Wadeing?

[Flyflinger]

Hey all,

I have never fished the current outside of the park. Is the river wadeable or do you have to float it? I plan on making a day trip down there in the next couple of weeks. I rather not float.

Thanks,

[TroutRinger]

Floating is probably the best option for fishing but if you don't want to do that there is a good wade fishing at the campground on HWY 19 between Sinking Creek and Round Spring. I think the sign just says "Group Campground". I have wade fished there several times. I would suggest walking upstream towards the bridge. There is a big, deep, swift hole. Caught a lot of fish there. The whole far bank along the way is good fishing too.

[stlfisher]

You can wade from the end of park down to Tan Vat and then continue on down to Baptist if you want. If you continue down to Baptist I would have a ride pick you up. The return trip upstream can be tough. IMO wading is the easier of the two options in that stretch. Don't know about the river below Baptist.

[Kayser]

Through about 5-6 years of trial and error (and two months to forget it this summer...), this is what I've got-

Park to Tan Vat- Fishing downstream is easiest, and there is a trail that goes from the park down past the sewage lagoon (you walk on the levee), crosses the river just before the hole at the bend in the river (end of sewage lagoons), and goes all the way to Tan Vat on the side of the river that the Tan Vat parking lot is on. Between the Rock garden (you'll know it) and Tan Vat can be somewhat overgrown this time of year, but the trail is there. Wear waders to avoid poison ivy, but watch out for stickerbushes.

Tan Vat to Baptist- The trail begins on the sandbar adjacent to the first downstream run, but there are several in this area, so it can be confusing as to which one to take. Doesn't really matter, since you will be fishing downstream, not walking. The trail stays on this side of the river all the way down to Baptist. I think it crosses at the upstream side of Baptist, but I normally don't head this way. The trail is no more than 10-15 yards from the river, and follows the river all the way back up to that gravel bar at the first run. It does make a bend to head further off the river (not very far) where there is a high sand bank with a fast, deep scour hole with a couple rootwads, (looks like a prairie/briar patch around the trial, even a couple small cactus!) and makes a couple detours due to blowdowns somewhere along the way. Eventually, the trail dies off, due to it branching off into the multiple trails on the first sandbar. Just cut over towards the river and keep walking upstream, you'll recognize where you are.

Baptist down- If you make it down to the big, dead water with a bluff at the end, after a VERY long run (fast, shallow water, about knee deep), the trail is on the side of the river that isn't a cliff. It crosses the river at where it flows past a high cutbank, makes a hard left at some rootwads, and then a hard right in a slow pool. River then heads into the long run. The trail can follow the gravel bars, or it can head into the woods on the right (looking upstream) to where you can look into some of the deep holes. Just depends on if you want to fight brush on land, or cross the river multiple times.

I would recommend the park-Tan Vat stretch due to the generally less treacherous river, high number of rainbows, and shallower water. Just get your flies down with a good drift, and you should catch fish. And remember, just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. Most importantly, try to find somebody that is willing to go fishing with you and show you where to fish, along with how to get back to your car. I've tried the "leave a car downstream" approach, but walking trails is quicker and easier. You just need to be more cautious of thunderstorms

Oh, and bootfoot waders are harder on your feet. I'm thinking about getting some insoles for mine.

Rob

[Gavin]

I usually prefer to float, but there are plenty of wading opportunaties down there...Tan Vat, Baptist, and Parker Hollow are the most popular wade accesses points and all are within a 10-15 minute drive from the park....if you want to explore a bit more, there are some limited wading opportunaties at Cedargrove, and Welch Spring too. Cheers.

[3wt]

WADE IT.

Honestly unless the waters up, The upper stretch is not very float friendy. If you want to cover the whole thing in a day or two, Plan on bringing a canoe but mostly the it will be your transport between wade fishing base camps. You can blow by the trout water in less than a half a day if you were straight floating it. I like to set up camp down from Baptist on a sand bar and wade fish up and down as much as I can from there. The trails help a lot, but you might want a canoe just to pack out with stuff, and then you could float down to a take out at the end.

Expect it to be as wadeable as Montauk, roughly, with few exceptions. This time of year you could probably walk from dam at the park to cedar grove without getting out the water. If you got to the parts by Sinking Creek or Big Spring, you would need to float, but generally that's not where people fish, and you'ld be making a good drive from the park. Most people would not consider those areas to be the places to hit for trout.