Summer on the White River - A Farewell to the Ozarks

Before we left St. Louis for good, we decided to do one last White River fishing trip with Rising River Guides. I also finally took the plunge and ordered my dream camera - a 1994 Leica M6 so this was the perfect chance to break it in (before I realized it was broken and had to return it, more on that later).

We got out of town on Saturday evening and headed for Cotter, but first we had to stop at the Uranus Fudge Factory. I’ve passed the little roadside tourist trap approximately twenty times and every single time I think “shit, I’ve gotta stop there” and never do. So it was one of the last things on my Missouri bucket list before we left.

It was the one roadside tourist trap that has ever gotten me, and I regret nothing. I strongly recommend stopping in Uranus and grabbing some candy by the pound, a catchy t-shirt, some fudge, a copy of the Uranus Examiner, and having a light chuckle every time someone walks in and the employees scream “Welcome to Uranus!” (And yes, the local putt putt golf place was actually called Putt Pirates.)

Every drive to Cotter for a fishing weekend starts with a stop at Rapps Barren Brewing Co in Mountain Home and a walk around the town square. Home of the Wooly Bugger Wit (my personal favorite of their beers) and the best jumbo soft pretzels with beer cheese, and a surprisingly great Poke Bowl. From there, every fishing trip is about the same. Over to the Cotter Trout Lodge for a quick sleep in rooms full of kitschy fishing themed decor, up for early breakfast at the White Sands Cafe, a stop by the Natural State Fly shop for any last minute fishing needs, and then down to the boat launch.

As per usual, there was no shortage of fish to be caught. We endured some heavy mid morning storms but it paid off once the sun came out and Chris caught his first big brown. I pulled my first White River Cutthroat and we both had a healthy bunch of smaller browns and tons of rainbows. Successful last weekend in the Ozarks followed by a long drive home and a pint of ice cream.