Click to Enlarge During the March 1 through Oct. 31 season, trout parks are stocked daily with enough fish to give all anglers a good chance for some action.   Trout Park Grand Slam! by Gable Nichols illustrated by Mark Raithel My dad and I made the rounds of Missouri's trout parks. I'm now 10 years old. When I was six, my dad and I decided to fish every trout park in Missouri. We visited a different park each summer. Not only have I learned a lot about trout fishing, but I also found out there is far more to see and do in the parks than fishing. After I tell you some of my experiences, I think you will really enjoy the parks more. Missouri has four trout parks. They are at Maramec Springs and at Montauk, Bennett Spring and Roaring River state parks. Except for Maramec Springs, all the parks are owned by the State of Missouri. The James Foundation, a private organization, owns Maramec Springs. The Missouri Department of Conservation manages the trout fisheries in all the parks. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources manages the grounds and buildings at all three of the state park trout parks. Our first trout park visit was to Maramec Springs, not far from St. James. The James family, which established the Maramec Iron Works, used to own the park property. The stone chimneys for the iron smelting furnaces still stand and are really cool to see, as is the museum. I caught my first two trout at Maramec Springs on a white Roostertail, but I missed my limit by three fish. The limit in all the parks is five trout. The following year, we visited Montauk, which is southwest of Salem. I think the stream there is less commercialized than the other parks. This is where I caught my largest fish. I was fishing in the catch-and-release section and hooked a 5-pound brown trout. My dad took its picture before I released it. There are some real monsters in this stream! Montauk, like all the other parks, has a lot of wildlife. Deer feed right next to the stream, and it doesn't seem to bother them if you're nearby. There are also muskrat, mink and beaver. We saw a lot of different birds, too. One of my favorites was a small bird that was so blue it gleamed like a reflector in the sunlight. My dad said it was an indigo bunting. Along with the animals, there were wildflowers everywhere. The next year we visited Bennett Spring, which is west of Lebanon. This was the first place I caught my limit of five trout. Until this trip, I had always used a spinning reel. Dad said it was time I learned how to fly fish. After he gave me a few basic lessons, I started catching trout on tiny jigs. A fly rod is more challenging to use than a spinning reel. It's a blast to catch trout with it! If you get tired of fishing, you can also check out the park's swimming pool or take a float trip down the Niangua River. This year we went to Roaring River, which is south of Cassville. So far, this is my favorite trout park because the scenery is very pretty, and also because of the big swimming pool. This park has a new lodge with nice rooms and a good restaurant. Before long, we found a nice area where my sister could play with Mom while Dad and I fished. This park was where I "skunked" my dad fishing three times in a row. If you visit Roaring River, you should check out the spring. It comes out of a small cave in the side of the hill and forms a large pool where you can see huge trout. They are fun to feed. They swam to the surface to eat the trout pellets my sister and I fed them. White suckers were also in the pool and skimmed the surface for food, too. Each of the four parks has a restaurant or lodge, a store and camping areas. Some have motel rooms and cabins. I like to camp in our tent, but Mom, Dad and my little sister prefer the lodge rooms or cabins. We always visit the park store to buy the daily fishing permits that we must have to fish in the park. The parks also have nature trails and nature programs. One of my favorite things to do is to visit the hatchery. Every park has a trout hatchery where you can see trout up close. I like to buy a handful of trout food and watch the fish compete for each pellet. Last winter, my dad and I took a fly tying class. I really enjoy making my flies and catching fish on them, but I still use my spinning reel for lures. Some of my favorite lures are white jigs, glow balls and small egg sacks, which I tie myself. One lure that always works is a white Roostertail. I always take a variety of lures, including several of each, in case I lose one. When fly fishing, I always use 2-pound test line and sometimes a small tippet of nylon thread or 6X monofilament. Also, I always use polarized sunglasses to help me see down into the water. If you visit a trout park, make sure you get up early and stake out a fishing spot before the siren sounds, because things can get pretty crowded. The siren tells you it is time to start fishing. All the parks have one. It also sounds off in the evening when it is time to stop fishing. If you have never tried trout fishing, I strongly recommend it. It's a lot of fun. My dad and I plan to start fishing the trout management streams next year. We'll probably start at the Eleven Point River. Maybe we'll see you there.