On June 10, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) dumped 2,500 tiger trout and 3,000 brown trout into the Sparks Marina Park Lake. Trucks unloaded the fish through tubes and nets directly into the water.
Jan Nemec, NDOW’s Angler Education Coordinator, said the stocking is all in preparation for free community events.
“It's an incredible event where kids aged 17 and under can come out and get a free rod,” Nemec said. “We have tackle, we have bait, we have everything you could possibly need to catch fish, and a whole bunch of fish out there for them to catch.”
However, the free fishing event was inaccessible for some community members.
Twelve years ago, Adaptive Anglers Free Fishing Day with Rebecca was created to better include people with disabilities. Founder Don Welsh said he was inspired by his daughter Rebecca, who uses a wheelchair.
“It was difficult to get my daughter down here to fish,” Welsh said. “And she's in a wheelchair, and I thought, well, if we could do it on a day different than the kids' free fishing day event, she would be able to have more success and more fun.”
At this year’s event, Welsh’s daughter sang with the Note-Ables and then went fishing – just as she’s done for the past 12 years. Welsh said the event has become a meaningful tradition.
“It's just that group of people — they don't get a lot of attention. A lot of them are pretty secluded in their homes,” Welsh said. “So to get out and catch their first fish at 40 or 45 is very special. And every year we get thank-yous from everybody.”
With support from NDOW and the Sparks Rotary Club, Welsh has spent more than a decade making fishing more accessible for the Reno-Sparks community.
Through wheelchair access, battery-powered fishing poles, and volunteers, the event helps people of all abilities enjoy a day of fishing.
