Troutapalooza

2013 is deemed “The Year of the Trout” in Missouri; they have nicknamed it Troutapalooza and frankly there is much to offer. Knowing that you can quickly get to the “Show-Me State”, to the heart of the Ozarks, in less than 5 hours … you may want to plan a trip westward and enjoy some of the fine outdoor scenery and action the state has to offer.

>>> Click Here <<< to listen to a short audio clip of me going into more detail on the trout fishing in Missouri along with a short synopsis of the three state ran trout parks.

Missouri is a state full of nature and can be an outdoor lover’s remedy for a whole bunch of what ails you…get all the info you need at MOStateParks.com. Believe it or not, on March 1, the trout opener in Missouri, there was over 6,000 winter-weary fishermen who were there to try their hand at trout fishing. I must say that I have never experienced the opener and probably won’t as it sounds a little too crazy and crowded for my taste … but just recently I was at Bennet Spring  less than ten days after the opener and  found more than ample open water for my taste. I want to take just a moment and dispel a couple rumors that I have heard on occasion; first is that the stocked trout are ‘stupid’ and anyone can catch them … truthfully, there are times when it is easy, but just like fishing (not catching) there are long periods in any given day when the fishing is very tough. I have worked hard, adapted and figured out a lot of strategies for catching fish, even on those days when things don’t go perfectly. I can also tell you that I have seen many fly-guys, who truly appear to know their craft, and leave the stream scratching their heads and asking for help. On most days the water is gin clear and with lots of fisherman … come lots of flies, what I mean is this … the trout can be highly selective, thus requiring that you as a fisherman carry a pile of tricks in the ole’ fishing vest! The other misnomer is that it is always crowded and I just don’t want to fish in a crowd; the truth is … I don’t either! Can I say that it is never crowded, no! If the weather is great, or it is a weekend …. or heaven forbid both of these collide, it is going to be crowded. There are other options as all of the trout parks have a river close by … so, on these days I fish the river, most of the trout work their way downstream, in fact, the state usually dumps a load of trout into the rivers each week as well. Don’t forget that all of these rivers have both smallmouth and spotted bass ready and willing to eat your fly! Timing is everything … fish during the week or on those days with poor weather and you won’t have any issues; I’m not saying you will have the stream to yourself (recently I actually did), but there will be plenty of elbow room to move around. Practice a little nice guy-stream ethics and you will be able to move down and along the stream and I promise you it will be enjoyable!

There are four trout parks, three are run by the state of Missouri and the fourth, Meramec (located at St. James, exit 195 on I-44) is ran by the St. James Foundation. The other three trout parks are Montauk, Bennet and Roaring River. All are very unique and have their strengths and weaknesses … but my favorite has always been Bennet Spring. Bennet is located 11 miles west of Lebanon, Missouri on highway 64 and has a little bit of everything for the outdoorsman to do, from great fishing to camping and hiking for those who might not want to fish.

Just this past spring break, Friday, March 15 rolled around and the weather was supposed to be one of those perfect days, sunny and 75 degrees. I knew it would be crowded … thus I bought my trout tag ($3) and was on the stream at the morning bell (7:30am). My first cast was down and across the clear water … on my third strip I felt a solid tug, strip set with my line hand and before the third horn had finished, had a nice 16 inch rainbow on my 5 weight outfit! Over the next 20 minutes I landed a total of 7 trout, kept a stringer of 4 very nice trout, cleaned them streamside and then moved a mile north to the Niangua River. I traded rods, tied on a larger smallmouth fly and made my way carefully down the swollen river. I hadn’t been on the river 10 minutes when I looked up, flying directly at me  came a Bald Eagle. The majestic bird was flying so low that I could see each individual feather and as it passed directly over me I looked directly into it’s very yellow eye … what a sight and what a day it had been; I looked at my watch and it was 8:45am! I hope that you will look west and give the amazing fishing that Missouri has to offer some serious consideration; the clear waters of the Ozarks are waiting for you as we all Enjoy the Great Outdoors.