Where do I start?  It’s all good at Gaston’s Resort.  Maybe I should start with the first class lodging, award winning restaurant, private landing strip for fly-in guests, gift shop, conference lodge, and private club.  The resort also has three nature trails, a swimming pool, game room, tennis courts, and a playground for the kids. For some resorts that would be enough, but Gaston’s location on the world famous White River is what brings countless anglers to its resort.  The White River is well-known for its reputation as one of the best trout streams anywhere.  The resort has over 300 acres and 79 cottages for guests to stay in right alongside the White River.  The view is breathtaking.  It’s all good at Gaston’s.

Every resort is judged by its accommodations.  At Gaston’s, the cottages are air-conditioned, comfortable, and perfectly clean; however, the first thing a guest notices is that they are all painted pink.  Rumor has it that the resort painted them pink to keep airplanes from crashing into them.  Another story I heard was Al Gaston, Jim Gaston’s dad had seen a house in Lakeview, Arkansas, that was pink and liked the color and began painting all the cottages he built at the resort pink.  I did not get a chance to talk with Jim to hear the reason why. 

Not everyone comes to Gaston’s Resort (http://www.gastons.com or call (870)431-5203 for reservations) to fish; I know that may come as a shock to you.  Many come just to eat at the award winning Gaston’s Restaurant on the banks of the White River.  The view overlooking the White River is spectacular.  The menu includes salads, steaks, seafood, homemade breads, desserts, and trout.  In fact, one of the items on the menu is You Catch ‘Em, We Cook ‘Em anyway you want them from broiled, fried, almandine, hollandaise, and supreme.  The Sunday brunch is one meal any angler would skip fishing for.  One of the truly unique characteristic about the restaurant is what hangs from its ceiling and walls.  No it does not have photo after photo of anglers holding up fish or mounts of world record brown trout.  The walls and ceilings are covered with thousands of antiques including vintage tools, outboard engines, bicycles, tricycles, a unicycle, a motorcycle, and one stand alone gas pump.  At last count, there were 90 outboards with a 1910 model being the oldest, 46 bicycles, 8 tricycles, and a 1936 Simplex motorcycle.

Of course the majority of people come to fish the famous White River.  Gaston’s boat dock is located directly below the restaurant.  Within a few minutes an angler can finish their breakfast and be out casting for their supper.  Gaston’s has a number of fully license fishing guides, boats, and motors.  I fished with Gaston’s fishing guides Ron Armagost and Nathan Lackey.  Both of them have guided for many years for brown and rainbow trout on the White River.  It only took a couple casts before I landed my first rainbow trout of the day out fishing with them.  I highly recommend an angler going out with a guide before venturing out by themselves.  Guides can point out any hazards and where the trout like to hangout. 

The biggest problem with Gaston’s Resort is not enough time in a day to do and see it all.  Where do you start?  Maybe breakfast then a hike down one of the nature trails or maybe a swim in the pool.  An angler can easily spend all day catching trout only stopping because of darkness.  The possibilities are endless and its all good at Gaston’s Resort.