Get The Ink Out:

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on fish opener in Jamie’s hometown, Bishop.

You want to know what’s worse than having your birthday near Christmas? Having your birthday around fish opener when your dad’s a fly-fishing guide.

As my birthday is nearing (I’ll be the ripe old age of 27), I figured it would be therapeutic to write about the beginning of the trout fishing season, April 24, in the Eastern Sierras. For you anglers out there, pay attention because I’m going to give you a few hot tips.

This year, the Rainbow Trout Festival makes a comeback after a 13-year hiatus.

“It was around for more than 80 years,” said April Leeson, event coordinator for the Bishop Chamber of Commerce. “People are pretty excited. We’re expecting 200 to 400 people.”

Big fishing companies and local shops will have tables set up in the front portion of the Bishop City Park. Western Outdoor News and the Lions Club are two of the big helpers, Leeson said.

This display event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24. Bring in your catch and you could win cash, tackle, or rod and reel combinations. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for children 15 and younger the day of the event. For more information, call (760) 873-8405.

My favorite flyfishing shop has to be Brock’s. At Main and Line streets, this shop is pretty hard to miss. I’ve known the owner, Gary Gunsolley, since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Or maybe that’s knee-high to the crickets he always let me play with while Dad caught up on the latest conditions. To book a trip with Gary, call (760) 872-3581.

Up the hill, the Trout Fly and the Trout Fitter, at Highway 203 and Main Street in Mammoth, is offering a free fly or a pack of treble hooks if you mention seeing this column in the Daily Pilot.

Crowley Lake is expected to be ice-free, said the Trout Fly and the Trout Fitter owner Kent Rianda.

“[Crowley] is about two-thirds ice-free,” he said. “We’re expecting an excellent opener. There was lots of snow, but not a lot of run-off.”

Run-off causes the streams to get muddy, which makes for not-so-great fishing.

On top of having 16 guides to help you fish the local waters, this shop offers a beginner’s course. For $250, you get a five-hour guided course with all the equipment provided.

“Just show up and buy your fishing license and you’re all set,” Rianda said.

For more information, call (760) 934-2517 or visit thetroutfly.com.

Even farther up the hill, in Bridgeport, you’ll find Ken’s Sporting Goods.

“We’re helping people get into some fishing,” said owner Jim Reid. “The water conditions are looking good. The main lakes look to be iced out.”

Ken’s has four or five guides you can book through the shop. They fish some private waters, including Honey Well and Sceirine ranches.

Trips with one or two guides are $275 for a half day or $395 for a full day, including lunch.

Oh, and I’m sure you’re wondering, like I did, how did Ken’s come to be owned by a man named Jim?

“I bought it from a man named Rick,” Reid laughed. “He bought it from Ben who bought it from Ken in the 1950s. I moved here in the fourth grade and it was Ken’s then, and by golly it’ll stay that way.”

To book a trip, call (760) 932-7707 or visit www.kenssport.com.

Yes, indeed, fish opener is a pretty special time. Whether it be Lake Mary, Hot Creek or the Lower Owens, enjoy your time in the sun in the fresh Sierra air. Oh, and if you see a 6-foot-2-inch tall guy with a graying mustache named Fred, tell him his daughter says, “Hi!”

JAMIE ROWE is a copy editor for the Daily Pilot. She may be reached at (714) 966-4634 or jamie.rowe@latimes.com. Squee wishes Mommy let him eat fish.