Anglers gladly spin stories about the ones that got away during winter trout fishing season at Roaring River State Park.
They all get away during catch and release season at the park situated in a deep hollow northeast of Seligman, Mo. Anglers are welcome to fish for trout from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Mondays from the second Friday in November until the second Monday in February.
What is a fly?
A fly for winter fishing at Roaring River State Park is defined as as an artificial lure constructed on a single point hook using any material except soft plastic bait and natural scented bait that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached.
— Missouri Department of Conservation
Anglers may catch all the fish they want, long as they throw them back.
Only flies are allowed, but the definition of fly is broad in the park's regulations. Basically, any material that's tied to a single hook is considered a fly. That means jigs, similar to jigs used for crappie, are allowed.
Breeze in the leafless trees and the music of flowing water are the only sounds. That's the way Pam Wells likes it. She was at the park on Nov. 25, decked out in ski bibs and gloves to fend off the chill.
"It's quiet and it's a lot easier for fly fishing without the crowds you see during summer," she said.
The park swells with visitors during the catch and keep trout season that runs March 1 through Oct. 31. The campground and cabins bring additional visitors. There are hiking trails in the park that are open all year.
Several types of flies work during winter at Roaring River. Trout had an appetite for a white mega worm on this sunsplashed Friday. Wells had one on the end of her line and welcomed a conga line of rainbow trout to her net for release.
A mega worm isn't really a fly, but a piece of yarn or fabric tied to a small jig head. Trout ate it up. At Roaring River, it qualifies as a fly.
"It's basically a sight fishing thing. You cast it and in this clear water you can see the fish take it," she said.
Mega worms were hot on this particular morning, but not all mornings. Ken Essary of Cape Fair, Mo., said effective flies vary from day to day. He comes to Roaring River frequently for winter fishing.
Egg patterns should work well right now. Flies that imitate small aquatic insects, such as midges, are good to use, he said. San Juan worms and woolly buggers are worth a try.
Roaring River flows ice cold through the heart of the park. It's fed by a spring that flows at 20 million gallons per day from a cleft in the rock of a bluff near the trout hatchery.
For catch and release season, about 1,000 rainbow trout are stocked initially. More trout are stocked periodically through the winter, said Paul Spurgeon, manager of the hatchery operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Trout are fed fish pellets once a week.
Fishing isn't the only reason to visit Roaring River during winter. There are hiking trails, including the scenic River Trail. It 's an out and back hike that runs one mile along the stream from the park lodge. Devil's Kitchen Trail is another popular route. It's a loop hike with a tough climb the first half of the route, then downhill and level to the end.
Scott Cochran of Wichita, Kans., likes the park so much he bought a vacation home nearby.
"My dad has brought me here since I was a baby," he said. Now Cochran fishes with his son, Dustin, 9.
"I've caught the most fish," Dustin proudly added.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAFlip.
Sports on 12/13/2016