By Mark Zurbrick
Special to GUIDON

Youngsters from 2 to 15 years old pitted their fishing skills against more than 800 wily rainbow trout, Saturday, during the 10th annual Kids’ Trout Fishing Derby, held at Stone Mill Spring Recreation Area located on the Mark Twain National Forest adjacent to Fort Leonard Wood.

Unlike the previous year’s trout derby, which was cut short due to freezing temperatures and a half-foot of snow, this year’s participants were greeted by plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the 40s.

Kids and their accompanying parents and guardians began arriving at the spring branch via the Outdoor Adventure Center’s blue shuttle bus beginning around 9 a.m.. For the next two hours, hundreds of young anglers registered for the derby. At the registration table, every child was issued a fishing tag that was redeemable for randomly selected prizes. Children who had never trout fished before were also given a free bag of “how-to-fish” pamphlets and tackle, provided by the event organizers and local businesses.

A siren wailed at 11 a.m., and the air was suddenly filled with a glistening web of fishing lines. The “child versus fish” battle had begun. Within seconds, fishing poles began to jerk and bend, the previously calm waters roiled, and all up and down the stream kids started laughing and giggling, while parents offered words of instruction and encouragement.

When the derby ended three hours later, 295 young anglers left the spring branch with more than 420 trout on stringers, in buckets or bags. Nearly a quarter of the children managed to catch a limit of four trout during the event.

In addition to the conquered fish, nearly all the children left the recreation area with smiles on their faces and happy memories in their heads. They also left the event with armloads of prizes and gifts. 

The day before the event, 18 trout were specially marked with a yellow tag. The next day, seven boys and girls traded a yellow tag for several hundred dollars worth of tents, fishing outfits, rafts, skateboards and helmets, and gift cards. In addition to the tagged fish prizes, every participant was offered a door prize, such as fishing tackle, camping gear, sporting goods, snacks and treats, and other fun stuff.

The four main sponsors of the derby, the Missouri Department of Conservation, U.S. Forest Service, and Fort Leonard Wood’s Outdoor Adventure Center and Natural Resource Branch were assisted by several local businesses, such as Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Executive Reality, the Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and Bass Pro Shops, which donated  more than $2,000 in food, gifts and prizes. 

Of all the sponsors and donors that helped to make this event a success, the 20 Airmen from the 366th Training Squadron, Air Force Detachment 7, stood out as an example of selfless service to the community. This marked the seventh year that Air Force folks have helped create fishing memories for our local kids.

The Outdoor Adventure Center and Natural Resources Branch is already planning for the next kid’s fishing event. This event will feature a pond full of fat catfish along with the same fun food and great gifts that kids enjoyed, Saturday. Mark June 5 on your calendar.

(Editor’s note: Zurbrick writes for the Fort Leonard Wood Natural Resources Branch.)

 

See more images from the Kid's Trout Fishing Derby in our online photo gallery.