"It's a great day to be alive, I know the sun's still shining when I close my eyes" Travis Tritt sings in one of his new songs about the simple things of life which bring joy to our hearts. This song was running nonstop through my head as I looked around me while standing on the crowded levee between two trout nursery ponds watching the big rainbow trout being pulled from their cold water by a mass of happy children. I don't know of a place on earth where there was more pure fun and enjoyment going on than right here right now. I was at the Mammoth Spring State Fish Hatchery located just below Cold Springs Access on the Spring River.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission had opened up the State Fish Hatchery to the public with their annual Free Kids Fishing Derby. Kids 12 years old and under were being allowed to fish in the trout nusery ponds which were full of big trout. Ten-year-old Casey (son number 4 as he is often called) and I were there to join in the fun. Each child was required to have an adult to supervise their fishing and when they caught three fish, which they were allowed to keep, they were finished.until next year. By the looks of things, the adults were having as much fun as the kids. There were small kids in every direction, some with brightly colored flopping fish at their feet, some with rods bent under the strain of a powerful rainbow trout in swift water, some being assisted in an attempt to land a big fish. And there were the shouts of instruction and encouragement from the excited Dads, Moms, Granddads and Grandmothers who served as a cheering section, some with dip nets in their hands while waiting for the hooked fish to get close enough to land.
My thoughts were interrupted by Casey shouting "Dad! I've got a big one on!". I turned in time to see a giant rainbow trout make a powerful surge and break Casey's line. Casey almost never gets his line broke by a fish but this big rainbow hit his bait right at the bank amd surged into the swift current nearby before Casey had a chance react. Quickly tying another hook on Casey's line I could not believe the size of some of the trout being caught. I saw a number of rainbows which would exceed 4 pounds and a fish or two that I was sure would go over 5. Plus a good percentage of those being caught would weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.
Immediately after Casey's bait hit the water another big rainbow trout was on the line and I found myself sliding down the steep bank to the water's edge in an attempt to net a twenty-something inch fish with a net made for much smaller fish. With shouts of instructions coming from several bystanders cheering me on while I tried to not fall in the cold water while attempting to successfully scoop up Casey's fish which was quite reluctant to leave the safety of the frigid water, I had to laugh out loud. One of those rare, from-the-depths-of-the soul laughs which make you feel so good on the inside. In our fast paced society which is often filled with sorrow, heartache and pain, these laughs seem to not come often. But today they were heard in every direction, coming from young and old alike.
Casey caught his three fish so I took him to Wanda who was at the Linderman family reunion (where I was supposed to be, too) and picked up Sara Kate, our 5 year old. She said she wanted to catch a big fish, too. With Sara's fishing, things were a little different than with Casey. Sara is so small that the fish were almost dragging her off of the levee so, I incorporated a bystander to help hold her and her rod while I slid down the steep back to net the fish for her. Sara quickly caught her 3 fish and we went back to the family reunion. After hurriedly stuffing down some great tasting BBQ I talked my 23 year old daughter Krist Muston into going along with me while I took two more kids to join in on the fishing fun. I told Kristi that I didn't think she would pass for a 12 year old today so she would not be allowed to fish but Josh and Samantha Linderman could if they would allow "Uncle Tom" to tag along to assist them. They did allow me to accompany them and they also caught three fish apiece.
In all, there were 664 kids which participated in the Free Kids Fishing Derby at the Mammoth Spring State Fish Hatchery that year four years ago. This event is done in observance of the National Fishing Week and has continued over the years.
reprinted in part by permission, Paxton Media Group
