At Gasconade Hills

Owners- Bob & Pat Sutcliffe

A beautiful sunny day greeted us last summer as my right-hand man Fred Burgess & I made a visit to GASCONADE HILLS, located south of Richland and scenically situated on the banks of the unbelievable Gasconade River.
To say I was excited about the days’ prospects would be putting it mildly. You see, it’s been fifteen years since I had set my butt in a canoe. Yep. When I mentioned this fact to Gasconade Hills owner Bob Sutcliffe as we prepared to head to the river, he said “Better not let your advertisers know that!”
Well now they do, but that’s okay. You see, I’ve made atonement. I have floated, and it was good. Boy, was it good!
I’ve never been to the Gasconade River before, a shameful fact that borders on a sin, especially for a Missouri boy, born and bred. But I’ll be back, and I knew that before we ever pushed the canoe off into the clear water. Man, what a sight. Faster-flowing than what I expected, the waters rushed thru lush weed beds and pinched against a rock bluff who’s face was dotted with lay-down trees that almost shouted BASS! to me.
The current seemed quick because the stream fishing I’ve done of late has been on very small, almost no-name cricks. But it was very manageable, even to a rusty canoe paddler. This was big water to me even though we were on about the seventy-two mile mark of what is over one-hundred and twenty miles of river.
The first strikes from hungry fish came pretty quickly, including a keeper smallmouth caught on a Jitterbug. A couple of fat Goggle Eye followed, and we were at home. Every pool looked better than the one before it, and Fred and I got out of the canoe several times to sample a particularly good-lookin’ stretch of water.
And folks, this is healthy water. Mussel shells littered the gravel bars where raccoons have enjoyed a little midnight snack. The clear waters were filled with various species of minnows, and the river supports a multitude of fish species. The lack of trash on the river banks gives great credit to the efforts of floaters and outfitters. We managed to fill one of the bags provided as part of the Clean Stream Team efforts, but almost all of the trash we accumulated came from the take-out point where it was obvious that folks with little mental capacity tend to gather.
Nesting wood ducks voiced their indignation, and flew into overhead trees to scold us and watch as we passed. And except for their whistles, the sound of rippling current, and the occasional throaty croak of a bull frog, we were surround by silence. Oh, you could hear the interstate at our take-out point some four miles down river for the first mile or so, but even that faded away as we were surrounded by scenic bluffs. One time we heard the voices of some folks above us, probably getting ready to work some hay in the river bottom fields. And a church group composed of ten canoes passed us by around mid-morning. We visited with them briefly, and answered their curious questions about the fishing. They seemed incredulous that there were even fish to be had in the river. It struck me as very strange how different people’s priorities can be. These folks were having a great time trying to navigate their way down stream, enjoying companionship in a beautiful setting. But I can’t help but think that Fred and I were getting more from the experience. After they passed, and the river quieted again, I was almost sure of it. After the next vicious strike from a keeper bass, I WAS sure of it!
Several times we made the comment on how perfect this day was, and how fortunate we were to be here.
The Gasconade is just one of the great float streams we are blessed with in this state, and it’s one of the largest rivers in Missouri. Downstream it turns into a more typical river as it widens and deepens, and although it’s a wonderful stream throughout its length, it’s the upper one-half to one-third that captures my fancy. Gasconade Hills is situated at a perfect spot for anglers, as they can sample a little of everything the river has to offer from shallow riffles and back-water sloughs to deep pools that are full of fish-holding cover.
Of course not everyone likes to fish. Gasconade Hills offers lots of activities that cater to families (including a heat-soothing swimming pool) and a great campground, but it always comes back to the river.
Since I hadn’t been on a float for some time, I thought I made a pretty good Guinea Pig for an article. I did okay for the most part at getting my supplies down. I packed sunscreen, food, drinks, fishin’ tackle, sunglasses, food, a camera, Fred and food.
The camera is a must, although I spent so much time fishing that it didn’t get unlimbered much. Pack one with you, and keep it sealed in a couple of zip-lock bags just in case. Cold drinks are important, as the heat of a summer day can really take it out of you, and you won’t notice it because of the relative coolness of the waters. Sunscreen goes without saying, as does food. Did I mention that you need to pack a snack, or two?
Since we spent a lot of time fishin’, and we were unfamiliar with the river, I wished that I had packed a hand-held GPS to track our progress. Due to time constraints, we were limited to about a half-day to float the four miles, and that’s not long enough, at least the way we fished. Late morning found us probably not a third of the way downstream, so we had to hurry to make it to the take out on time. This is also an important issue that many folks miss on- these outfitters depend on folks to be on time to prevent wasted trips, and Fred and I understood and appreciated that. And during our rapid progress down stream we passed the most superb smallmouth bass waters I have ever seen, including the confluence of the Osage Fork with the Gasconade. We were told that a twenty-three inch smallmouth was caught here the week before, and this is true trophy water. Numerous big bass sped away as we passed. Next time, I’m gonna take a lot longer to float this stretch, like maybe a couple of days?
Another important part of a float trip, and one that Bob and wife Pat stress, is to contact your outfitter before you come down, or more importantly before you decide not to come down for a float. Float conditions on Missouri streams are often drastically misstated in the big-city news, and folks take it as Gospel. The Sutcliffes say that they constantly hear that the Gasconade is unfloatable, when that is simply not true. So, before you decide on your next float, call your outfitter ahead of time. They’ll shoot straight with you.
And finally, the neatest thing about a trip like this is its affordability. Being located very close to the middle of the state makes for an easy drive. Fred and my combined expenses for a float like this including food, gas and canoe rental for a day’s trip would not top sixty dollars. You can’t go to a dinner and a movie for that, and they wouldn’t last as long as our trip did. And you wouldn’t have near as many memories.
Oh yeah, for you folks that are concerned with such things- Our “snake report” for the trip ended in a ZERO. No snakes were seen. So there, now you don’t have any excuses, do you?!

For more information, you can email Gasconade Hills at-
pat@canoemissouri.com

Visit the Gasconade Hills Website-
http://www.canoemissouri.com/