The traditional opening day of trout season isn't what it once was for thousands of Western Pennsylvania anglers.

"Back in the day," the winter-weary had to wait until mid-April to soothe their trout fishing urge. Today, the Fish and Boat Commission's Special Regulation program allows trout fanatics to prowl certain streams year-round.

"It doesn't matter if it's cold or even if there's snow on the ground, you can get out and fish and I think that is great at this time of year," said Cecil Lewis, 27, of Fairchance, who was fishing Meadow Run in Ohiopyle State Park last Thursday morning when the temperature was 24 degrees.

The Special Regulation program places designated streams in nine different categories: Approved Trout Waters Open to Year-round Fishing, Catch and Release, Catch and Release Fly Fishing Only (CRFFO), Catch and Release All Tackle, Trophy Trout, All Tackle Trophy Trout, Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only (DHALO), Wild Brook Trout Enhancement and Early Season Trout-Stocked Waters.

The CRFFO and DHALO categories hold the majority of special regulation streams and get the most year-round use. There is no closed season on either classification, but fly tackle must be used on CRFFO streams and no trout may be killed or possessed at any time. Anglers on DHALO streams can use fly gear or spinning tackle and artificial lures, such as spinners or spoons, and three trout (minimum size 9 inches) may be creeled from June 15 through Labor Day.

"The Special Regulation program grew out of Fisherman's Paradise, near State College, which the commission established in 1934," said Dave Miko, Fish and Boat Commission chief of fisheries management. "As far as we know it was the first specially regulated water in the nation. The concept was 'fish for fun.' It was vastly popular and from that success our current special regulation program spun off and began to develop. The emphasis is still on angling opportunity and fishing over relatively dense populations of trout."

The "spinoffs" continue to be popular with anglers. The Trout Angler Survey done in 2007 for the Commission by Responsive Management, a natural resource research firm, found that 78 percent of anglers support the Special Regulation concept. Eight percent oppose it.

"I value the opportunities we have through special regulation streams. In fact, I would like to see more of these designations," said Allen Tedrow, an angler from Youngwood. "Due to the regulations, they do not get 'fished out' like other streams. Also, many are on streams with higher water quality and can support a larger and more diverse insect population. To me, being a fly fisherman, that means more hatches."

Tedrow said his angling tactics are variable at this early point in the year.

"I let conditions dictate my methods," he said. "Usually in the early season the water will be high and cold, so I would normally fish nymphs or streamers. But sometimes we get one of those warm sunny days in March, like last Sunday, and an early hatch is a possibility. Black stoneflies were coming off the water, trout were rising and they were taking our imitations. Nothing cures cabin fever like that."

Most fishing, though, will be "low and slow" in the weeks before the general trout opener.

"I would not take off for a an early outing without large muskrat nymphs and a variety of stonefly nymphs in sizes 6, 8, and 3X long," said Dave Wolf of Port Treverton, who fishes Special Regulation streams across the state. "A good early fly box would also hold Matuka streamers, Woolly Buggers, Zonkers and marabou streamers -- large with some flash."

For anglers using spin tackle on DHALO streams, Wolf recommends spinners like Rooster Tails, CP Swings or Mepps. He says it's good to go with a larger lure, like 3/8-ounce, if the water is high and stained.

"The smaller sizes are best for times of low flow," Wolf said.

Not all anglers are so enthusiastic about the Special Regulation concept.

"We don't care what tackle a fisherman uses, but we do care about where they are allowed to fish and where they are not," said Dan Pfeilstucker of Portage, president of the Traditional Anglers of Pennsylvania. "We feel that all waters in Pennsylvania are for all fishermen, not just for a few. If a specially regulated area is for fly fishing only and a person doesn't fly fish, that section is closed to him."

Miko said the commission weighs concerns of all anglers when it establishes special regulation stream sections.

"We are always looking to provide more angling opportunity. We try to balance angler use the best we can," Miko said. "We feel that the special regulation program is not restricting anybody. Rather, it is simply restricting particular methods of fishing, and anyone can choose to use an approved type of tackle."

Miko equates the special-reg philosophy to traffic management. "If you want to drive on the HOV lane, you have to have a couple of people in the car," he said. "The HOV rule doesn't stop you from driving, it just means you have to go by certain rules."

Anglers are not deterred by special regulations that strictly limit, or forbid, taking trout home for the table. Only 3 percent of anglers in the Trout Anglers Survey said their primary motivation in fishing was to catch trout to eat.

"I couldn't care less that I can't keep these trout," Lewis said. "I'd rather see them stay in the stream and grow bigger for someone else to catch."