Trout Times 2022

2022

Nature Center Rules and Regs Hatchery Update Cleaning Station

Exploring ROARING RIVER SPRING

JOURNEY TO THE SOURCE

TROUT TIMES |

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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GENERAL MANAGER Lisa Craft connection@monett-times.com EDITOR Kyle Troutman editor@cassville-democrat.com ADVERTISING Marion Chrysler Vicky Abraham Sheila Harris CONTRIBUTORS Darlene Wierman Jordan Troutman Mike Gervais Sheila Harris 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

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Written requests send to: Attn: Lisa Craft 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.

Trout Times is a publication of Connection Magazine, the Cassville Democrat, The Monett Times and Rust Communications, 2022 ©

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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KISS Rebreathers chief underwater photographer, Randall Purdy, of Kearney, Neb., displays the new camera he purchased in order to record footage of the national-record-breaking dive into Roaring River Spring on Nov. 14, 2021. The camera is rated for a depth of

Contents

Photo by Randall Purdy Photography, courtesy of TL Bass Telepictures

600 feet sub-surface.

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2022 EVENTS CALENDAR

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INTO THE ABYSS

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CLEANING STATION UPDATES

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RULES AND REGS

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HATCHERY UPDATE

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OPENING DAY 2021

Jon Lillestolen, of Blacksburg, Va., diver/

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TIM’S FLY SHOP FINALE

in Fort Smith, Ark., checks his map during a

On the cover:

cartographer with KISS Rebreathers, based dive in the Roaring River spring.

TROUT TIMES |

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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Roaring River 2022 Special Events

https://mostateparks.com/ location/56785/nature-center

First Day Hike Big Sugar Creek Jan. 1 at 9 a.m.

First Day Hike Roaring River Jan. 1 at 1 p.m.

Eagle Viewing Jan. 8 at 3 p.m.

Opening Day March 1 from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Birding Boot Camp March 18-20 Wildflower Workshop Saturday, April 2 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Earth Day April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mother’s Day Wild Tea Party May 8 at 11 a.m.

Wildflower Workshop May 15 from 9 a.m. to noon Kids Fishing Day May 14 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Free Fishing Weekend June 11-12, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

H2Olympics July 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Yellow trout brought in from Crystal Lake have added some color to the lunker pond at Roaring River, and some of the new fish have made their way past the falls and into catching territory.

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Kids Fishing Day Aug. 20 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Veterans Free Fishing Sept. 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Fall Wild Edibles Sept. 23-25 Operation Roaring River Oct. 2-5 WOW Oct. 7-9 Catch and Release Season Begins Nov. 11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Operation Roaring River Dec. 9-11

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

(417) 858-CAMP (417) 489-3003

Eagle Viewing Dec. 17 at 3 p.m.

For more information about events and the Nature Center, people may reach Kelly Koch, interpretive reasearch specialist for Missouri State Parks at 417-847-3742.

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Roaring River Spring, located adjacent to Roaring River Trout Hatchery, pumps out an average of 20 million gallons of water a day and contributes to the attraction of Roaring River State Park, which was the most-visited state park in 2020 and 2021.

Into the Abyss 12

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Story by Sheila Harris

Divers set national record in Roaring River Spring

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ith the blessings of Roaring River State Park officials and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a team of divers from KISS Rebreathers, in Fort Smith, Ark., made a series of monthly, weekend dives into Roaring River Spring from May through November of 2021.

During their explorations, they put Roaring River Spring firmly on the map as the deepest spring in Missouri and the deepest explored spring in the nation by achieving a depth of 472 feet sub-surface during their final dive of the season in November.

The KISS Rebreathers dive team obtained special permits from Roaring River State Park and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) certifying that they were skilled in underwater cave-diving prior to making the dives into Roaring River Spring. The purpose of their dives is to gather scientific information for DNR’s use.

Recreational dives into the spring are not allowed.

472 Feet and Counting TROUT TIMES |

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Entrance

Air Bells

Colossal Dome

depth in feet 0

?

100

Legend Rocks Dive Line

?

Continuation of Passage

200

Line Arrow (points towards exit)

225' Restriction 0

feet

s bys A hom t a 0F

100

Roaring River Spring Barry County, Missouri

Profile View (looking East) 2021 Exploration and Survey by the KISS Dive Team

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300

Length: 2,225 feet (0.43 miles) Depth: 472 feet Notes: ■ The cave is almost entirely under water and cave diving training is required for safe passage.

■ The cave is formed in the Cotter-Jefferson City Dolomite ■ All exploration done under special permit from Roaring River State Park and the Missouri DNR

400

?

-472 feet end of line 500

©2021 Jon Lillestolen

NEW MAP RELEASED Pictured is a new map of below the spring at Roaring River, showing where KISS Rebreathers divers have explored.

Dives are scheduled, weather-permitting, for the following dates in 2022: MARCH 10-13 APRIL 7-10 MAY 19-22 JUNE 9-12 JULY 7-10 14

AUG. 18-21 SEPT. 15-18 OCT. 13-16 NOV. 10-13

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

According to “Caving News,” the previous national depth-record of 462 feet was set at Phantom Spring Cave in West Texas in 2013.

Mike Young, head diver and CEO of KISS Rebreathers, says the record-breaking dive into Roaring River Spring was only possible because of the advances in technology made since the cave was initially explored by divers Roger Miller and Frank Fogarty in 1979, and again in the early 1990s by a different team.

“Traditional SCUBA equipment involves bulky air tanks divers carry on their backs,” Young said.

“The large tanks prevented earlier divers from going through the narrow restriction that exists at a depth of 224 feet in the cave.”

According to Young, the advanced diving equipment used by the KISS Rebreathers team is much more compact because it scrubs the CO2 from

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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Photo by Randall Purdy Photography, courtesy of TL Bass Telepictures

Jon Lillestolen, of Blacksburg, Va., diver/cartographer with KISS Rebreathers, based in Fort Smith, Ark., comes back to the surface after a dive into the Roaring River spring.

Diver/Cartographer Jon Lillestolen, right, of Blacksburg, Va., receives an equipment adjustment from a diver’s exhaled air and allows them to reuse the oxygen. Several different models of rebreathers are custom-manufactured at Young’s KISS Rebreathers facility in Fort Smith, Ark. Among diving circles, Young is world-renowned for his underwater cave explorations which include what is believed to be the world’s longest underground river in Puerto Rico, as well as submerged cave systems in Mexico. In Missouri and Arkansas, Young has explored Roubidoux Spring, near Waynesville, and Blue Spring, west of Eureka Springs, Ark. The KISS Rebreathers team is made up of divers from around the nation – and world — who assemble at a particular exploration site for scheduled dives.

For the Roaring River Cave exploration, Randall Purdy, of Kearney, Neb., is the designated chief underwater photographer. Purdy, who owns a diving and underwater photography business in Kearney, recently invested in a new camera specifically for use in Roaring River Spring as greater depths were achieved.

KISS Rebreathers teammate Greg Ables, of Fort Smith, Ark., in preparation for a July dive into Roaring River Spring.

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“ With newer satellite technology, we’re hoping to learn more about what the cave’s underground footprint looks like.”

—Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resources manager

KISS Rebreathers head diver and CEO Mike Young continues surface decompression after an October dive into Roaring River Spring.

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

“My previous camera was only rated for a depth of 330 feet,” Purdy said. “If I’d taken it below that depth, it would have imploded.”

Purdy’s new camera, rated for a depth of 600 feet, is being used to create videos: a shorter one for use in the Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center at Roaring River State Park and a longer, full-length documentary for intended future publication. Both the shorter and longer videos are being produced by TL Bass Telepictures of Bentonville, Ark., and include interviews with the divers as well as sub-surface footage of cave explorations.

“The documentary will also include plenty of history of the Roaring River area and interviews with local residents,” said Tim Bass, owner of TL Bass Telepictures. “We want to make it appealing to the population in general, not just to those interested in the diving aspect.”

Plumbing the depth of the spring and the creation of video productions are only part of the mission of the divers, though.

According to Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resource manager, the remapping of the cave below the water’s surface is also important to the park and to the DNR. “With newer satellite technology, we’re hoping to learn more about what the cave’s underground footprint looks like,” he said.

KISS Rebreathers diver and cartographer, Jon Lillestolen, of Blacksburg, Va., is instrumental in the mapping of the cave’s underwater dimensions. He has been consistently aided in his efforts by the team’s only female diver, Gayle Orner, of Madison, Wis. “We use a system of lines and knots [tied at 10-foot intervals] to measure the underwater dimensions and configuration of the cave,” Lillestolen said.

While underwater, Lillestolen manually records the measurements in a small notebook. When back on terra firma, he creates hand-drawn sketches from the measurements, transcribes the numbers into his computer, then creates visual models of the underwater appearance of the cave.

A 3-D model is currently being created for release

by Roaring River State Park in the near future.

“We plan to replace the old map beside the mouth

Photo by Sheila Harris

of the spring with a new one created by the divers,” Topham said.

According to Young, during the early part of 2022, the divers will focus on mapping efforts.

Purdy said due to typical spring rains which increase the water flow, the divers may not be able to penetrate the restriction at the 224-foot depth-mark in the cave until later in the season, maybe June.

In 2021, the divers were not able to penetrate the restriction until July, at which point the water flow had subsided to about 50 cubic feet per second (CFS) after spring flooding had taken it up to 250 CFS and beyond.

Beyond the restriction, Young and Lillestolen found a room so large that no walls nor floors could be seen.

“Even the ceiling, which we followed for several feet, disappeared, too,” Young said. “It’s scary big in there.”

Purdy said the cavern is big enough to contain a 40-story building.

According to Young, at the record-breaking depth of 472 feet, achieved in November, that large room had slimmed to a narrower passageway.

“We may be nearing the spring’s source tunnel,” he said.

While the KISS Rebreathers have made dives into the spring appear easy, they are not for the inexperienced. The record 472-foot dive required a total of about three hours of diving time, plus multiple auxiliary tanks of different mixes of compressed air staged along underwater lines enroute to their destination.

“Most of the diving time was spent on necessary decompression before resurfacing,” Young said. “It’s the most boring part of the dive.”

According to Purdy, he and Young achieved the 472-foot depth and were back up to the restriction within 29 minutes. The rest of the time was spent decompressing at various depths to prevent decompression sickness – even possible death.

Safety measures play a huge part in each dive. Registered nurse and first responder Neil Brownlow, of Fort Smith, Ark., is the team’s designated safety diver. He dives last into the spring and makes periodic, shorter dives thereafter to determine that all is well sub-surface.

KISS Rebreathers head diver and CEO, Mike Young, of Fort Smith, Ark., answers questions from the public after his national-record-breaking dive into Roaring River Spring on Nov. 14, 2021.

KISS Rebreathers safety diver, Neil Brownlow, of Fort Smith, Ark., explains the plan for a June dive into Roaring River Spring to interested visitors.

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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KISS Rebreathers head diver and CEO Mike Young gears up for a June dive into Roaring River Spring, while surface manager, Tony Bryant, looks on. Both Young and Bryant are from Fort Smith, Ark. Diver and surface manager Tony Bryant, also of Fort Smith, remains on the ground and keeps detailed records of each diver’s dive-plan by noting the time they enter the water and the time of their expected return. If a diver does not return topside according to his or her schedule, Bryant will immediately alert others of a potential problem.

While a few of the divers experienced glitches with the function of their equipment or apparel last year, most of the problems were caught near the surface and simply meant an aborted dive for the individuals involved.

With the renewal of permits from the DNR, the exploration of Roaring River Cave by the KISS Rebreathers team will continue throughout 2022. Their first dive of the year was scheduled for mid-February, with the second one on tap for March 10-13, weather-permitting.

“There’s still plenty of cave down there to explore,” Young said. n

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

NEW Cleaning Station Installed $60,000 project completed in summer 2021

Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resource manager, cuts the ribbon on the new fish-cleaning station in Campground 3, a grinder station that cost about $60,000.

A

nglers at Roaring River State Park spent more than a year without a fish-cleaning station at the park, but as of June 2021, there is a new place to clean fish.

At the end of Campground 3 now sits a brand new fish-cleaning station, a state-of-the-art grinder station, with multiple cutting tables, including an ADA compliant cutting table, two start/ stop control stations, four 60-inch side mount spray hoses and four convenient electrical outlets. The new station improves efficiency while disposing fish remains in an environmentally-friendly manner, through the park’s sewer system to prevent back-gassing.

About 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting for the new fish-cleaning station at Roaring River State Park on, learning how the new facility works from Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resource manager.

Story and photos by Kyle Troutman

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Laura Hendrickson, Missouri State Parks Ozarks Region Director, spoke at the fish-cleaning station ribboncutting ceremony at Roaring River State Park, thanking Park Natural Resource Manager Joel Topham, left, for his work at the park and with coordinating the building of the station.

The previous station, near the swimming hole, had barrels that contained fish remains, which needed to be cleaned daily.

Joel Topham, Roaring River natural resource manager, said the old station cost about $6,000 per month to maintain, and the new grinder station will cost about half that amount.

“This project is a great example of several different entities working with the public to develop a beneficial solution for park guests and park staff,” said Justin Adams, Missouri State Parks deputy regional director. “We are extremely proud of the effort that all groups put into this project, but especially with all of the donations that helped us make this project a reality. We believe that this

Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resource manager, explains how the new fish-cleaning station grinds up fish remains and flushes it through the park’s sewer system.

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Missouri State Parks Director Mike Sutherland speaks at the fish-cleaning

“ This project is a great example of several different entities working with the public to develop a beneficial solution for park guests and park staff.”

station ribbon-cutting ceremony at Roaring River State Park. Sutherland lauded the State Parks system and staff for completing the station so quickly, as the old one was torn down a year ago, ground was broken on the new location in Campground 3 in December 2020, and it officially opened.

—Joel Topham, Roaring River State Park natural resources manager TROUT TIMES |

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Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, right, points out State Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, and State Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, saying the legislators likely hear plenty about issues at Roaring River State Park, like the former fish-cleaning station being torn down a year ago.

417-858-6243

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

new fish-cleaning station will be able to serve the public for many years.”

This project was made possible thanks to the generous donations from the public, the Cassville Chamber of Commerce and Ozark Community Foundation and the Union Sportsman’s Alliance, who provided labor for the construction of the shelter. The remaining costs were shared

by Missouri State Parks and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

At the ribbon-cutting on June 4, 2021, multiple state officials spoke, lauding the efforts locally to complete the project in such a timely manner. They also thanked donors, who through the Cassville Community Foundation raised $25,000 for the about $60,000 facility.

A wall commemorating the donors remains in the works, hopefully to be completed this year. n

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Jennifer Battson Warren, Missouri Department of Conservation deputy director-business, speaks at the fish-cleaning station ribbon-cutting ceremony at Roaring River State Park.

If you’re in Barry or Lawrence County, I’m for you.

Chad Yarnall - Agent (417) 847-3399 cyarnall@mofb.com Racheal Freeman, representing the Cassville Community foundation, thanked the more than 200 donors who helped raise $25,000 toward the building of a new fish-cleaning station at Roaring River State Park.

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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 returned to the water unharmed immediately. This portion of Zone 2 is designated as a multiple-use 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.

REGULATIONS

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n

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.

n

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

n

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

n

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

n

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.

n

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

n

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

n

The use of game fish or parts thereof for bait is prohibited.

Chumming is not permitted.

n

No trout may be possessed in the catch-and-release area.

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

TROUT FISHING HOURS

March April May June/July August September October

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

6:30 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

7 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

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

8:15 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

7:15 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

CATCH AND RELEASE SEASON Second Friday in November through the second Monday in February

8 a.m.

4 p.m. * Central Standard Time ** Central Daylight Time

LEGEND

Map courtesy of Missouri State Parks

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.

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natural resource manager, listed a number of items the park staff have completed in the past year.

They include:

Aaron | adobestock.com

Joel Topham, Roaring River

n Power washing all the decking on Deer Leap n Renovation of cabin No. 7, including new flooring and shower n Painted 15 lower-level bathrooms at the Inn n Upgraded seven PTAC units at the Inn n In shower house 3, painted new flooring that is less slippery, redid fans, put in two new hot water heaters and upgraded the electrical panel n Completed two controlled burns, one in the pollinator area and another in Ketchum Hollow East n New campsite signs installed for people to more quickly determine campsite amenities

For more information about Roaring River State Park, people may visit www.mostateparks.com/park/ roaring-river-state-park

30

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Construction at Hatchery Completed Park Ready for Opening Day

I

A paving project, redoing campgrounds throughout the park, is set to begin after March 15, when the weather warms up.

Movie Night Under the Stars is set to return this summer, with tentative dates scheduled for June 18, July 16 and Aug. 20.

Bluegrass Nights in the Park are also coming back, with a schedule not yet determined.

t took almost a yearand-a-half longer than expected, but the Roaring River Hatchery’s construction project has been completed, and the facility is moving back to its normal operations.

The $1.9 million project wrapped up in January 2021, replacing all flood gates in the spring pool, the pipeline into the hatchery and installing a traveling screen to catch debris from the pool before it enters the hatchery. During construction, the Hatchery was forced to stock fish from other hatcheries, which Manager Paul Spurgeon said is a process he’s happy to minimize.

“We finished up all the construction and are back to full production,” he said.

“We always have to bring a few in from other places, but when breeding here, we have a lot more control of the sizes of the fish, and overall it will be better for our fishermen.”

Spurgeon said during the season, the Hatchery stocks 2.25 fish per angler per day.

“We try to anticipate tag sales and hit that as best we can,” he said. “It hasn’t been a big challenge, but a lot of days last year, we were stocking a lot of fish in the middle of the week.”

Spurgeon said the outcome of the construction project has been excellent.

“We now have a steady water supply that is clean, and a lot of the project was fixing failing infrastructure,” he said.

“We did add that traveling screen, and that will save us a lot of time having to clean debris out of the water.”

Story by Kyle Troutman

Spurgeon said the stream itself, which the Hatchery manages as a part of the Missouri Department of Conservation, is in great shape and ready for the season.

“The last few years, we’ve been digging out after floods,” he said. “It seemed like as soon as we got it right, another one hit. So, we’ve spent a lot of resources on keeping the stream in good shape. We’re all finished up now and ready to go.”

Topham said looking ahead to Opening Day, there are some other projects in the works or being finished up.

At the new fish-cleaning station, crews are removing the hand-held nozzles and installing more traditional faucets. Topham said the change aims to give people cleaning fish more clear areas for each person to work.

A paving project, redoing campgrounds throughout the park, is set to begin after March 15, when the weather warms up.

Topham said he is also still waiting on supplies for the donor wall next to the station, which he hopes to complete this fishing season.

Crews still have two more controlled burns to complete this year, one at Big Sugar Creek and another on Unit 4 at Roaring River.

Movie Night Under the Stars is set to return this summer, with tentative dates scheduled for June 18, July 16 and Aug. 20.

Bluegrass nights in the park are also coming back, with a schedule not yet determined.

TROUT TIMES |

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Kilea Taylor, 18, of Stella, got a reaction from her fishing neighbor as she reeled in an 18-inch trout minutes after the Opening Day gun in 2021. Taylor let the big one go, saying she wanted the lunker release badge, as she had caught and kept a 19-inch lunker in the past.

As of 7 a.m. on Opening Day 2021, Roaring River State Park had sold 1,275 adult tags and 294 children’s tags.

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Opening Day 2021 The falls are always a popular location for anglers on Opening Day 2021, as the moving water typically stores hungry fish.

Laura Hendrickson, Missouri State Parks Ozarks Region Director, spoke at the fish-cleaning station ribbon-cutting ceremony at Roaring River State Park, thanking Park Natural Resource Manager Joel Topham, left, for his work at the park and with coordinating the building of the station.

Photos by Kyle Troutman

TROUT TIMES |

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Bentley Henson, 6, of Joplin, works out how to remove a hook from his catch on Opening Day, 2021.

Mila Jensen, 4, of Bentonville, Ark., works on

Jason Brown, of Aurora, ties on a hook as he prepares

her casting skills on Opening Day 2021.

to catch another trout on Opening Day at Roaring River State Park in 2021.

TROUT TIMES |

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Early 2021 Catches 1)

Chris Adamson, of Verona, pulls in a trout near the falls on Opening Day. Adamson tries to fish near the same spot each March 1, and many of the people near him tend to do the same, creating an annual reunion of sorts.

2) Dale Jasumback, of Wentworth, releases a trout he caught on Opening Day in the second hole from the Hatchery.

3) Brice Stehlik, of Cassville, attaches his fourth catch of the day to his stringer,

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

pulled in by 6:50 a.m.

4) Robert Land, of Miami, Okla., takes a second to warm his hands after catching his limit on Opeining Day. 5) Phillip Patton, of Carl Junction, releases a yellow trout he caught near the falls.

Patton had to release the fish, as he got a foul hook on the trout’s fin.

2

3

4

5 TROUT TIMES |

37

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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MoNett, Mo.

Stream Siders 2021

2

4 1)

5 AJ Schroeder, of Monett, pulls in

Also fishing with the family was

a fish from the hole in front of the

Tegan Jensen, 6.

CCC Lodge, one of his many Opening Day catches 2) Mila Jensen, 4, center, looks up as her mother, Amber Jensen, left, of

3) Hudson Jack, 9, nets an Opening

5) First-time angler Adrian Salas, 18, of Cassville, said he didn’t really know how to fish, but that didn’t stop him

Day catch made by his father, Jared

from reeling in a 2.37-pounder from

Jack, of Cassville.

the next hole past the falls on Open-

4) Joey Martinez, right, and his son,

Bentonville, Ark., sends her bait out

Chase Martinez, 8, both of Ander-

into the river on Opening Day.

son, fished together on Opening Day.

ing Day.

TROUT TIMES |

39

2

1

Fish Finders 2021 1)

Josh Willis, left, of Webb City, hands a pole to his son, Blaine Willis, 6, as the pair fished together on Opening Day.

2) John Rider, of Duneweg, pulls in a catch near the first bridge on Opening Day. 3) Bill Logan, of Monett, pulls in one of his many Opening Day catches.

4) Tryton Davis, of Billings, hauls in a trout during Opening Day festivities.

4 40

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

Connect with the park and follow the events happening throughout the year.

LIKE Roaring River State Park Get Social at Roaring River with links to these popular Facebook pages.

Select the QR link below to start exploring who is online with Roaring River State Park.

3

The Official Roaring River State Park Page

The Official Missouri State Parks Page

Roaring River State Park Private Group

TROUT TIMES |

41

Era of Tim

Tim Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop near Roaring River State Park, fishes at the river in early 2021 during catch and release season. Homesley is planning to sell his store.

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

is

Fly shop owner plans to sell, return to guiding

s

P

ast the hills and curves from Cassville to Roaring River State Park sits a quaint building with an eye-catching front porch and a lifetime of fish catching’s worth of contents.

Tim Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop, has built the store into a muststop on the Roaring River road map for 28 years.

And now, he wants to sell.

“I’m old,” Homesley said. “I just don’t want to work any more. I’d rather fish and hunt some more.”

At 59, Homesley said while there is some tongue-in-cheek laziness for his

Story by Kyle Troutman

decision, it won’t be a full retirement.

“I have a jig business I do on the side, and I’ll probably get back into guiding and classes, or tying flies,” he said. “It’s just time to sell. The last 4-5 years, I have made more money than I know what to do with. I made as much working three-and-a-half days per week last year as I made working six days per week the year before. I have six or seven people tying flies for me, and we can’t keep up, which is a good thing.”

Homesley said he hopes to have the property’s new owner keep it a fly shop, but that is not a deal breaker either.

coming to end

B u r l ap

Eg g

Tim Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop near Roaring River State Park, fishes at the river in early 2021 during catch and release season.

Tim Homesley, right, holds up his gun and prepares to fire it to kick off catchand-keep season at Roaring River State Park on March 1, 2015. Looking on, at left middle, is Bill Bryan, former director of Missouri State Parks.

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“I think someone starting a family and wanting to be away from the city but still wants to work in a people-oriented and friendly atmosphere, this is perfect,” he said. “It’s a great place to raise a family and enjoy the outdoors.”

Homesley said one couple had showed interest in the shop, but ultimately backed away, leading him to put it up on the market.

Homesley got started in the fly tying business almost entirely due to proximity.

“I needed a job,” he said. “I was working for Jack Nickols, then I got into this in my spot down there for nine years, then moved up here.

TROUT TIMES |

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

“I mainly did this because I needed a job, and all I knew how to do was fish.

I didn’t think that far ahead at the time, but sometimes I look back now and say, ‘How did that happen?’

“The Lord was definitely watching over me. I’ve made some decisions here and there that were questionable, but it’s always worked out.”

Homesley said his memories of the shop over nearly three decades center on the people who come in and out, especially the Opening Day visitors.

“Most of my memories are really with people not with us any longer,” he said.

“That hits me every once in a while. On Opening Day, you see a lot of that. Families come in and say so and so didn’t make it or grandma had died.

“There’s also no telling how many thousands of people I have taught to fly fish over the years. The best is when a kid catches a fish and you get to see that emotion and excitement. Some of the kids I taught to fly fish are grown now and send me emails or letters. Those hand-written ones are nice, though some are hard to read.”

Homesley said visitors to his shop also range greatly in employment and stature.

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Tim Homesley, owner of Tim’s Fly Shop near Roaring River State Park, ties flies in his shop on Highway 76 near Roaring River.

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“My customers are a range, from lawyers to welders,” he said. “Once you put a fly rod in their hand though, they are equal. There’s guys here in town working at the factories all their lives who are some of the best fly fishermen in the world. There’s a difference between using a $5,000 rod not knowing what you are doing and a $200 rod knowing everything. It’s all in how you throw it.”

Homesley said the business has been extremely good to him over the years.

“I’ve done well, and I will miss it, but now it’s time to do something else,” he said. “I don’t want to be sitting here at 70 and die in my shop.”

For the next owner, Homesley is prepared to help.

“Smile a lot and don’t lie to the customers,” he said. “Tell them like it is whether they will like it or not. Be a pleasure to be around, and they will come back time and time again. I have had a wonderful time here, and whoever takes over will, too.” n

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TROUT TIMES |

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| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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48

| Welcome to Roaring River 2022

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