On October 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission implemented annual delayed-harvest regulations for 18 designated trout waters in 14 counties located in western North Carolina.

Under delayed-harvest regulations, no fish may be harvested or possessed from these waters between October 1, 2004 and one-half hour after sunset on June 3, 2005.

No natural bait is allowed. Anglers can fish only with single-hook, artificial lures.

Delayed-harvest waters, posted with black-and-white signs, create high-quality fishing opportunities where anglers can fish densely stocked trout streams on a catch-and-release basis fall through spring.

Despite the damage caused by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan at the Wildlife Commission's state hatcheries, Commission personnel plan to stock delayed-harvest waters with 224,000 catchable-sized trout - 90,000 brook trout, 44,000 brown trout and 90,000 rainbow trout. Stockings will take place during the first week of October, November, March, April and May.

"While several of the Commission's hatcheries suffered damage from the recent storms, there was limited loss of fish and, subsequently, a minimum impact on planned stockings," said Carl Kittel, coldwater production coordinator with the Wildlife Commission.

"At this time, we expect to conduct all the planned stockings for the upcoming fall delayed-harvest season and for the 2005 stocking season with limited reduction of numbers stocked, as necessary."

Wildlife Commission hatchery personnel have not been informed of any road closures that could affect stocking of delayed-harvest waters.

At 6 a.m., on June 4, 2005, delayed-harvest waters open to fishing under hatchery-supported regulations, which means no bait restrictions, no minimum length limit and a seven-trout-per-day creel limit.

Hatchery-supported regulations remain in force until Oct. 1 each year.

The delayed-harvest program began in 1992 with spring stockings of 18,000 catchable-size trout in four streams.

Due to strong public interest and support, the program expanded in 1996 to incorporate both spring and fall fishing.

The Little River, from the confluence of Lake Dense outflow to Hooker Falls, in Transylvania County, is the most recent addition to the delayed-harvest program.