Wednesday, September 26, 2012

I am remiss!

I haven't been posting because I've been in the field doing!  Squirrel hunting for the first time, alligator hunting for the first time, staying in Branson for the first time.  While staying in Branson might seem a bit out of the norm for someone that enjoys the outdoors because the first thing that comes to mind is the 'strip' and all the shows, I never set foot on the strip.  There was no time because I was exploring the outdoors in the Ozarks!
There is never a need to visit the strip while staying in the greater Branson area.  I was lucky enough to stay at Chateau on the Lake, which is set above the picturesque Table Rock Lake.  The Chateau boasts it's own marina in addition to all the standard fair of a luxury resort.  Not bad for a bunch of outdoor writers.
Guests at the Chateau don't have to go far to find a guide either! Of course they can arrange that for you at the marina or if you'd rather parasail-they've got that too.  Not what I was expecting.  However, I decided to go a little further afield in my adventures.  Someone mentioned trout fishing and my head was swimming with visions of those fresh water fish of my childhood.  I was in for a little canoe fishing  thanks to NuCanoe and Hobie.


We winded our way from the Chateau on the Lake over to Lilleys' Landing on Lake Taneycomo.  Lake Taneycomo is stocked with Rainbow trout with a large trophy only section. We were fishing in an area that we could keep a limit, which we needed for the Coleman Cooking Challenge back at the Chateau on the Lake later that day. Taking a Nucanoe built for two out we casted and slow retrieved the local little secret weapon for trout.
It was a beautiful morning, slightly crisp but still warm enough to be comfortable.  In no time the technique paid off and we boated some beautiful Lake Taneycomo Trout.
The Nucanoe was ideal for expreincing the beauty of the Ozarks.  No need to for the buzz of trolling motors, just the idyllic lap of water on the side of the Nucanoe.  I wish I had more time to just cast and enjoy the bounty but we were on a tight schedule when we had boated a limit thanks in no small part to the other outdoor writer's helping out we headed back to the Chateau on the Lake for the Coleman Cooking Challenge. The fresh caught trout would be our main course in our Ozark themed challenge.
Find out more about the other items I harvested by picking up the October edition of the Indiana Outdoor News.  I will not only be sharing that story but posting some of my own original recipes here in upcoming weeks.