The 41st annual Rose Holland Trout Derby was held at Montauk State Park on October 2 and 3. The event raised $9,466.85 for the American Heart Association, surpassing last year's total of $8,967.
     Roosevelt Holland was hatchery superintendent at Montauk for almost 24 years. After his death from a heart attack in 1963, journalist Charles O. Stewart and some of Holland's fishing friends formed a committee and organized the annual derby held the first weekend in October. The derby was first held in 1964. $389 was raised that year and there were about 200 participants. Over 1,000 fishermen participated in this year's event with 1607 registrations sold. Registrations included one ticket for the attendance prizes. People were able to get 6 tickets for $10, so the number of registrations was not the same as the number of participants.
     Prizes, donated by businesses and individuals, were awarded for men's heaviest fish, women's heaviest fish, kids heaviest stringer (up to five fish), and heaviest brown trout. There were also prizes awarded to contestants who caught tagged fish. There were one hundred tagged fish. 55 tagged fished were turned in.
     The Slippery Liz 1 award, given to the person with the first tag number drawn, was won by Janet Goeller of Jefferson City, MO.
     The Slippery Liz 2, the men's heaviest fish award, went to Doyle Hood of Licking, MO.  His rainbow trout weighed 9 pounds and 4 ounces.
     The women's heaviest fish was a 3 pound, 9 ounce rainbow caught by Deborah Moreland of Salem, MO. Second place in the women's division went to Jana Wakeman of St. Charles, MO with a 1 pound 8 ounce trout.
     The heaviest brown trout was caught by Shawn Petty of Farmington, MO.  It weighed 1 pound and 6 ounces.
     Justin Hanger of Salem, MO, last year's second place winner in the kids division, and Chase Rutledge of Birch Tree, MO tied for first place in the kids heaviest stringer category with 5 pound, 4 ounce stringers. Second place went to Mike Luetkemeyer of St. Louis, MO with a 4 pound 14 ounce stringer. Briley Jones of Bismark, MO took third with a stringer weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces. Fourth place went to Clayton Kolkmeier. His stringer of 5 fish weighed 4 pounds 10 ounces.
     25 Lunkers, fish over 3 pounds, were caught during the weekend derby.
     Trout season at Montauk ends October 31st.  The Rose Holland Derby is the last big event of the season and for many fishermen, the last time they will fish for trout until next season opens March 1st.

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