04-21-2005, 04:28 PM
The 2nd Annual James River Fish Festival will be celebrated this year on Earth Day, Saturday, April 23rd, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the south shore of the river at the base of the 14th Street Bridge. The festival celebrates the return of the annual spring run of our native migratory fish as well as the return of the James River as a healthy, vital natural resource to Richmonders and all Virginians.
VDGIF is joining with other agencies, including the James River Park System, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Commonwealth University Biology Department, the VCU Dance Department, Maymont, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and many others to sponsor this family event.
While you're welcome to try your luck at catching and releasing a fish (an agency biologist will be on hand to sell you a fishing license if you don't already have one), this year's festival definitely has something for everyone. There will be music, dance, art, videos, food and more. This year's events will be enhanced with "How To" programs that teach an array of outdoor skills including wildlife viewing, photography and water monitoring. DGIF fisheries biologists will demonstrate electro-fishing techniques hourly and samples of their catch will be available for close-up viewing by the public. The public is also invited to tour the Bosher's Dam fish passageway facility, where you can actually see fish migrating upstream through the large underwater viewing glass.
There will also be fly-fishing demonstrations, live fish handling, and shad fry releases. The Artworks gallery, just two blocks from the river, will be showing artwork and instructional videos on fish migration, the Embrey Dam removal project, and the role of the renowned James River Park System.
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VDGIF is joining with other agencies, including the James River Park System, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Commonwealth University Biology Department, the VCU Dance Department, Maymont, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and many others to sponsor this family event.
While you're welcome to try your luck at catching and releasing a fish (an agency biologist will be on hand to sell you a fishing license if you don't already have one), this year's festival definitely has something for everyone. There will be music, dance, art, videos, food and more. This year's events will be enhanced with "How To" programs that teach an array of outdoor skills including wildlife viewing, photography and water monitoring. DGIF fisheries biologists will demonstrate electro-fishing techniques hourly and samples of their catch will be available for close-up viewing by the public. The public is also invited to tour the Bosher's Dam fish passageway facility, where you can actually see fish migrating upstream through the large underwater viewing glass.
There will also be fly-fishing demonstrations, live fish handling, and shad fry releases. The Artworks gallery, just two blocks from the river, will be showing artwork and instructional videos on fish migration, the Embrey Dam removal project, and the role of the renowned James River Park System.
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