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Most difficult river to wade

F

flyman23

Just finished a River Runs Through it!
I was fishing the KLG last week and thinking that with the exception of the Ausable in the Adirondacks the gorge is probably one of the hardest wading rivers I've fished. I was just wondering what other's experiences were?
 
Penns Creek is without a doubt the most difficult wading river I've ever experienced, especially with above average flows. Big rocks that are like greased bowling balls. If you slipped off or stepped off one, you would fall into deep water between the boulders and quickly end up a town or two down river. I won't lie, there were times I was pretty nervous and I'm (relatively) younger and in decent shape. After that trip was the only time I considered buying a wading staff.

I don't think KLG is too bad - never fished the Ausable.
 
Most difficult river to wade sounds like a riddle. I read a few years back about a trout stream (in Colorado?) that disappears underground for part of its mid section. You can hike up the river, fish it, hike it, fish it again. But you can't wade it. At least not all of it.

In my experience, whiskey river (from the Willy song) is the toughest one to wade. Also tough to float. Terrible for swimming. But often necessary.

okay, okay. Parts of the Esopus suck.

And the Yakima river in Washington, where I cut my teeth... is an absolute death trap.
 
The Neversink River in the gorge area, if you don't have studded felt boots and a waiting staff don't even bother...
 
The Madison below Quake lake:)....it's actually it's illegal to put a boat in there as well...class 5 rapids..
 
mudbug201 said:
Most difficult river to wade sounds like a riddle. I read a few years back about a trout stream (in Colorado?) that disappears underground for part of its mid section. You can hike up the river, fish it, hike it, fish it again. But you can't wade it. At least not all of it.

In my experience, whiskey river (from the Willy song) is the toughest one to wade. Also tough to float. Terrible for swimming. But often necessary.

okay, okay. Parts of the Esopus suck.

And the Yakima river in Washington, where I cut my teeth... is an absolute death trap.
Click to expand...

If you want to get technical, Whiskey River is a Johnny Bush song....Willie recorded it first, but Johnny wrote it and recorded it later...."don't let he memory talk to me!"
 
It has been quite a few years but the Upper Delaware around Hankins, NY gave me fits.
 
Haven't fished it in many yrs but i remember the head of cairns pool to be one of the sliperriest sections of the entire river.....Maybe something to do with runoff from the overpass or nearby horeshoe brook???
 
W. Branch Ausable for sure. KLG can certainly trip you up. Fished the lower Madison last month. After the third day my guide was amazed I hadn't gone for a swim. Credit to all the days of my youth in the KLG.
 
Bigfishy said:
Haven't fished it in many yrs but i remember the head of cairns pool to be one of the sliperriest sections of the entire river.....Maybe something to do with runoff from the overpass or nearby horeshoe brook???
Click to expand...

It's because the cobbles are bowling ball sized, round, and lack a lot of sediment around them to anchor them in place. That's Horsebrook Run. I almost went swimming there on Saturday, in fact. And I was using my Folstaff wading staff.
 
fluid1 said:
Agree, very treacherous!
Click to expand...

What makes the gorge so tough is that your legs are already tired by the time you get to the river. Being chased through the woods by bears and mountain lions is fatiguing, never mind the deranged country folk with fiddles and shotguns.

Then you finally get to the water and it's all greased bowling balls, sticky silt, and ankle breaking crevices... Seriously, only extremely fit young people who don't value their safety, like moosekid and CMM and of course yours truly should even attempt to fish there.
 
mudbug201 said:
What makes the gorge so tough is that your legs are already tired by the time you get to the river. Being chased through the woods by bears and mountain lions is fatiguing, never mind the deranged country folk with fiddles and shotguns.

Then you finally get to the water and it's all greased bowling balls, sticky silt, and ankle breaking crevices... Seriously, only extremely fit young people who don't value their safety, like moosekid and CMM and of course yours truly should even attempt to fish there.
Click to expand...


Pretty sure he's talking about you, Grobert. And maybe Tim (a.k.a. - The Squirminator, a.k.a. - Gandalf The Wizard)).
 
mudbug201 said:
What makes the gorge so tough is that your legs are already tired by the time you get to the river. Being chased through the woods by bears and mountain lions is fatiguing, never mind the deranged country folk with fiddles and shotguns.

Then you finally get to the water and it's all greased bowling balls, sticky silt, and ankle breaking crevices... Seriously, only extremely fit young people who don't value their safety, like moosekid and CMM and of course yours truly should even attempt to fish there.
Click to expand...

and redneck's throwing rocks, right CMM?

Gandalf is much younger and fit than the Squirm...didn't you see him climb that snowy mountain and walk halfway across middle earth....Squirmy would've died..:)
 
I was fishing the WB with Beetle two years ago. Very easy wading. He slips in about a foot of water and manages to get completely submerged -- his head was underwater -- breaks phone -- leaves anchor at the launch.
 
mudbug201 said:
What makes the gorge so tough is that your legs are already tired by the time you get to the river. Being chased through the woods by bears and mountain lions is fatiguing, never mind the deranged country folk with fiddles and shotguns.

Then you finally get to the water and it's all greased bowling balls, sticky silt, and ankle breaking crevices... Seriously, only extremely fit young people who don't value their safety, like moosekid and CMM and of course yours truly should even attempt to fish there.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you are describing the Pit River. I'm sure there are a few more like that.
 
moosekid said:
I was fishing the WB with Beetle two years ago. Very easy wading. He slips in about a foot of water and manages to get completely submerged -- his head was underwater -- breaks phone -- leaves anchor at the launch.
Click to expand...

Did he blame Donald Trump or global warming? :)
 
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