This Is the Place
The pristine beauty of Bennett Spring State Park (BSSP) makes it a haven for nature
lovers. The spring, which is the source of 100,000,000 gallons of fresh water per
day, is stocked daily with rainbow trout. Canoe and fishing tackle rental, angling lessons
and guide services are all available. And there is a very large variety of lodging
accommodations, from modern cabins with fireplaces to motels or duplexes.
Comfortable condos offer the conveniences of home. All have fully equipped kitchens,
heating, AC and Cable TV. Campsites ranging from primitive to those with full
electric, water and sewer hook-ups, are also popular choices. Meeting rooms, and
home cooked meals and buffets at the dining lodge make it a perfect place for family
reunions, business meetings or just a quiet meal. Weather permitting, a visit to the
trout hatchery is a must.
Dates: October 6th-14th
Contacts for lodging:
Bennett Spring State Park (417)532-4307 www.Bennettspringstatepark.com
Sandspring resort (417)532-5857
Larry's Cedar Resort (417)532-2356
BSSP has several campgrounds that will accomodate everyone
from the tent camper to RV's and motorhomes, call the park for
reservations.
Please call early for reservations because the first weekend
is the Columbus Day weekend and the campground will fill up
early, as will the hotels in the area.
There is also additional lodging in Lebanon, MO only 15 minutes
from the park, go to www.lebanonmo.org for more information.
Speakers:
Master fly caster, Jim Rogers, will be giving a casting
demonstration, after which he will answer questions, or
help anglers with their casting. He also offers more
one-on-one instruction for a small fee if anyone is interested.
Call the park for an appointment.
Jim has also offered us the use of his fly tying classrooms
after hours to tie flies and socialize provided our schedule d
oesn't conflict with his actual classes, which are open to
sign-up for anyone interested.
Charlie Reading, the world renouned rod builder, is also going
to be speaking on the subject of his choice. For anyone who's
visited his shop and spent any time with him then you already
know how passionate he is about all aspects of fly fishing,
so it should be a great evening. Charlie offers rod building
classes several times a year. If you'd be interested in learning
to build a rod from one of the best, then give him a call at
(417)588-4334 to see about dates and openings.
Dining:
There is a dining lodge at the park just behind the store that is
open until 8:00 pm. Sandspring Resort also has a restaurant,
as well as the dining oportunities offered in Lebanon.
Cookouts:
Saturday the 13th of October will be the official FAOL Fish-In
cookout. It will be a bring your own/cook your own event.
Paper plates, silverware, cups, napkins, and condiments will
be provided. For those interested, I'm planning on cooking
out on a daily basis at the grill closest to the spring. I'll
be starting the charcoal at about noon each day, so plan accordingly.
It will be a bring your own/cook your own cookout as well.
Events:
There is a fishing derby to raise money for the American Cancer
Foundation. It is free to enter, but donations are appreciated.
1,500 trout will be tagged and then on Sunday afternoon the prizes
will be awarded for the fishermen who have turned in a tag. While
talking to Jim Rogers he said that they have several thousand
dollars worth of donated prizes that are given away each year
at the derby. It would be a worth cause to support, but you
have to sign up BEFORE you catch a fish with a tag.
Fishing:
To fish at the park you only have to have a valid MO fishing
license. There is a daily tag that you will have to purchase
for $3.00 at the park store. There is a whistle that blows to
signal the start of fishing in the morning and then again in
the evening to signal the end of fishing.
If you'd like to fish the Niangua River then you'll need a trout
stamp in addition to your valid MO fishing license.
Canoeing/Kayaking:
The Niangua River is one of the most popular rivers in MO for
canoeing and kayaking and there are dozens of outfitters in
the area that offer canoe/kayak trips. You can bring your
own or rent one. Check with the park for suggested outfitters.
***Please, if you can, give me confirmation dates as to
when you plan on attending so I can get the dates for the speakers
set. I would like to have them on days when there are as many of
us able to attend as possible. Unfortunately it will probably be
sometime during the week because of their busy weekend schedules.
You can contact me via pm (Thunderthumbs). I look forward to meeting
everyone able to attend. ~ Hugo Gibson (Thunderthumbs)
If you do plan on making it to the Missouri 2007, drop us an
email
publisher@flyanglersonline.com and we'll put your name on
the I'm Going List! Please designate MIISSOURI Fish-In. ~ LadyFisher
I'M GOING LIST!
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