Branson Day 5: Go Fish

I got up reasonably early and decided that I would go fishing somewhere. I ended up driving about an hour and twenty minutes over to Roaring River State Park. This is one of Missouri's four "trout parks" where they put fish in the stream and the fishermen take them out...a put-and-take fishing operation is usually for people who want to catch fish for eating. They always have an area set aside for catch and release fisherman where the fish are usually bigger and are survivors so they are a little harder to catch and fisherman can't keep the fish but have to release them unharmed back into the water. That's the kind of fishing I usually do for a couple reasons that I won't go into.

The last time I was at Roaring River State Park was about 1978. Joanne and I, along with our dog, Oliver, were on our way to Eureka Springs and we stopped just to look around. I never had a chance to fish this park so this was a first for me. The drive from Branson was OK and I was there by about 9 AM (very late for trout fishing, actually) and got my tag so I could fish legally. Trout parks are often crowded with people standing close to each other and flailing the water and tangling lines. The catch and release water is very uncrowded and today there was only one fisherman on the water besides me. That's great -- there were plenty of fish active in the water. I fished for about 45 minutes and had some good strikes but didn't land any fish. That's when the swimmers started to appear looking for a good swimming hole. It was about 95 degrees so I don't blame them, I was wading and pretty much in the shade so I was doing OK. Pretty soon they were lusting after my fishing spot. I was able to protect my territory for an hour or so but I could tell that this was going to be a losing battle.   

My area started shrinking and I moved a few yards downstream. I figured before long I'd be trying to fish between pods of six-year-olds in water wings. Surprisingly the fish didn't seem to be alarmed...even when the bathers started lobbing rocks into the water where I was fishing. I pretended not to notice and (for shame!) I was getting some evil enjoyment out of the situation.

Eventually I decided it was time for lunch and surrendered my spot.  I ate a ham sandwich and relaxed in the shade at a picnic table for a while trying to decide what to do.  By noon the other fishing areas are often less crowded so I headed there and found a nice spot with only about three or four other fishermen in the area. It was shady but still hot...my car told me it was 104 degrees on the parking lot. I fished for a few minutes -- trying a few different fly patterns as usual. Nobody was catching anything but the fish were visible and active. Finally I caught a Rainbow on a "Hare's Ear Beadhead" that I suspended about eleven inches from a strike indicator float. That first fish broke loose and got away but I soon landed another one so I figured "what the hell...it's supper".

So I was done fishing for the day and was now thinking about cooking. But I needed to get home and keep the fish cold...now properly cleaned. They think of everything at the little park store...so I got some ice and was on my way home trying to concoct a menu for supper. 

Well, the fish was caught at 2 PM and was in the pan a little after 4 PM.  That might be my personal best. I sauteed it in butter with leeks and some white wine. I chopped up an apple and sauteed it in butter with some more of that white wine and a little bit of sugar. It all was done in about ten minutes. I drizzled the surplus buttery apple/wine sauce over the fish and leeks. I had a glass of wine and some Pringles (hey...I only have a partial kitchen -- pretend those are scalloped potatoes). It was all very good but gone too soon.

Supper's over. The night was still young. What to do? What to do?

By now my personal walking recreation has been to go to the nearby mall -- Branson Landing -- and just walk. That usually leads to a couple beers but who's counting. Anyway...I'm usually there in the heat of the afternoon so I decided to go in the evening.

Seems like everyone has the same idea and the place has become the Branson version of Corso Vannucci in Perugia where everyone comes out and strolls the Corso in the evening, meeting and greeting, stopping for an ice cream or dessert or a drink...very European...except (insert head-slap here) this is Branson. Okay...if you hold your head at a little angle and squint...and try to ignore the lakefront fountain that is shooting water jets and plumes of fire into the air...you can keep the illusion for a minute or two before  someone walks by in an ill-fitting halter top and shorts that are way too small and flip-flops and has a mouth like a sailor. That pretty much ended it for me. So I headed back home for the evening.