Bois D’Arc woman nets gold in trout slam

By: 
Steve Chapman

Amanda Miller shows off her catch. An avid fisherwoman, Miller is the first and, so far, only woman to
achieve the Gold level of the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam. (Photo submitted)

Miller, first woman to complete Missouri Conservation’s Blue Ribbon Trout Slam
 
While Olympic hopefuls are vying for gold medals in Tokyo, a Bois D’Arc resident recently won some
gold of her own. Amanda Miller is the first, and thus far only, woman to achieve the gold level in the
Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Blue Ribbon Trout Slam. Andrew Branson, a fisheries
program specialist with the MDC, confirmed Miller’s status as the only woman to achieve gold in the trout
slam.
The Blue Ribbon Trout Slam is the MDC’s fishing challenge where anglers attempt to catch a trout in
each of Missouri’s nine blue-ribbon trout areas where the fish reproduce naturally. There are three levels
of achievement: Bronze for catching trout in five of the areas, Silver for catching trout in seven of them,
and Gold for catching trout in all nine. Miller achieved the gold level on Saturday, July 10.
Trout slam took five months to complete
Miller said she decided to take part in the trout slam to expand her fishing skills; her husband, Chris, who
introduced her to trout fishing, took part in the challenge along with her.
“My husband and I had read about the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam online,” she said. “We joined the
Facebook page dedicated to the slam. As I was new to fishing, most of my catches had been at trout
parks: Roaring River, Bennett Springs, Montauk and Taneycomo. I wanted to expand my skills and learn
to catch wild fish.”
It took Miller five months of trying to catch a trout in all nine blue-ribbon areas. Her first trip was to the
Current River in Dent County.
“In late February, for my husband's birthday, we took a week of vacation,” she said. “Our first stop was
the current river. At this point in my mind, we were just fishing on vacation and enjoying a beautiful new
spot. This was a great day. I would love to say I caught a huge brown trout. I did get to catch a brown
trout. It wasn't huge but it was a huge deal to me.”
Miller and her husband continued fishing at other blue ribbon trout areas during their holiday. On day four
of their vacation, they went to three different trout areas and caught fish in each one, putting them at
Bronze status.
“It was at this point I realized that I could actually attempt and possibly accomplish the slam,” she said.
Miller visited the remaining four trout areas in June and July to complete the slam. However, she said, it
wasn’t easy.
“We fished a lot of the time in between these catches,” she said, “and some rivers would have had earlier
dates, but there were days I got skunked and had to revisit several rivers multiple times.”
Husband helped Miller go for the gold
Miller did not reach gold status alone; Chris also made the list of anglers who reached the trout slam’s
Gold level. Miller credited her success to him.
“He was able to catch a trout at every river on his first time on every river,” she said. “He is such a fishy
guy that he usually had his fish within the first couple minutes at every place. I cannot stress enough that
my accomplishment would not have happened without his help.”
Beyond achieving Gold status, Miller said there were some intangible rewards to completing the slam.
“Discovering new places in my home state was a huge reward in itself,” she said, “but the feeling of
accomplishment was probably the best. I can now say without hesitation that I am a trout fisherman.”
Miller hopes more women will take part in trout slam
While Miller said she was gratified to be the first woman to achieve the trout slam’s Gold level, she feels
disheartened that there aren’t more women involved.
“This list should be loaded with women,” she said. “I hope my name on the list will inspire other women
to get out there and get fishing. I would fully offer any advice and encouragement to anyone wanting to
try out the sport.”
Advice for those who want to take part in trout slam
Miller suggested that those who want to participate in the slam learn as much as possible about trout
fishing.
“I encourage you to join your local clubs,” she said. I am a member of the Southwest Missouri Fly Fishing
club. This club is an amazing resource for anyone interested in fishing. People in the club just want to
help others. Many are willing to let you use their gear and will even take you out to some of their favorite
spots. If there are no local clubs, Facebook is also a wealth of information and can easily turn a stranger
on the water into an instant friend.”
While trout fight hard when hooked, they are also delicate fish, and for that reason, Miller said anglers
should take steps to keep the fish healthy and their habitats clean.
“These blue-ribbon streams are fragile and need conservation for our future generations,” she said. “Go
barbless, (and practice) catch and release. (Leave) no trace ... behind and fill up your net on the way out
with trash.”
More info
For more information on the Blue Ribbon Trout Slam, go online to www.mdc.mo.gov/fishing. At the
bottom of the page, click on “Trophies and Certificates,” and then click on the “Blue Ribbon Trout Slam”
link.
 

Category:

Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

Facebook

Please Login for Premium Content