6+ Years, Montauk This weekend

[jdmidwest]

My oldest grandson caught his first trout in Oct 2015 during a camping trip with my wife.  It was about 2 weeks before my Cancer diagnosed.  We had borrowed a pair of kids waders and he was using spinning gear.  Just a little feller of 6.  We raised him for the first few years as his Mom and Dad got their young lives together and figured things out.  He has been like my son.  We had not been back till now.

 

I had him this weekend.  We took out Saturday and spent the day exploring things in the cold windy day.  We did not fish, just touring and learning.  The mountains of the St Francois chain, the wilderness between Arcadia and Salem, the Huzzah hatchery ruins, and Montauk itself.  Spent the night at Rolla in a motel and enjoyed the Sirloin Stockade buffet.  Sunday morning, we hit Montauk below the place in the campground where he landed his first trout.  I bought him a little blue Cabelas starter rod a couple of years back and we have been out on ponds, lakes, and streams catching warmwater bream and bass.  This was his first trout trip with it.  He pulled this one out on a San Juan worm I tied.  Several more during the day and a chub.

 

 

During those 6 years, he has changed a little.  He wears my stuff now.  That is a pair of my waders and boots.  He can tye some flies.  He can kill a deer.  And I am back up to almost full strength to keep up with him.

It was a beautiful winter day in the park.  Over the two days, we learned again about the trout hatchery and the runs, the springs, the geology of the whole area.  We enjoyed the wildlife and the history of things.  And the experience of it all. 

 

[nomolites]

That is awesome, thanks for sharing!

Mike

[fshndoug]

way cool

 

 

[JestersHK]

Definitely awesome,  and glad you beat it,  and glad you're still around for him.  Thank you for sharing. 

[jdmidwest]

It was one of those weekends to remember.

Montauk is what it is, a trout park.  But for me, its the third place I ever caught a trout.

My best friend and old roommate from College introduced me to trout back in 1986 on an 11 Pt trip to Greer.  Not long after I hit Meramec and have been forever disappointed by it.  The  third trip was to Montauk and it became our rotation between 11 Pt and upper Current River.  Then one day, 11 Pt was blown out by high water and we tripped over to Spring River in Arkansas.  Arkansas license opened up Norfork and the White River.

I never like the crowds in the park and plan trips to avoid them.  The Park Staff have been nice and friendly always.  Its comfortable and in a good location.  You have the Upper Current River, many acres of wilderness to hunt, all of the little trout streams like the Little Piney, Mill Creek, Spring Creek, and not far Roubidoux.  You can be at Bennett in a hour.  Salem, Rolla, Licking, Houston, and the surrounding area have lots to do if fishing sucks.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Post of the year!   Thank you for sharing this.  He will never forget his Gramps.

[BilletHead]

                 Yea JD,

   From the minute I met you I knew I was in the company of good people. Blessed to call you, my friend.  Thanks for sharing with us. 

[Foghorn]

You'll probably never have a better day on any trout stream. Like the old "Mastercard" commercial "Priceless".

[jdmidwest]

17 minutes ago, Foghorn said:

You'll probably never have a better day on any trout stream. Like the old "Mastercard" commercial "Priceless".

I hope to have many more on the stream, I have 4 more to train now.  At the time, he was the only one.  Next one was born the day I found cancer again, he will be 5 this month.  Next two born on same day a 14 months later and will be 4 this April.  Then my little straggler that is 8 months old now.  I keep busy with them, they live close.

[Foghorn]

We had the youngest 4 grandkids in the C&R section at Roaring River  a year ago last October. They were ages 3-7 at the time. Not sure who had the best time-the kids or Susie and I. They fished a little, netted fish every chance they got and played in the stream. I apologized to a couple fishermen who came in above us as we took up a little more space on the stream than we should have. You'll have a blast especially with the oldest grandson being good enough to help with the little ones!