In Hot Pursuit Of The Elusive Rainbow Trout!

Had an interesting outing this past Tuesday. Went to Montauk State Park and got into hot pursuit of some Montauk Rainbow trout. I always seem to find a day here and there to go trout fishing and since this trout stream is fairly close to my residence , why not?

I grabbed my ultra light my fishing liscence and rain gear, since it was drizzling rain at a pretty good pace when I left the house. It's about a 30 minute drive and all the way I was in anticipation of the event about to unfold. Now when I go fishing I am not a crowd person, so thats the only part of the trip that is dreaded. I go fishing to get away from things and enjoy the peace and quiet and just the sounds of nature.

Since I fish at Montauk several times a year I have gotten use to the crowd thing , but I usually avoid the shoulder to shoulder event of the opening day of trout season at the park. It of course is an annual thing and highly publicized by the local media in the surrounding communities.

I arrived at the lodge at 5:30 and purchase my daily trout stamp and then proceeded to my favorite honey hole , where the privacy I desire and cherish is accessible. I proceed to tie a #20 treble hook and a split shot on my 2 lb test line, which even with glasses is a tough job. After about 15 minutes and 20 stabs the chore was accomplished , accompanied with a few choice words, which we won't dare repeat in case some of the ladies or kids are reading this article. The next 15 minutes proceeded to last about an hour as I truely believe that the park employee that mans the horn switch waits an extra 5 or 10 minutes just to watch the reaction of the already impatient fishermen.

Finally the horn blasts for about 15 seconds and everyone is casting on cue. Now where my honey hole is there is usually hardly anyone but me, as I can always manage to find my privacy which I cherish. So usually the closest fisherman is 2 or 3 hundred yards from me, but as we all know sound travels on the water. It sounds like a hundred pebbles hittin the water at the same time. I am a little slower now and I make that first cast of the day. I flip the bail on my ultra light and draw back and make that first catch and.......wind up about 15 ft in the air and over a limb. Now my velveta and split shot wrap around this limb at least ten times and the hook buries deep in to the limb.

What a pleasant beginning! At this point I realize I have to break off and start all over again , so half aggravated and mad, I give a big yank...Now mind you it has been raining.....when I give a big yank I lose my footing on the mud bank. Now I am on my rear end sliding down the bank and into the drink...SPLASH! Have you ever had one of them days? Remember Murphy's law? Now I am soaked from my neck down, my boots are full of water that is about 58 degrees , my bill fold is wet, so I stand up and start up the bank. Now water is running everywhere and I am trying to climb this muddy bank ...I think you get the rest of this picture . Ten minutes later I am sitting down trying to tie on again, which I might add I manage with one stab this time maybe my luck has changed? So I decide to smoke a cigarette and try to regain my composure, and I get out a cigarette which somehow I managed to keep dry and pulled out my zippo and of course , when I opened the lid water ran out.

Now an older fellow had been walking down the trail by my honey hole and timed this amusing event to a perfection and he stepped out of the brush and asked me if I needed a light and then proceed to chuckle and let me know that he had observed the whole thing and found it to be quite amusing. We both laughed and after we talked a bit and smoked our cigarettes I invited him to join me. We both cast at the same time and almost immediately we both got bit and the fight was on for us both.I had a net and he didn't so I helped him land his fish and then he returned the gesture and netted my fish for me. His weight about 2 lbs and mine weighed about 5 1/2 lbs which put me on the lunker board at the lodge.

We enjoyed each others conversation and I believe he could tell bigger fishing lies than me, but we both ended up catching our 4 apiece daily limit. And decided to go to the lodge and ice down the trout and get some breakfast at the lodge cafe. We had some hot coffee and all you could eat breakfast buffet and we visited and continued to see who could out lie the other. I finally started to dry out pretty good even tho my shoes were still slushing, I managed to warm up and over come the chills that I had acquired during my early morning swim in the spring fed creek.

We shook hands and departed our separate ways , him back to his cabin to rest up for the next day and me back to the house a 30 minute drive and a good heater in my blazer got my shoes dry before I got home. Which meant that I didn't have to tell my wife about the ordeal at the swimming , I mean fishing hole. I didn't have to but I did. Needless to say she found it to be rather amusing too. I don't get it, It didn't seem all that funny to me. But as I write this article I have to admit, I had to chuckle a time or two as I transfered this from memory to paper.

Some of the things a man has to endure to go fishing , but in the long run , thats what makes those memories hard to forget , and it all seems worth it then. I hope you enjoyed this rather embarrassing story , but I guess I can take it with a grain of salt. When I cooked up those trout It all seemed worth it then. Until next time , keep your hooks wet , your clothes dry, and enjoy the "Great Outdoors"



!Montauk State Park is located 22 miles south west of Salem Missouri or 12 miles southeast of Licking Missouri on Highway 119.

From Salem: Highway 32 west approximately 11 miles to Highway 119. Highway 119 south approximately 11 miles to Montauk State Park.

From Licking: Highway 137 south approximately 3 miles to Highway VV. Highway VV east approximately 9 miles to Highway 119. Highway 119 south 1 mile to Montauk State Park. See you down there!

Montauk State Park link!