A Father's Day Tribute

All of us owe our immersion into the outdoors to one or two individuals. My grandpa turned me into an outdoor fanatic at an early age.

“Gramps?” Silence. “Gramps..are you awake?” A grumbled “yes” echoes from under the bedsheets in one of the rooms at Briarwood Resort. “Are ya ready to go?” I ask. “Yea, give me a few minutes and we can go,” Gramps answers.

It’s 6:00 am, I’m 12 years old, and the trout are biting. This scene played out hundreds of times over the years, and each time, Gramps was ready to head out on Lake Taneycomo when I woke him. We’d catch tons of trout, share a few laughs, and even get into arguments. But, little did I know, those days on Lake Taneycomo impacted me more than anything else in my life. It led me into a life of outdoor writing, and overall immersion into the outdoor lifestyle.

I owe everything I’ve become to my grandpa. He taught me how to fish, hunt, and introduced me to the life that has come to define me. Even when I would wake him up early, much to his chagrin, he’d be eager to go. Once I was old enough and got my boater’s license, I learned to let Gramps sleep in. After all, he dealt with my early morning awakenings for years.

I have been going with him to Lake Taneycomo since I was a one-year-old baby in a walker. Last June we spent a week on Taneycomo. As I boated up to Lilley’s Landing Resort and Marina to pick up my buddy Ryan for our last evening on the lake, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears, reflecting on all the lake, and my grandpa has taught me.

This trip was different, though. It was the first trek we’ve made to the lake without my grandma, who was just as influential. She passed away in December, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t extremely tough being there without her. Every time we’d get back from a morning on the water, she’d have breakfast waiting for us, and always wanted to know how we did. She’d been unable to go out with us the last 10 years or so, but when she could, she would catch trout like it was her job. It just wasn’t the same getting off the water and not having her there.

Still, I had an incredible trip on Taneycomo. We caught so many beautiful fish. The generation schedule was consistent, so we were able to develop a daily game plan. Each afternoon as the water turned on, Ryan and I would boat up to the cable and rip jerkbaits for a few hours. We caught numerous fish 17-19-inches and landed a 22-inch rainbow. Ryan lost a giant brown on the third day–one that will haunt me for years (and, assuredly, him as well).

Gramps isn’t as young as he used to be, and he bowed out on a lot of trips up there do to his troublesome hip and general soreness. Finally, we convinced him (or maybe the fish did that) to make a run. It saddens me he can’t keep up with me like he used to. The tables have turned as far as who knows more and who is more skillful on catching Taneycomo trout, but it still isn’t the same going out without him in the boat. On our first drift, he hooked into a big rainbow. He fought it for a while before we were able to net him. It was a beautiful 19-inch fish. “This is the biggest trout I’ve caught in 8 years,” he said.

I caught a lot of nice fish last week, but I was more excited for this fish than I was for any of the ones I landed. It was amazing. He is still the best, as far as I am concerned.

Lake Taneycomo, Branson, and my Grandpa taught me what it means to be an outdoorsman, conservationist, and trout fisherman. I will forever be in their debts. So, Gramps, thanks for everything you’ve taught me, continue to teach me, and what you have done for me over the years. It means more than you’ll ever know. And I’m glad I was able to be there to net that rainbow.

Ryan Miloshewski

(Left) The sun sets and the fog rolls in to end another trip on Lake Taneycomo. (Top) The author's grandpa with a beautiful 19-inch Taneycomo rainbow. (Photos: Ryan Miloshewski)