ROARING RIVER, Mo. - Dan Van Laningham learns something new every March on the opening day of trout fishing at Roaring River State Park. This year was no different.
“Never, ever get tag No. 13,” the fisherman from Rogers advised on Friday, March 1, the start of the park’s catch and keep trout season.
When Van Laningham purchased the required daily tag, the clerk handed him lucky No. 13. His fate for the day was sealed. After three hours he’d only caught one trout.
His girlfriend, Donna Long, fished beside him with tag No. 14 pinned to her jacket.
“I caught my limit in an hour,” she chirped, adding that Friday was her first time to fish at Roaring River.
The two were among hundreds of anglers who faced the freezing temperature and snow flurries to fish on Friday, the opening day of the park’s catch and keep trout season which runs through October.
Anglers can keep four rainbow trout they catch from the stream that flows through the heart of the state park situated 10 miles northeast of Seligman, Mo.
Fishermen need a Missouri fishing license if they’re 16 or older, and a $3 daily tag.
Park workers put out burn barrels filled with crackling firewood for the 2,000 or so fishermen to warm frozen fingers. Some anglers, like Mike Harvey of Rogers, bring their own propane heaters.
Harvey, 58, said he’s been coming to opening day for about 50 years.
“And my dad started coming here before that. I’ve only missed four or five times,” Harvey said, warming his hands.
It was a family reunion for Harvey and about 10 relatives and friends. A bunch of them like to fish a favorite pool every year. They got to Roaring River at 3:45 a.m. to make sure they got it.
“It’s a tradition for us,” he said.
“Plus we like catching that first fish of the year.” Rainbow trout stocked
The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked 7,000 rainbow trout for opening day. Fishermen carried impressive numbers of large trout to the fish cleaning station where surgery was done with electric filet knives or hand-held blades.
The trout hatchery at Roaring River State Park, operated by the Conservation Department, grows the rainbow trout that are stocked through October. The amount stocked is determined mainly by daily tag sales from previous years.
More than 100 trout stocked for Friday were big ones 3 pounds or larger. Brian Ivy of Webb City, Mo., caught one of the lunkers on his fourth cast. The regal trout, gray with black spots from eyes to tail tip, bit a small black and yellow jig.
Anglers may use artificial bait (no live bait) lures or flies, depending on which section of the stream they’re on.
Ivy and three buddies fished together on Friday. All had fish, but not quite limits by design.
“If you catch your limit in 30 minutes and have to quit, it’s hardly worth the trip,” Ivy said.
They like to get three trout on the stringer, then catch and release.
When they’re ready to quit, fish No.
4 is fair game.
Having fun vs. serious business
Fishing is serious business for anglers along the stream who lookfocused and concentrating. That would not be five college buddies from around Missouri who reunited for opening day.
Brice Nelson of Marysville, Mo., fished in a giant Mexican sombrero.
His pal, Adam Mattson, sported an Elvis suit he bought for a dollar. Matt Nelson sported a floppy fur hat. It was his birthday.
“Everybody takes it so serious that we decided to lighten the mood,” Nelson said from under his big hat.
It was freezing but these guys didn’t need any silly heater, no sir.
Not only that, they were camping - in tents.
Nelson, the birthday boy, fought a wiggling, splashing rainbow trout that he landed and let go. Trout lay on stringers in the water at their feet.
They obviously had avoided purchase of the dreaded daily tag, tag No. 13.
Sports, Pages 7 on 04/10/2013