Most local anglers knew this day would arrive but few have welcomed it with open arms. Starting Oct. 1, New York anglers will be required to purchase a saltwater fishing license.

It is not so much that fishermen will be taxed to use a resource that until now was accessed free that raises ire, as it is the way the license has been instituted and how the money raised will be used. New York's recreational saltwater anglers will be forced to purchase their initial license for $10 to cover Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. You'll then have to shell out another $10 for next year's license, which will cover the 2010 calendar year. You will not need a license to fish on open or charter boats as owners of these vessels will purchase blanket licenses to cover all of their customers.

As to where your saltwater license fees will go, the word from Albany has been deceiving. The fees collected are to be deposited in the Marine Resources Account, a sub-account of the Conservation Fund. That sounds great - until you learn that much of this fund will be used to pay marine-related Department of Environmental Conservation salaries and expenses that previously were covered by the state's general fund.

Many anglers would willingly pay a small license fee if it were to be reinvested in marine habitat improvement, research, launch ramps, piers and increased access, but this is nothing more than a bureaucratic shell game that quickly will place the newly created fund in deficit. Don't blame the DEC for this one; the shift comes by magic from the New York State budgeting braintrust in Albany.

Starting Sept. 15, the new licenses can be purchased online at www.dec.ny.gov/permits, by phone at 866-933-2257, and in the usual sporting goods and town hall outlets. They cover the entire New York saltwater region, including local tidal creeks and brackish water. That's right, you'll need a saltwater fishing license to catch white perch and tidal trout starting this fall.

The silver lining in all of this? New York's saltwater faithful, who are believed to number more than 250,000, finally will be counted and, thus, hopefully better represented in the fishing politics of the future. I'll believe it when I see it.

There is still a chance for a last-minute repeal of this year's license. Sen. Brian Foley (D-Blue Point) has introduced bill S6110, which would move the starting date for the saltwater license to Jan. 1. If enough upset anglers voice their dissatisfaction to the other state senators, perhaps it will fly. You can find a listing of state senators and their contact information at www.nysenate.gov.

On the docketThe Fisherman magazine's Annual Surf Fishing Show and Seminar is slated for Thursday night at the Huntington Hilton. It features terrific seminars plus more than 50 surf fishing tackle and manufacturing representatives. Contact: 631-345-5200.

The Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation will offer a 10-week instructional course, "Sportfishing on Long Island," with Captain Jerry McGrath at the helm. The $130 course ($85 for children 17 and younger) will be held at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge beginning Oct. 19. It covers all aspects of local fishing and is well worth the tuition. Contact: 631-854-4947.