BANGOR - Beginning today, fishermen are being allowed to cast for Atlantic salmon in the Penobscot River in the spring for the first time in nearly a decade.

Maine rivers, including the Penobscot, were closed to Atlantic salmon fishing in 1999 to protect the salmon population.

The Penobscot has been open to fly fishermen the past two years for limited fall seasons, but until this year the river has remained closed in the spring.

When the catch-and-release season begins today, the biggest challenge for anglers will be contending with the high waters brought on by this week's heavy rains.

Under the spring season rules, any angler who lands a salmon must stop fishing for the day. And the entire fishery will be closed if a total of 50 fish are caught during the May season.