The Missouri Department of Conservation and Department of Natural Resources will offer free fishing and other fun activities for kids ages 15 years and younger from 6:30 a.m. until 8:15 p.m on Saturday May 16 at Roaring River State Park, located on Highway 112 about seven miles south of Cassville.
Kids can get free trout tags at the hatchery office any time on the Friday before the event or all day on Saturday.
A portion of the fishing area of the park will be reserved for kids' fishing. Volunteers will be on hand to help out. Children are encouraged to bring their own fishing equipment. Parents are welcome to help kids, but only one pole may be used between the helper and the child and adults are not allowed to fish by themselves in the special area.
Free hot dogs, chips and soda will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Programs will be held throughout the day on fish cleaning, fish cooking, Dutch oven cooking, taxidermy, watersheds, knife sharpening, knot tying, fly tying and fly casting, how to fish Roaring River, stream biology and other subjects. Kids who attend three programs will be entered into a drawing for prizes at 5 p.m. Kids must be present to win. Seminars are open to all, but only kids may enter the drawings.
Hatchery tours will be held to show how trout are raised. A program on Missouri snakes will be given using live specimens. Activities such as critter stamp head bands will also be available. Bluegrass music will be onstage so bring lawn chairs.
Volunteers are needed and interested individuals do not need to be experienced anglers. To help out or for more information, call the Roaring River Hatchery at 417-847-2430 or email MDC Hatchery Manager Paul Spurgeon at [email protected].
Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish for more than one million anglers. Learn more about fishing in the Show-Me State at mdc.mo.gov/node/89.
Sports on 04/23/2015