What is your local day paddle?

[lowangle al]

I took a trip to a local reservoir on the Lehigh River two days ago. My goal was to go as far up the river as possible looking for rainbow trout. After a few miles of lake paddling and another mile on the river we came to some riffles that were "unnavigable." I waded with the boat a few hundred yards to the next pool. We paddled up that and then I was able to pole up the next rapid to the head of another pool.

This area is rarely fished as most boats can't get above the riffles and there is no access from upstream because of private land. On my first cast into the pool I hooked what I think would have been the biggest fish of the trip. It was a large rainbow trout that took an olive wooly bugger, he jumped a few times and then got off. I landed four or five more trout and a few smallmouth bass.

We had lunch and headed back. I snubbed my way down the first rapid making sure that the upstream end of the boat was light so it wouldn't get caught in the current. I guess it was too light and was affected by a strong downstream breeze. We made it to the next pool without incident but it wasn't pretty. I waded the boat down the riffles and then had almost four miles to get back to the truck. It was a fantastic trip, beautiful weather and the best day I ever had fly fishing for trout. I am really impressed with the recreational opportunities in Pa.

 

[yknpdlr]

I am in the Western Adirondack area, with too many nearby good choices to mention. My quick trip training paddle is at my camp on a small private no motors lake. I can get only about 3 miles by circumnavigating around the entire lake, as I monitor the loon family and blue heron population. Several trips around gets me as many miles as I feel I need to cover for the day. If I need a more continuous long distance, a much larger lake is very nearby where I can get 3 miles on the lake, plus another 3 miles up the slow current inlet river before reaching rocky rapids, making a total training round trip of 12 miles. But the popular lake is highly populated with large-ish fast wave making motor boats and those annoyingly awful kids on jet skis, which have intentionally harassed me in the past. So, although conveniently close by for distance paddling, it is not my favorite place to paddle.

Not much farther away, I sometimes like to paddle by my childhood home on the always boater quiet fairly slow moving Black River from the Lyons Falls dam to the Carthage dam, up to about 42 miles one way with a number of shorter take out options. For more of the Adirondack experience, Old Forge and the beginning of the NFCT and the beginning of the 90 mile race route is only about a half hour away. Not only for the race itself, but also frequently also for the "Cannonball-90", which is paddling the entire 90 mile route within a single (24hr) day that a few us like to do.

 

[Bob B.]

Wow, great pics! I loved your post Al. Sounds like an awesome day exploring, fishing … paddling, poling, lining. I always enjoy pics of your canoe in action.

 

[lowangle al]

Here are are some pics of the Susquehanna from yesterday. We put in at Meshoppen Pa and poled, paddled and waded about four miles upstream to Black Walnut. I fished a little on the way down but only got small ones. River mile 233 to about 238

 

[lowangle al]

In my desire to know "what's around the next bend" I returned to the Lehigh River yesterday. I went alone and took my Seliga Tripper. Partly because it's less effected by the wind but mostly because I'd rather smash it then my wood canvas E M White.

I got a late start at 1:30 PM. That's OK because now I can stay late and enjoy an evening paddle. I've recently decided that if I can't get an early start to just go later, but be prepared to finish up after dark. I made it to the pool that I got to last week and pressed on to find an additional mile + of a good poling rapid just "beyond that next bend." The fishing was also good up there. I caught 4 or five trout before getting one small enough for lunch. I kept one that I thought was a brown but maybe it was a brookie. Can someone confirm? At any rate it was tastier than a rainbow. After lunch I didn't get another trout but I did get lots of small smallmouth bass.

I had an easy time snubbing downstream and was surprised at how much control I had. I stopped to fish at likely spots but didn't get any trout. It may have been because I had to change my tippet and it may have been heavier that the one it replaced, or they just stopped biting. I also found a channel on the section that I previously waded, so in the future I may be able to eliminate any wading at all.

My timing was near perfect, I finished the whitewater section just before dark at 8:00. I put on dry shoes and warm clothes and had a nice relaxing paddle back. I arrived at the truck at 9:35, was on the road at 10:00 and home by 10:30. I would not have felt comfortable doing this trip if I hadn't had a tent, sleeping bag and everything else I might need to spend the night comfortably, in case things go bad. I covered over 11 miles and was out for 8 hours.

 

[Bob B.]

Great post Al! It was nice to your Seliga in action again. Jake and I hit the timber early today, maintaining trails, seeding a food plot … then time for woods walk … with my bug shirt. By 10:30 both tired and hot, we sat on the couch, turned on the fan and took a fiver. This is a great post to read. I loved your pictures and write up of a great solo day in the bush.

Keep posting your boats and their adventures, Jake and I love reading about them.

 

[Halpc]

I enjoyed your posts Al. It looks like the Susquehanna has been cleaned up quite a bit since I last paddled it about 35 years ago. My parents used to live about 10 miles from Meshoppen and I have good memories of river trips in that area and on the West Branch.

 

[Jmharrick]

Can someone confirm?

Definitely a Brown Trout.

Looks like an awesome day trip spot, and it must have been something special if you returned to it so quickly.

 

[lowangle al]

Thanks for the kind words guys, and thanks for the ID on that trout. I have been getting a lot of satisfaction from these day trips and they are good to practice my moving water skills. It doesn't take much to find a little adventure when you travel by canoe.

 

[UCanoe_2]

Middle River, S. Fork Shenandoah tributary, about 12 miles from home.



Goods Falls, S. Fork Shenandoah, about 50 miles from home.



Gotta have Royalex or T-Formex for the shallow rocky rivers in this area. Sadly, the Mohawk Solo 14 in these photos was lost in a fire (sob!).

For flat water, there is a 45 acre National Forest flood control lake about 15 miles away. Here I am in the 8 foot Sinbad sailing dinghy.




There is a 104 acre town reservoir about 40 miles away, no photos from this location.

 

[lowangle al]

I thought I'd revive this thread to post about a local day paddle I took a few days ago. I returned to the Francis Walter Dam and Lehigh River hoping to do a little poling and fishing. I got a late start at 2:00 PM and there was a sense of foreboding as I loaded up and pushed off. It may have been the predicted thunderstorm, the large amount of debris floating in the water or the strong gusty winds or the combination of all three. It was the first time I paddled the shoreline instead of cutting across open water. It started out sunny and the wind died down and it looked like some smooth "sailing."


Shortly after taking that photo it started to cloud up and sprinkle and the wind picked up again. I pulled over and put on my rain pants and raincoat to weather the approaching storm. The skies didn't open up so I got back in the boat and got in another twenty minutes of paddling before having to pull over and wait things out.




I just started bringing a small umbrella and found it very useful. I brought it with me on a paddle a few days before when meeting up with some folks from the WCHA. We got caught in a deluge and I'm sure my bow partner was happy when I handed it to him. I stayed dry with my raincoat and large plastic bag that I use to keep my legs dry.

Not only was it raining hard and the wind was strong enough that I hoped I had enough weight in the boat to keep it from blowing away. It was my first time being out in the heart of an electrical storm. It's unnerving when you have nowhere safe to seek shelter and you just hope for the best. There was one crackling clap of thunder followed by a boom that was so close that I felt it before I heard it. When the storm passed the lake was very calm, but it didn't last.


I got back on the water after waiting a little to be sure the lightning had passed through, and then made it to where the lake turned to river. I did a little fishing, catching a small mouth and a rainbow. I decided to concentrate on fishing, feeling that I already had enough excitement for the day and forego poling upstream, plus the river was high with lots of debris coming down. Had I brought a tent and sleeping bag as part of my ditch kit I may have tried going further upstream but didn't want to press my luck.


As I headed back the wind picked up and I wasn't looking forward to fighting it. Before heading into the worst stretch of wind I pulled over to eat my lunch as the only break I took was when the storm blew through and it was too wet to eat. It worked out great because I needed the calories and the wind died down. I then had a nice paddle back to end a great day. Although I went through a T storm and rain for most of the day I was comfortable, dry and happy. I liked how the umbrella kept my stuff dry and will bring it in the future. I got back to the truck as it was getting dark and felt very satisfied with my day. I got in almost 8.5 miles and was out for over 6 hours.

 

[Boatman53]

Glad you got home safely and nice use of the umbrella.
Jim

 

[Erica]

Nice fish! I'm also glad you got through the t-storm okay.

I also use an umbrella in the canoe, more for shade than rain though.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

I have several local day trip venues within less than an hour. My three closest haunts though are these....

Lake Lowell- part of the Deer Flat Wildlife Reserve, which is 15 minutes from my house.

Getting to be a lot of beaver dens here.


Of course, the lower Boise River - also 15 minutes away.


And when those are iced over, 30 minutes puts me on the Snake River.
This island on the Snake is also part of the Deer Flat Reserve collection.


I recently discovered another small heron rookery I hadn't noticed before. Trees

on the right...

Day tripping isn't just about the place or even the canoe. For me it's mostly about staying in shape......and getting away from honey-dos.

 

[Stillwater's]

Green River Reservoir. It’s about a 40 minute drive, but I’m usually there a few days a week most of the season. State park, no motor traffic, lots of wildlife. lots of interesting features.

 

[Erica]

I have several local day trip venues within less than an hour. My three closest haunts though are these....

Lake Lowell- part of the Deer Flat Wildlife Reserve, which is 15 minutes from my house.
View attachment 146573
Getting to be a lot of beaver dens here.
View attachment 146571

Of course, the lower Boise River - also 15 minutes away.
View attachment 146572

And when those are iced over, 30 minutes puts me on the Snake River.
This island on the Snake is also part of the Deer Flat Reserve collection.
View attachment 146569

I recently discovered another small heron rookery I hadn't noticed before. Trees

on the right...
View attachment 146570
Day tripping isn't just about the place or even the canoe. For me it's mostly about staying in shape......and getting away from honey-dos.

You have some great areas close by.

 

[Bob B.]

Lately my local day paddle has been Cox Hollow Lake in Governor Dodge Stare Park near my home. I have been canoe training my nearly 8 month old pup named Max. He is a Hanoverian Scent Hound. He is also training with me on wounded deer recovery and therapy dog work.

Day paddling has been a wonderful experience for us. My dogs get needed canoe practice, then we hike the trails before heading home for a late breakfast. I am learning to paddle my beloved prospector again ( albeit with a crazy creek seat back ). Feeling the manoverability, and responsiveness of my old canoe is so nice to experience again. As Max advances with his canoe training, I am hoping to take him and his brother Jake on a short trip to the Turtle Flambeau Flowage this August. So, lots more daily practice on my local lake with my two buddies.

 

[Penns Woods]

I have tired to paddle around home but it just doesn't seem the same as up in the Adirondacks. I've tired and tired but it really isn't the same, so I just keep my powder dry and try to make it up North once a month April through November.

Just a few miles from home

 

[tketcham]

Green River Reservoir. It’s about a 40 minute drive, but I’m usually there a few days a week most of the season. State park, no motor traffic, lots of wildlife. lots of interesting features.

One of my favorite places in Vermont to canoe. Wish it was a bit closer but we have some good spots in southern Vermont.

 

[Bob B.]

Local day paddle update. Practicing with my pup, we paddled farther from shore, longer distance and practiced doing a portage yesterday. He is really settling in. Jake has been instrumental in calming him and showing him the ropes. I love paddling and hiking with these guys.

Bob.