EARLY LICENSE PURCHASE RECOMMENDED FOR TROUT

JEFFERSON CITY -- Lines are a constant on opening day at Missouri's four trout parks. Thousands of anglers line up to catch tens of thousands of fish. Before that, they line up to buy fishing permits. But anglers who hope to be stream-side when sirens announce the start of the 1996 trout fishing season should be forewarned -- buy your fishing permits now.

As usual, there will be plenty of fish to catch. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) plans to stock about 30,000 trout for opening day at Montauk, Bennett Spring and Roaring River State Parks and at Maramec Spring Park. However, this year's season opener coincides with the beginning of Missouri's new hunting and fishing permit year, running from March 1, 1996, through Feb. 28, 1997. The 1996 permits have been available since Feb. 1 and will be required beginning March 1.

Changes in the permit system and permit year could lead to frustration among anglers who wait until opening morning to buy fishing permits.

Anglers age 16 to 65 need both fishing permits and daily trout tags to fish at trout parks. Trout tags are sold only at the parks. Anglers who arrive Feb. 29 can buy their tags ahead of time, but many don't arrive until opening day and end up standing in line for tags. Fishing permits are available statewide, so it easy to buy them ahead of time. MDC service centers, nature centers and hundreds of private vendors already are issuing fishing and other permits through the new, "point-of-sale" system.

"This system will make buying permits easier in the long run," says MDC Fiscal Division Chief Aaron Chapman. "But the computerized method of issuing permits requires time to enter information the first time people buy permits. It's very quick for people who have already bought Conservation Heritage Cards, but slow for those not already in the system."

MDC supplies trout for all four trout parks. Most of the fish are 10 to 14 inches long. Hatchery managers at each park decide how many trout to release on opening day based on past angler attendance and the expected effects of weather on turn-out.

The MDC hatchery at Bennett Spring State Park west of Lebanon expects to stock 7,000 to 10,000 rainbow trout and about 50 "lunker" trout ranging from 3 to 8 pounds. Montauk State Park southeast of Licking will get about 9,600 brown and rainbow trout, plus 100 or so lunkers. At Maramec Spring Park southeast of St. James, MDC expects to release 7,500 rainbow trout and 50 lunkers for opening day.