet the winner between Nikolay Davydenko and Mariano Puerta for the championship Sunday. The semifinals begin today at 10 a.m. on KUSA-9. The tape-delayed coverage of the final airs at 7 a.m. Sunday on KUSA-9.
Off: Enjoy the competition and support some of the most inspiring athletes you’ll ever see by attending the Special Olympics Colorado Summer Games this weekend in Loveland, Windsor and on the campus of Northern Colorado in Greeley. The opening ceremony is at 7 tonight at Nottingham Field in Greeley. Competition in track and field, soccer and swimming will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Gymnasts and powerlifters will compete on Saturday. For more information, call 303-592-1361 or click on www.specialolympicsco.org.
Around town
The Colorado Crush will compete for a chance to play in the Arena Football League championship game when it hosts the Chicago Rush at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Pepsi Center. The winner advances to ArenaBowl XIX on June 12 in Las Vegas. Call 720-258-3400 for tickets or flip on KUSA-9 to enjoy it from the comfort of your living room.
Weak in review
1. A New Jersey assemblyman and deacon tries to get the New Jersey Devils to change their name. He probably prefers angel food cake to that more sinful chocolate variation.
2. Racial jokes, lesbian props and topless women. Sounds like a raunchy bachelor party, but actually it was a video prepared by the San Francisco 49ers supposedly to help their players better deal with the media. 49ers Gone Wild! How long do you figure it will be before it hits the black market?
3. The NBA continues to slide down the stubborn slope the NHL encountered before disappearing.
What we’d like to see
1. Jack Nicklaus rekindle a bit of the glory with a competitive showing this weekend at the Memorial, a tournament he created in 1976.
2. Tim Duncan, the best player in the NBA and among the classiest, lead his team to a third title.
3. Broncos jersey No. 19 be more than a nostalgia piece for fans’ collections.
