Trout Times 2016

FREE

to e m o c l e W

RRoaivrering 2016

Fishing on the fly

Local pros tell all

Stalk and load

State park hatchery

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Staff Publisher Jacob Brower connection@monett-times.com Editor Kyle Troutman editor@cassville-democrat.com Marketing director Lisa Craft community@monett-times.com

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Advertising Jim Craig Marion Chrysler Sheila Harris Contributors Darlene Wierman Murray Bishoff Julia Kilmer DISTRIBUTION Greg Gilliam Kevin Funcannon

TO ADVERTISE Call an advertising rep: 417-847-2610 ͞ Cassville 417-235-3135 ͞ Monett Send email inquiries to: connection@monett-times.com Written requests send to: Attn: Jacob Brower The Monett Times P.O. Box 40 Monett, MO 65708 Trout Times is published annually and distributed free in Cassville, Monett, Exeter, Washburn, Pierce City, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Verona, Roaring River, Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Purdy, Wheaton, Freistatt, Marionville, Seligman, Golden and other surrounding areas.

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CASSVILLE, PURDY & MONETT TROUT TIMES

5

Features 11 Ready, Set, Go

Trout-man’s amateur fishing tips

14 Accommodating progress

Historic CCC Lodge renovation to be complete late spring

17 Paying it forward

Feeding the next generation of fish

32 The reel deal

Gordon Roller of Cassville fishes for trout along the Roaring River bank near the CCC Lodge.

Roller crafts custom fly rods at his home. He may be reached by phone at 417-665-9345. His business card is also available at Tim’s Fly Shop.

Fine flying tips from expert anglers

35 Making it count

Jim Rogers takes concession full circle

43 Patching the banks

Updated banks from winter 2016 flood waters

ON THE COVER

CONTENTS 23

Submitted Photos

30

School Closing

27 40 46 48 49 50 6

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Opening Day 2015 Roaring River State Park map Trout-tastic recipes Ad list

Trout Fishing regulations Best Catch

2015 Opening Day

Photos by Murray Bishoff

s

Bill Logan of Monett pulled a catch off his line during March 1, 2015, morning fishing at Roaring River State Park. Though the Monett delegation was smaller than usual at Roaring River on opening day, one group came and camped for the occasion (bottom left of Page 6). Pictured, from left, are: Sean Jastal, Bill Logan (back for his 15th opening day), Heather Logan (back for her 10th opening day) and Bryce Logan.

TROUT TIMES

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

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2015 Opening Day

John Hammond of Monett, right, and his daughter, Emma, made the most of their morning at Roaring River, though Emma took breaks in the pickup to get warm. John said he comes to Opening Day every time he can, about 12 times in the past 20 years.

See more 2015 Opening Day photos on page 29.

TROUT TIMES

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vitaliy_melnik | fotolia.com

“

There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.

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- Steven Wright

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

s n a m t ’ Trou Amateur . fishing tips.

Thousands of people with varying levels of fishing experience, will descend upon Roaring River State Park on Opening Day. While I’ll likely be spending March 1 only fishing around for pictures, I will have to make my annual stop by the park store to get my license for the year.

The little yellow piece of paper will then spend the next seven months folded up and tucked away in my wallet, only to make an appearance on weekends I decide to try my luck at the banks.

With a name like Troutman, I feel as though Roaring River owes me my limit each day I go out. But, alas, lunkers do not follow my siren song into my net and onto my stringer as often as they should.

Despite my lack of overwhelming success at Roaring River in the past couple years, I have learned a few things about fishing in Barry County’s favorite watering holes.

Here is some advice from the Trout-man himself:

uAlways be prepared.

Nothing is worse than catching a fish, only for your net to be just out of arm’s length. As Steven Wright once said, “There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.”

Kyle Troutman is the editor of Trout Times, Connection Magazine, the Cassville Democrat and The Monett Times. He can be reached at editor@cassville-democrat.com.

TROUT TIMES

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uWatch where you cast.

Depending on which pond is your favorite, trees can be a persistent issue. However, If you can climb trees, you may make a bit of money recovering long lost lures and hooks — some pretty pricey — from the spider web of the overhang.

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uMake space.

While this may be a forgone tip on Opening Day, creating space for yourself on run-of-the-mill weekends is a must, both to enjoy the stream and relax, as well as strengthen your chances at a catch.

uMake small talk.

Once you’re over the “making space” portion of your trip, make some small talk with surrounding anglers. Sometimes,

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FISHING & HUNTING LICENSES

uWatch out for children.

You should always watch for children as a

general rule, as hooks are flying around all the time. However, this tip is more about watching out for the children who have fishing down to a science. Spending too much time next to a 7-year-old catching a fish on every cast, while your stringer has been empty for hours, can be somewhat demoralizing.

uRelax.

My trips to Roaring River are as much about getting away as they are about trying to put food on the table. With no cell phone service at the park, I always enjoy a break from the chase, though I can’t stay too long for fear of breaking news. In the words of Henry

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

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TROUT TIMES

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Shown is a hallway inside the newly-renovated CCC Lodge, which is on target to be opened to the public for lodging and special events in March. The walls will feature rustic, knotty pine wood and original timber beams from the structure, which was built by CCC workers under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration 78 years ago.

Construction Services Group Superintendent Nicholas Eramo checks his work in one of the lodging rooms at the CCC Lodge at Roaring River State Park. Renovations began at the lodge last July, and are expected to be complete in March. Seven lodging rooms and a banquet hall will be available for rental. Two of the rooms will have original fireplaces.

14

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

A construction worker takes supplies into the CCC Lodge at Roaring River State Park, which is expected to be open to the public for lodging and special events by late spring. Workers from Construction Services Group have been renovating the 78-year-old structure, which was hand-built in the 1930s out of native stone and timber by Civilian Conservation Corps and has not been open for lodging since the 1970s. Seven lodging rooms will be available, and each room will include a bedroom, kitchen and living room area, and feature rustic, knotty pine walls. A banquet hall and kitchen will also be available to rent for special events. The exterior received a new coat of paint and new roof.

Historic CCC Lodge renovations to be complete by late spring 7 rustic guest rooms, banquet hall to be available for use Story and photos by Julia Kilmer

R

enovations of the historic CCC Lodge at Roaring River State Park, which began last July, are nearly complete.

Steph Deidrick, information specialist for Missouri State Parks, said she expects the lodge to be completed and open for rentals by late spring. An exact cost for rooms has not yet been determined.

The rustic-style lodge, hand-built from native stone and timber by the Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930s under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, has not been open to the public for lodging since the 1970s.

Missouri Parks Inc. General Manager David Waugh said numerous people have expressed interest in seeing the nostalgic building restored. Last July, after a long wait, a project began to restore the 78-year-old structure.

The $1.2 million project will make seven rooms available to the public. Four rooms on the first level will feature balcony views of the river, and three rooms on the top floor will feature window views.

Each room will include a living room, kitchen and bedroom. Two of the rooms will feature original fireplaces.

In keeping with the rustic theme, the walls will feature a knotty pine Wainscot coating, and some will have full-length pine walls. The lower level has also been renovated to include a banquet room and kitchen for special events.

The renovations are expected to draw even more guests to the busy park, which attracts visitors nationwide for its famous trout fishing and hatchery, camping and hiking, natural spring and beauty.

Carter Marion, project manager with Construction Services Group, the contractor hired to complete the renovations, said overall, the project has gone smoothly.

“We expect to have everything completed in March sometime,” he said. “We’ve done quite a few remodels and historical projects. Each are unique and have their own character, but it’s pretty unique and beautiful there. It’s been good to work with everyone involved.”

As part of the renovations, the interior, including the floors and walls, were completely rebuilt, and the exterior received a new roof, cedar shake shingles and new paint. Original beams that were salvageable were kept and integrated.

“We’re finishing up the interior work and getting the rooms set up,” Marion said. “We’re hoping the weather will cooperate, but so far, work has been steady.”

“We’re pretty close to schedule,” said Nicholas Eramo, Construction Services Group superintendent. “I’ve had people outside ask what we’re doing, and they’re so happy it’s being restored. They can’t wait. A lot are already wanting to make reservations.”

Did you know?

In the past, two lakes were located in the Roaring River State Park area. One lake was located between the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Lodge and the fish cleaning station. Campground No. 3 was once the location of the park’s other lake, known as Bass Lake.

TROUT TIMES

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Throughout the year, much care and maintenance goes into feeding and raising hundreds of thousands of rainbow trout at the Roaring River Hatchery. Department of Conservation Resource Assistant Makayla Blake sifts through outdoor pools to ensure tanks are kept clean for the fish. Once the fish are hatched, they are kept inside and fed every hour until they grow to a length of four inches, then moved outside, and transitioned to other pools from there as they grow until they are released into the river.

Did you know?

The Roaring River Spring is the 20th largest spring in Missouri, producing 20.4 million gallons of water per day. trofimov_pavel | fotolia.com 16

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

From egg to fish Behind the scenes, hatchery personnel keep trout fishing tradition alive

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oaring River State Park is largely known for its crystal-clear water, spacious campgrounds, multiple playgrounds and park lodge, but the small buildings and pools at the northern mouth of the river is where all the magic is made.

Each year since 1938, the Roaring River Fish Hatchery at the historic Roaring River State Park works to ensure the river is stocked and ready for anxious anglers of all ages throughout the year, stocking an average of 265,000 trout annually.

The hatchery has been raising trout for fishermen since the 1800s. In 1938, the Missouri Department of Conservation took over its management.

Story and photos by Julia Kilmer TROUT TIMES

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

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“

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- Paul Spurgeon Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Assistant and

“Trout have been in Roaring River for a very long time,” said Paul Spurgeon, hatchery manager. “The CCC built the hatchery, tanks and dammed up the spring pool. We keep brood stock here.”

To this day, the original buildings, hand-hewn from native stone and timber, are still used. Spurgeon said trout are spawned twice a year, in the spring and fall, to keep the river stocked.

What many do not know is just how that process, which allows thousands to enjoy an endeared sport and hobby, occurs on a daily, even hourly basis.

Once females from the brood stock mature, they are checked once a week to see if their eggs are ripe enough to be released. Once ready, the eggs are removed by inserting a needle into the egg cavity along with three pounds of oxygen, which creates pressure and pushes the eggs out. Each female can yield up to 5,000 eggs.

“The old timers would massage and squeeze them out,” Spurgeon said.

The eggs are then combined with sperm from the males and placed in tubes to be fertilized, then put in jars for 21 days. The tiny fish that emerge, called sac fry, rely on a yolk sac attached to their bellies to provide nutrition for their first two weeks of life. Once the sac is released, the trout swim to the surface, and, at that point, staff begin feeding them with a special, high-protein food.

Volunteer Coordinator Makayla Blake siphons out egg sacs from a pool of rainbow trout recently hatched at Roaring River State Park. About 200,000 to 300,000 of the fish are raised every year for anglers to enjoy. At this stage, the tiny fish must be fed every hour until they grow to a size of four inches, at which time they are moved to outside pools.

Did you know?

In 1928, the State of Missouri paid $1 for the land that became Roaring River State Park.

Workers like Makayla Blake, full-time resource assistant and volunteer coordinator with the DOC, nourish the tiny fish with round-the-clock feedings 12 times a day, and carefully sift through and clean the tanks, siphoning out dead eggs and debris to prevent disease and keep the fish healthy. The percentage of eggs that actually hatch ranges from 60-70 percent at Bennett Spring State Park in Lebanon and Roaring River to 80-90 percent at Shepherd of the Hills Fitch Hatchery, due to more favorable water temperatures.

During this time, a close watch is kept for signs of disease. Ultraviolet lights treat the water to kill bacteria, and oxygen is pumped into the water, which comes from the natural, on-site spring and stays at a steady 58 degrees all year, even during winter.

TROUT TIMES

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Roaring River Hatchery Manager Paul Spurgeon stands by one of the pools where rainbow trout are raised and where anglers have enjoyed catching the prized fish since the 1800s. The Missouri Department of Conservation took over management of the hatchery and stream in 1938. The famous spring can be seen in the background, which supplies water for the fish, and stays a steady 58 degrees all year long, even in winter. Spurgeon has been overseeing operations, including the spawning of an average of 265,000 fish each year, for several years.

Monitors keep watch over temperature and oxygen levels to ensure the environment is just right. Trout cannot live in water warmer than 65 degrees. The fish stay inside for three to four months. Once they reach a length of four inches, they are transitioned to the next phase.

“At four inches, they are vaccinated, then moved to outside pools,” Spurgeon said.

The fish are then fed twice per day. Once they reach 7-8 inches, they are split into five or six pools.

“As they grow, we split them into two pools because they outgrow them.” Spurgeon said. “We can put about 25,000 fish in one pool, then they stay there until they are 10-11 inches, then moved to the lower unit, where they stay until they are 12-1/2 inches.

The life cycle of a rainbow trout is up to 10 years, but once released at Roaring River in peak season, some do not make it longer than a day.

20

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

At a cost of $3 per day for adults and $2 for children ages 15 and under, catching trout at Roaring River is one of the most inexpensive, and enjoyable family activities available in the area.

“Most are caught when they are put out,” Spurgeon said. “It helps with the cost of raising the trout. We buy a fish feed made especially for feeding the trout. Typically, we will sell about 100,000 tags a year.

“A lot of people think we don’t do anything here in the winter. There’s a lot of care that goes into it. It’s a never-ending cycle. We stock nightly in 33 places along the river.”

But the staff always manages to stay ahead of the game.

“The fish [in the pools] right now will be stocked for the 2017 season,” Spurgeon said. “It takes about 14 months to get a fish out to stock. As one pool gets empty, there are fish to take their place. That’s why we stay so busy in the winter.”

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Submitted Photos

Submitted by Sharon Bateman-Hollingsworth, this is a photo of a lunker caught by her mother, Marie Bateman, at Roaring River in 1992. The fish weighed 8-1/4 pounds. “She is now 94 and talks about this fish to everyone who walks in the door and will listen!”

Bateman-Hollingsworth said.

Did you know?

Divers have only descended 224 feet down into the Roaring River Spring.

It is believed that the underground waterway is much deeper.

This photo was shared by Sharon Bateman-Hollingsworth. “This was my dad, Guy Bateman, painted on a linen postcard at Roaring River in 1948. We have always known about the card and have this copy, but [my] daughter also found it for sale at eBay! Dad knew they were taking the pic, but didn’t think he was in it until seeing it later. I had never heard of linen postcard until this!”

TROUT TIMES

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Bob Garrison of Cassville caught this rainbow trout at Roaring River on Dec. 5. The fish weighed 6 pounds, but looked bigger when netted. It was released unharmed.

Amber Turner caught monster trout at Roaring River during catch and release in February 2013.

Did you know?

The state record rainbow trout was caught at Roaring River State Park. It weighed 18 pounds and one ounce.

24

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Opening Day 2015

Justin Hilburn of Cassville pulls out one of his catches on Opening Day at Roaring River.

photo by murray bishoff

Joe Casper of Cassville waits patiently for a lunker to hit his line at Roaring River State Park on March 1, 2015. Casper has fished at Roaring River for 50 years.

With temperatures holding at 28 degrees for the first several hours of fishing, the shoreline of Roaring River State Park was hardly shoulderto-shoulder before the gunshot on March 1, 2015.

Mist from the perpetually 54-degree stream sent up a significant cloud of vapor over the scene, illumined by the lamps around the falls.

Tim Homesley, right, holds up his gun and prepares to fire it to kick off catch-and-keep season at Roaring River State Park on March 1, 2015.

Looking on, at left, is Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks. photo by Kyle Troutman

TROUT TIMES

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Did you know?

The elevation changes by more than 500 feet from the highest point to the lowest point in Roaring River State Park.

Jeff Greer of Joplin, left, brought in a 4.06-pound lunker in for weighing, caught in the first four minutes of fishing, before Don Bowen, right, had set up the weighing table for the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce’s lunker contest. Greer went on to catch an 8.12-pounder, which was the largest

Photo by Murray Bishoff

recorded catch of the day.

A view of the landing upstream from the falls at Roaring River State Park on March 1, 2015.

Lucas White, left, of Purdy, and Justin Hilburn of Cassville fish near the mouth of Roaring River.

Photo by Murray Bishoff

Brayson Sestrich, 6, gets some help from Stephen Soceljak while fishing on Opening Day of 2015. The pair were part of a larger contingency hailing from Kansas City, Kan.

Photos by Kyle Troutman

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29

School Closing Cassville continues no school tradition on Opening Day

Mackenzie Murphy, left, 7, of Fayetteville, Ark., and Sharayah Seymour, 11, of Cassville, enjoy the piles of snow at Roaring River State Park.

Former superintendent: ‘You’d better close school that day’ Story by Kyle Troutman, editor The Cassville school district does not hold classes on a number of national holidays, but one non-school day each year is reserved for a local holiday — Opening Day at Roaring River State Park.

For the first time since 2013, March 1 Opening Day will fall on a school day, and Superintendent Richard Asbill said the district will honor the age-old tradition.

“It’s safe to say we won’t be having school,” he said.

“We had a meeting in November or December, looking at next year’s calendar, and there’s always one or two new staff members who say we should have school on March 1 or use it as a snow make up day, and we can’t do that.”

The tradition dates back decades, prior to the 1980s, when Superintendent Dan Bailey began his 19-year tenure at the helm of the district.

“When I came down in 1980, we shut down on March 1, and it didn’t make any difference what was going on,” Bailey said.

Some years are worse than others with winter weather, and Bailey said there was one particularly snowy year the district decided to have school on Opening Day. “We had missed a lot of days and decided to go on March 1,” he said. “It was a terrible mistake. You would have thought we cancelled Christmas.

“Attendance that day was terrible, needless to say.”

Bailey said he knew it was a mistake the first time his phone rang that day, and he was continually reminded of it throughout the day, phone call after phone call.

“It didn’t take me long to realize it was a mistake,” he said. “My phone started ringing off the hook with people

Charlie Seymour, 16, of Cassville, pulls his catch out of the water March 1, 2015.

asking me what in the world we were doing having school that day.

“Hindsight is always 20-20, and it was a silly thing to try to do, but we had to learn the hard way.”

continued on page 34 30

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Did you know?

The Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center, which is located adjacent to campground No. 3 is known as the “best kept secret” in Roaring River State Park.

Anglers lined the banks of Roaring River State Park on March 1, 2015, for Opening Day. At the gun, 869 anglers cast their lines, and by the day’s end, 1,185 had fished at the park. photos by Kyle Troutman

George Strawn of Verona, right, bought another supply of worms and stringers at the Roaring River Park concessions shop.

Kelly Mills of Cassville, second from right, nets a trout while fishing at Roaring River State Park.

Glade and open woodland restoration is the major focus of natural resource management at Roaring River State Park.

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31

right

Local experts offer tips for anglers Opening Day, regular-season fishing call for different tactics

W

hen it comes to fishing at Roaring River State Park, not many local anglers can boast the experience and know-how of Cassville residents Tim Homesley and Gordon Roller.

Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop on Highway 112 near the park, has been an avid fisherman since age 6 and fishes at Roaring River about 300 days out of the year. For those coming to Opening Day, he said there are some different tactics anglers should use, partly because of the number of people on the banks, and partly because the newly-stocked fish are seeing fresh lines.

“You can use a four-pound test line on March 1, and almost everyone and their brother starts with a rooster tail,” he said. “We call those 30-minute wonders, because after about 30 minutes, we switch to marabou jigs, plastic worms or plastic jigs.”

While Homesley generally recommends twopound or three-pound test line, he said the fourpound line works on Opening Day because the

newly-stocked trout have yet to see a lot of line, and four-pound line is easier to get untangled with the shoulder-to-shoulder setup of March 1.

“The rest of the year, a two-pound or three-pound line works best,” he said. “If you plan to fish all day on Opening Day, it’s best to switch back to the lighter line once the crowds clear out.”

Homesley also recommended going with nonfluorescent lines, and no braids.

“You don’t want anything that will glow under black light, because the sun’s UV rays make the line glow to the fish,” he said. “Braided lines are big in Oklahoma and Kansas for crappie fishing, but don’t work so well for trout.”

Homesley said micro jigs or marabou jigs work best throughout the year, and the fish get picky if anglers do not use lighter lines, especially in clear water.

“In the summer, I can see people from 100 yards away and know they’re using the wrong line,” he said.

“Dirty water changes everything, though. I’ve seen

Story and photo by Kyle Troutman, editor 32

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Tim Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop near Roaring River State Park, ties flies in preparations for Opening Day festivities. people pull out fish with a 10-pound line in dirty water.”

summertime, the drys come on and are better in the afternoons.

Homesley said the fishing will be good this year with all the water the county has received.

“Jigs work well, too. Tim makes one he calls a Roaring River special, which is a woolly bugger tied onto a jig. That does real well and I have some friends where that’s all they use.”

“There’s a lot of oxygen, so the fish are a lot healthier,” he said.

Roller, who makes custom rods at his home on Old Exeter Road in Cassville, has fished at Roaring River since 1956, going at least two to three days per week now, and said Opening Day is its own animal.

Roller said he prefers to fish in Zone 2, where the rule is flies only.

“I’d say stay home on Opening Day and let the kids get all the fish,” he said. “But, if you do go, it’s best to use a spinner rod because there’s too many people to fly fish.”

Roller said there are several techniques to employ at Roaring River to come away with a lunker.

Tim’s Fly Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the season begins. On Opening Day, the shop will open at 4 a.m. Throughout the season, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. all week long, sometimes closing at 2 p.m. on Sundays or Wednesdays. The shop’s phone number is 417-847-4956.

“On Opening Day, about anything you put in the water they will hit on,” he said. “If you are fly fishing, use a woolly bugger, worm glow ball or egg pattern.

Those patterns work all year. After it warms up in the

Along with selling through Tim’s Fly Shop, Roller makes custom rods at his home at 900 Old Exeter Road. He may be reached by phone at 417-665-9345.

His business card is also available at Tim’s Fly Shop.

“It’s not as crowded there,” he said. “There are a lot more spinner fishermen on the hatchery end.”

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continued from page 30

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“Dan mentored me on that one,” he said.

Bailey said a lot of students participated in the festivities each year, but many others did not.

“It’s a pretty big thing for this area, and I don’t think the local kids participate now as much as they once did,” Bailey said. “A lot of times I’d go down to watch or to see the crowd, but I’m not into trout fishing.”

Bailey said the district tried to get Opening Day moved at one point, but got little support for the proposal.

“We tried at one point to get Opening Day moved to the closest Saturday to March 1, so it wouldn’t affect local schools,” he said. “But, there wasn’t any interest in that.”

Horner said Opening Day was always a big deal for students.

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Asbill said many students still partici-

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pate now, especially younger ones.

“I’ve seen a lot of younger students, like in middle school, out there, and I think that’s because the Kids Fishing Days have helped motivate kids to fish at the park,” he said. “Sometimes weather is a factor, but it’s always good to see the younger kids fishing.

“Roaring River is a big part of the community, and we are proud to invest in the area that makes us so great.”

34

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Living a concessionaire’s dream Jim Rogers, longtime fan of Roaring River, giving back

W

hen Jim Rogers first came to Roaring River State Park in 1955 at age 10, trout fishing was not exactly his forte.

Camping with his family, sleeping in cots under a tarp tied to four trees, Rogers, his parents and two sisters would visit Roaring River each year. It took a few visits for the now-concessionaire at Roaring River State Park to get his hands on a fish.

“My first time there, I fished for three days and didn’t catch one fish,” he said. “I was using heavy equipment and not the right gear or lures. My second time, when I was 11 or 12, I fished for three more days and caught one accidentally. I was using a spoon about the size of the fish I was trying to catch.

“The next year, I caught three fish in one day. I would fish from the siren in the morning to the siren at night because I was so determined to catch them. You could see them everywhere, and it was really frustrating.”

For more information about Roaring River concessions, call the Park Store at 417-847-2539, or the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center at 417-847-2330.

Little did Rogers know that feeling of catching trout would shape his future career path.

Before he turned 30, he and his wife won the Missouri State Parks’ contract to do concessions at the park he loved so dearly.

“I went to college and started working in the lodging industry,” he said. “My parents had some hotels in Vinita, Okla., much like the ones in the movie, ‘Cars.’ Later, I ran a Drury Inn and, in 1974, concessions at Roaring River came up for bid.

“My brother-in-law told me about it and turns out he wasn’t interested. At that time, I was running a Drury Lodge in Springfield, and in 1974, I got my first Roaring River contract.”

Rogers said a Cassville attorney helped facilitate him winning the bid, as politics had played a role for past bid winners.

“Joe Ellis was on the park board and was interviewing me and two other bidders,” Rogers said. “Politics came up, and they asked me whether I was a Democrat or a Republican.

“That’s when Joe interrupted and said, ‘You know, we’ve been wanting to get politics out of this process for many years, and I think now is the time we should do it.’”

Rogers won the bid, then picked up his wife and daughter and moved to a cabin at Roaring River, which stood where the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center sits now.

Story by Kyle Troutman, editor TROUT TIMES

35

“The cabin was pretty bad,” he said. “It had holes in the floor and the furnace and air conditioning didn’t work. Eventually, we built a house in Chinquapin Woods in Cassville, which was great.”

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Rogers’ responsibilities grew dramatically in 1980, when Bennett Spring State Park was having an issue with its concessions.

“It was July 10, 1980, at 1 p.m., and the concessionaire at Bennett Spring was leaving, so the state asked me if I could run both. The other concessionaire was having a bit of a breakdown, but it was a little tougher back then making a living running the park, and with all the constraints the state had us under.”

Taking over Bennett Spring, along with Roaring River, Rogers and his family, with the addition of a second daughter, moved to Lebanon to be closer to Bennett Spring. In 1983, the Roaring River contract was rebid, and another concessionaire ran the park until 2006. Once he left, a larger concessions corporation, Delaware North, took over, but with other contracts in the nation as large as Yellowstone National Park and Cape Canaveral, Rogers said the company was not well suited for a Roaring River type of park.

“They re-signed their contract and we got it again and have been [at Roaring River] ever since,” he said. “We built new cabins, a new store, which we put a lot of our own money into and financed the rest with Freedom Bank in Cassville.”

Rogers said he always believed God had a hand in his dealings with Roaring River, as his experiences at the park turned him into an avid fly fisherman.

“Fly fishing became my hobby.

At one point, I traded a pellet rifle for a fly rod kit,” he said. “I always felt I was prepared to run Roaring River, because my parents had always had restaurants and hotels.

When it came up for bid when I was 29 or 30, it may have been the second-largest park in the state, but I was not afraid. I was going from a place with 105 rooms to a place with only 20.”

Rogers said the first thing he did after taking over was slash prices, a move later earning him recognition from the Missouri Senate in the form of a proclamation.

“We cut prices in half at the store, marking some items at below retail price,” he said. “We cut prices 50 percent, and our sales jumped 400 percent. Instead of buying stuff before they came, people were now buying stuff at the park store when they got there.”

Rogers also used to teach fly fishing on the weekends at the park, helping novice anglers learn to reel in trout like he did, which got him into hot water one time.

“About the time I was 15, I was taught how to fly fish and was catching a fish nearly every cast,” he said. “I had my limit and was just giving them away. I didn’t know if

I could do that. But, I was standing there getting ready to go and this guy came up and tapped me on the shoulder. He asked how many I had caught and I showed him my line with five. Then he said, no, how many did you catch and give away. I said I didn’t know, and he said I had caught 19 and given him five, and he was a conservation agent.

The encounter made for a good laugh three decades later, as Rogers was at Bennett Spring telling that story in the park store.

“I laughed because three years before I couldn’t catch any, and now I was catching too many.”

Rogers said he has enjoyed each moment during his time at the parks, especially at Roaring River.

“I was telling the story and there was a gentleman there named John Fry,” he said. “In the middle of the story, he asked if this was at Roaring River. I said yes, then he said he was that same conservation agent.”

Did you know?

Roaring River State Park has three independent organizations that work together as one unit. Those organizations are: the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of Missouri State Parks, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and Roaring River Concessions.

TROUT TIMES

37

Good luck

“It’s been a great, wonderful ride,” he said. “I got to raise my two daughters in Missouri State Parks, and that’s tough to beat.”

to all the fishermen on Opening Day!

His business has grown as well, as he now has 165 employees, compared to the 10-15 he had when he started.

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Rogers said the draw of Roaring River is not only its natural beauty, but the road travelled to get there.

“When you’re going down the mountain into Roaring River, it feels a lot like driving into Yosemite,” he said. “I have to say though, the No. 1 draw is still the water, because Missouri has been blessed with fresh-water springs, which stays at that constant temperature that’s good for trout.”

As a concessionaire, Rogers said his goal is to always give visitors the best experience possible.

“We’ve just always tried to treat customers how we would want to be treated, and we want to give them an experience that exceeds expectations,” he said. “We were welcomed here with open arms with the community support, and we were happy to come in after Delaware North and bring back the small-town flavor.”

Rogers said that philosophy has led to the consistent tourism at the park.

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

“Attendance the last 10-15 years has not declined at all,” he said. “Bennett Spring, [which I still operate as concessionaire], went from 189,000 visitors per year to 130,000. Roaring River has stayed at 100,000 to 115,000 per year. And unless something happens with gas prices, I think that will continue to grow.”

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Missouri State Parks:

Roaring river State Park

Regulations by zone

Roaring River State Park is divided into three zones, each with the following bait or lure and creel restrictions.

Zone 1 From the hatchery to the posted sign at the mouth of Dry Hollow Creek, only artificial lures, soft plastic baits and flies are permitted. An artificial lure is defined as a manufactured lure. Soft plastic lures include synthetic eggs, worms or grubs. Flies are lures considered on a single point hook of feathers, tinsel, chenille, yarn, fur, silk, rayon, or nylon thread of floss, with or without spinners. No putty-dough baits, other natural baits or foods may be used in this area.

Zone 2 From the posted sign at the mouth of Dry Hollow Creek to the old dam in the lower end of Campground 3, only flies are permitted. In the area of Zone 2 designated as catch-and-release only (from the posted sign at the mouth of Dry Hollow Creek to the posted sign below the bridge on Highway F) trout may not be possessed and must be retuned to the water unharmed immediately. This portion of Zone 2 is designated as a multipleuse area with wading and swimming allowed.

Zone 3 From the old dam to the park boundary, artificial lures, soft plastic baits, flies and natural or scented baits may be used. Natural and scented baits include live bait or any other substance designed to attract fish by taste or smell including dough, putty or paste-type baits.

40

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Legend

Map courtesy of Missouri state parks

TROUT TIMES

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42

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Department of Conservation continuing repair of stream after floods

Roaring River Hatchery staff overcome challenges

D

epartment of Conservation staff at Roaring River State Park have been busy this past year, installing some new equipment but spending most of their time on stream maintenance after floods in July and December 2015.

Paul Spurgeon, manager of the Roaring River Trout Hatchery, which is overseen by the Missouri Department of Conservation, said a new pump was installed last year, but has yet to be used.

“The pump now has two intakes and works on a variable frequency driver, which will help us save some money on electricity and be more efficient,” he said. “We can now dial in as much as 4,000 gal-

lons per minute, and we can recirculate 5 million gallons per day if we need to. All this will help us to raise fish in times of drought.

“This has doubled our pumping capacity and will increase our energy savings by about 50 percent.”

With the excessive rains in 2015, drought has been less of a concern, as more attention has been placed on stream maintenance.

“We have three gravel catch basins, and the one in Roaring River Hollow behind the hatchery was destroyed in July [2015],” Spurgeon said. “Since that flood, we’ve been rebuilding baffles, and we were still repairing the banks in December [2015].”

Story and photo by Kyle Troutman, editor TROUT TIMES

43

Fishermen and visitors of Roaring River Park come eat with us at the Cassville McDonald’s !

Spurgeon said last year, staff removed about 400-500 loads of gravel from the basins in July, and another 300 in December. The basins are in place to catch gravel before it gets to the park.

“As long as it doesn’t breach the dam, we’re OK,” Spurgeon said.

“It did breach the dam in July, and we had to remove a tremendous amount of gravel. The upper end was not too bad in December, as the lower end took the brunt of the flooding. There was a lot of gravel, trees and debris.”

R

Spurgeon said the stocking road was also destroyed, but has since been rebuilt.

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Welcome to Roaring River 2016

“Those flood gates were installed in 2005 and have been broken for about a year,” he said. “We have replaced them, but haven’t got to work on them much yet because the water is still too high to get down in there. The gates and valves in the spring pool were aluminum, and the new ones will be stainless steel.”

Spurgeon said more efforts will also be made to tabulate intake, as the department plans to install a flow meter in the spring and at the hatchery.

“That project is slated for the fall, but it’s not set in stone yet,” he said.

Leading up to Opening Day, Spurgeon said the majority of efforts still revolve around the river and its banks.

“We’re trying to get the stream back in shape for March 1, and we’re pushed for time because of the weather,” he said. “But, we have statewide crews with heavy equipment here working pretty steadily.”

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TROUT TIMES

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More than one way to cook a fish Stuffed Rainbow Trout Prep Time: 29 minutes; Total Time: 1 hr. 29 minutes; Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 3 cups Italian bread, cubes 1 large egg, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon Chablis, or other dry white wine 4 8-ounce whole trout, dressed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 slices bacon, cut in half Garnishes:

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1/3 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup blanched slivered almond 4 (8 ounce) trout 4 tablespoons butter or margarine

lemon slice

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

fresh parsley sprig

salt and pepper

Honey Browned Trout (Candy Trout) Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

Directions:

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery, and cook, stirring constantly, until tender.

1. In a small bowl, melt the 1/3 cup butter or margarine in a microwave for approximately 30 seconds.

2. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients.

2. Add almonds and heat, uncovered, in the microwave for 3 minutes or until lightly browned; stir occasionally.

2 trout fillets

3. Set almonds aside.

2 garlic cloves

4. Arrange fish in a shallow, 10-inch, heat resistant baking dish.

1 tablespoon olive oil

5. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on each fish and sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste.

1 pinch black pepper

3. Add bread cubes; toss gently.

4. Combine egg and white wine; stir into bread mixture.

5. Spread evenly into 11x7x1-½” baking dish. Set aside.

6. Rinse trout; pat dry.

7. Sprinkle inside of fish evenly with ½ tsp salt.

8. Combine lemon juice and soy sauce; brush inside of fish, reserving remaining lemon juice mixture.

9. Dredge fish in flour.

10. Place over stuffing, overlapping slightly.

11. Drizzle with reserved lemon juice mixture.

12. Place bacon over trout.

13. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

14. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

46

Trout Almondine

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

6. Cover with wax paper and heat for 7 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

7. Spoon browned almonds over fish and heat, uncovered, in the microwave for 2 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Serves: 2-4 Ingredients: 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup honey

1 pinch kosher salt Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. In a food processor or blender combine honey, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Puree/process until well mixed. (Will look like slightly melted whipped butter).

3. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly butter (your choice). Place fillets in dish.

4. Brush on the honey sauce, trying to use it all.

5. Sprinkle with brown sugar, covering the fillets.

6. Bake until fillets are golden brown and the sugar has caramelized.

7. Serve warm.

Recipes

Baked Trout with Garlic and Mushrooms Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 32 minutes Servings: 5

Trout With Lime and Thyme

Ingredients:

Prep Time: 2 hrs. 15 minutes

5 (3/4 lb) trout

Total Time: 2 hrs. 30 minutes

1/2 cup olive oil

Servings: 2

5 cloves garlic, chopped fresh ground black pepper salt 1/2-3/4 lb fresh mushrooms 1/4-1/2 cup butter 4 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs 4 green onions, sliced 3 fresh lemons (or lemon concentrate) 2 tablespoons minced parsley Directions: 1. To cook trout, wash and dry the fish inside and out and coat sides with a little olive oil.

2. Slice mushrooms and place half in the bottom of a shallow baking dish.

3. Salt and pepper fish, inside and out, to taste and place in dish on top of mushrooms.

4. Sprinkle bread crumbs over fish along with the minced parsley, chopped garlic and the green onion.

Pan Fried Trout

2 trout fillets

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

2 lbs. trout (whole or fillets)

1/2 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1 lime, juice of

salt and pepper Directions: 1. Rinse the trout under cold running water, or in the river in which they were caught.

2. Pat dry.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat.

Directions: 1. In a plastic zipper bag, combine all ingredients and mix well to coat the fish fillets.

2. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

3. When ready to cook, discard marinade and grill, broil or sautĂŠ trout as you normally would.

5. Coat the trout in corn meal and shake off the excess.

5. If using fresh lemons, squeeze 1 or 2 directly over the entire trout including the inside.

6. When the butter is melted, place the coated trout, flesh side down, in the skillet.

6. Meanwhile melt butter, add to olive oil and the juice of 2 lemons.

7. Fry 4-5 minutes, then turn and fry 4-5 minutes or until the flesh is golden

7. Pour slowly over fish saving about half of the mixture.

Ingredients:

brown and flaky.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees or until they are tender and bread crumbs are light brown.

9. Fish is done when the meat flakes easily when a fork is inserted into the flesh and lifted up slightly.

10. Just before the fish are done, sautĂŠ 1-2 minutes the remaining mushrooms in the sauce that is left and pour over top after placing trout on a serving plate.

11. Garnish with a few lemon wedges and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

12. Serve this Italian Trout recipe with rice, or Italian pasta, and a vegetable.

Source: Food.com

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48

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

Regulations Missouri State Parks:

Trout Fishing Rules and Regulations Roaring River is known for its premiere trout fishing. The river is stocked regularly by the park’s hatchery, which is managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Fishing licenses and tags are available in the park store, located at the intersection of Route F and Highway 112, which also sells fishing equipment, tackle, camping supplies and groceries.

Regulations • Trout fishing is permitted in accordance with the state wildlife code and posted restrictions daily from March 1 through Oct. 31, and during the winter catch-and-release season from the second Friday in November to the second Monday in February on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday only.

• Each angler shall display a daily trout tag purchased at the area and bearing his or her signature.

• Each angler shall have a state fishing permit, except those 15 years and younger or Missouri residents 65 years and older.

• All anglers shall keep their trout separate at all times, identified with their names and addresses.

• Daily limit is four. All brown trout must be equal to or greater than 15 inches. There is no length limit on rainbow trout. Possession limit is eight trout.

Trout fishing hours

Beginning

Ending

March

6:30 a.m.*/7:30 a.m.** 6 p.m.*/7 p.m.**

April

7 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

May

6:30 a.m. 8:15 p.m.

June/July

6:30 a.m. 8:30 p.m.

August

7 a.m. 8 p.m.

September 7:30 a.m. 7:15 p.m.

October

7:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m.

Catch and Release Season Second Friday in November through the second Monday in February 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. * Central Standard Time ** Central Daylight Time

• Only a single pole or rod may be used. Gigging, snaring or snagging is not permitted.

• No person shall continue to fish for any species in these trout waters after having four trout in possession.

• The use of game fish or parts thereof for bait is prohibited. Chumming is not permitted.

Did you know?

In 1928, the State of Missouri paid $1 for the land that became Roaring River State Park.

• No trout may be possessed in the catch-andrelease area.

TROUT TIMES

49

Best Catch

“This is a picture of my husband, Bradley, and our son, Brent. This was taken a few years ago, but it was Brent’s first time to fish. This is one of my favorite photos of them. It was on kids day.”

— Gwen Block Shockley

50

Welcome to Roaring River 2016

TROUT TIMES

51

Come And ShAre our relAxing ozArkS PArAdiSe! lodge i reSTAurAnT i ConFerenCe CenTer i PArk STore

Enjoy the quiet beauty of deep hollows, tall narrow ridges and a clear, sparkling stream while basking in the peace and tranquility of the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center. Perched atop a hill in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, the Inn and Conference Center offers a complete package of recreation, hospitality and family-friendly, homestyle dining!

CABinS for rent | CAmPgroundS

Creating memories for a new generation

TACkle | groCerieS | SouVenirS FiShing TAgS | liCenSeS

www.roaringriverstatepark.com 24667 State hwy. 112, Cassville, missouri 65625. inn & Conference Center Park Store (CCC lodge) hatchery Park office nature Center

417-847-2330 417-847-4971 417-847-2430 417-847-2539 417-847-3742