February is a popular time for Missouri trout fishing

Just going into February gets some anglers excited, including Jim Sullivan, who is a trout fisherman that has fished for rainbows in Missouri for more than 40 years.

"I found out several years ago that the time for catching big trout in Lake Taneycomo is February. One time, when the weather was like it has been this winter, we took a trip to Branson in February and fished Taneycomo and had very good results. I caught the largest fish of the year and have been coming back ever since and had the same results. I can't explain why, but I always catch my largest trout in February," Sullivan said.

With the traditional March 1 opening of the trout parks in Missouri approaching, many anglers are busy tying flies and getting their gear ready, but by that time, anglers like Sullivan have already taken lots of fish.

To many anglers, the trout is the king of sport fish and more and more anglers are after them. The importance of trout fishing in the state has grown dramatically over the past several years and places like Roaring River, Bennett Spring, Montauk, Meramec Springs, and Taneycomo attract trout anglers by the thousands, many for their first time.

Although the trout isn't native to the state, its popularity among anglers keeps growing and untold numbers of trout have been released by state and federal agencies into Missouri streams since the first release back in 1882 when 1,500 rainbows were put into the Spring River in southwest Missouri.

Besides the four trout parks and Taneycomo, there are some small streams and springs throughout the state where self-sustaining populations were established, but most of these populations are maintained by annual stocking.

Many trout anglers tie their own flies to catch trout, but there are a growing number of anglers who use bait and lures from worms to spoons. Trout will hit a lot of different kinds of bait.

A later addition to Missouri cold water trout fishing is the brown trout. This native of Europe was stocked in the Current and North Fork rivers in the 1960s, and was so successful that the stocking of browns was expanded to other streams and is sought after by more and more anglers who find catching a lunker brown a huge challenge.

As we inch closer to the opening of trout season in the trout parks, anglers like Robert Hughes are getting ready by tying their favorite flies. Hughes has opened the season in the trout parks for more than 30 years and the Colorado transplant said he enjoys Missouri trout fishing as much as he did fishing the popular trout streams in his home state.

"When I moved to Missouri, I thought I wouldn't be doing any trout fishing, but after a trip to Taneycomo and later to Bennett Spring, I found I didn't miss out a bit on trout fishing," he said.

Hughes went on to say, "There's something special about catching a fish on a fly you have tied. Although I use spinning gear a lot more than I used to, I still get out the flyrod and head to the stream on opening day with flies I have tied during the winter; and I still use the flyrod when fishing ponds for bass and bluegill."

Although fishing never stops in Missouri, March 1 is still the unofficial opening of fishing season and anglers are busy getting ready to catch the fish of a lifetime.

Outdoor notes: At the January meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission, the commissioners approved the purchase of a 189-acre addition to the Bushwhacker Conservation Area in Vernon County.

The commission also approved a special small game and fishing permit for National Guard serving on active duty.