I was in Air Force Basic way back in 1960 when I read in the San Antonio paper about Texans trout fishing in Arkansas at a place called Gastin’s Resort on the White River. We had bought a place in Arkansas and planned to move there. So I stored that away and as my finances grew some in 1976, Pat and I went over there to stay at Stetson’s Resort. I recall having a good time and catching fish, however, Pat is not a boat person.
I also met Tommy Due, a fish guide, who talked Pat into fishing in a johnboat. He was the only guy she ever fished in a boat with.
We have always fished several times a year over the years and Pat has a 12-pound and 10-pound German Brown Trout mounted on the wall. She caught and fought them for a long time. While fishing with Tommy, I caught an 18-pound and 18 1/2-pound trout that are also on our wall.
My daughter, Ron and her husband are both trout fishermen. So we planned this past weekend for some time to fish. The boat was a used fiberglass one made in Yellville, Ark., by Shawnee. The Yamaha 10 horsepower has started every time.
Saturday afternoon we got on the river and the gas line to the motor split – they were running lots of water, but we managed with two paddles to get it back to the landing. That was work. I sat in the boat while they went to Wallie World in Flippin, Ark., to get a replacement line. That store had none but there were six at the Mountain Home, Ark., store. At 6 p.m. we ran over there and found they only had two left. It must have been a good day to buy a gas line. We got it and were ready to fish Sunday morning. Low and behold at 6:30 we drove a quarter mile down the river and the engine shut off, the water pump went out. We really paddled this time.
We got to Bull Shoals Boat Dock and they agreed to fix it in two hours. We fished off the bank at the White Hole, caught three fish in three hours – slow fishing. They called with the boat fixed. Then we went back across to the far side of the river and caught our limit in two hours. Good day after all.
Monday was cool. This time we put in at Wildcat Landing, slipped down to the shoals, found some schools of fish, got anchored and my daughter went to catching fish, nice fat stockers using fish bait that comes in a jar.
Wolf and I used Canadian night crawlers. We got a few bites but no fish. Now fishing for big browns is much slower fishing. But both of us wanted to hook a great fish. There is a big thrill, to hook a large brown trout on 6-pound line with a good drag. Don’t tighten it when you have one caught and you’re fighting him. I have actually seen men do that and lose a whopper.
Her luck was holding great. She went to fishing with a night crawler and bang she had one. Reels squealing as she’s really cranking and getting all kinds of advice from the pros with her. We netted him. He was 19 inches long. We took lots of pictures and then gently put him back for others to have as thrilling of a climax as she did.
God bless you, Dusty.
Western novelist Dusty Richards and his wife Pat live on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. For more information about his books you can email Dusty by visiting ozarksfn.com and clicking on ‘Contact Us’ or call 1-866-532-1960.
