My family and I recently spent a weekend get-away in Bennett Springs, MO. It’s a beautiful state park along the Niangua River near Lebanon in central Missouri. The cool, clear water of the river has become a home-away-from-home for many avid fly fishermen and women. We had given the gift of fly fishing lessons to my dad for Father’s Day, and he was anxious to try this new sport. The rest of the family just wanted to enjoy the perfect autumn weather.

We started the weekend by floating down the Niangua River. The water was cold! The air was chilly, too, when we started our seven-mile float, but had warmed considerably by the time we docked four and a half hours later. We enjoyed the quiet day by taking in the fall foliage, marveling at the steep canyons, stopping along the river bank to eat a picnic lunch, and watching the trout swim upstream in the river.

We spent the next day fishing at Bennett Springs. We were amazed at all of the people, dressed in waders, standing in the chilly river already at 7 a.m. Sirens blew at 7:30, indicating they could all start casting their lines. Fly fishing is a fascinating and romantic sport to watch. The lines float so gracefully through the air before gently landing the fly on the top of the water to entice the trout. It was a perfect ending to our weekend spent along the quiet Niangua River.