Fall Floating on the Niangua
I look forward to our annual fall trip to Bennett Spring. The Ozarks feel special in October. Cool autumn mornings give way to warm afternoon breezes that carry the smell of burning oak and hickory. Surprisingly, the park is always busy this time of year. Families squeeze in one last camping trip before winter, while anglers try to catch one last limit before the season closes on October 31. Our trip began on a Friday. We booked our campsites late, so our usual spot in Campground 2 was full. Campground 5 had one site left, and luckily, Campground 4 had a site available for Austin’s pop-up camper. After a successful fishing trip in September, we set out to float the Niangua River in search of hungry smallmouth. Typically, we float the stretch from Bennett Spring to Barclay. It’s a popular route for floaters, and crowds can make fishing a bit difficult. This trip, we decided to put in at Barclay and take the shorter, less-traveled route to Prosperine Access. Saturday morning found u...