Al Agnew Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 One other possibility not mentioned so far is the Kings River. Lots of water on the upper Kings that isn't floated all that often and isn't normally served by the couple of canoe rentals on that river. Marble to Hwy. 62 is about 47 miles. If that's too long you could take out at Trigger Gap, which is about 40 miles from Marble. If you want to avoid people, stay off streams served by lots of canoe rentals and those big enough for heavy jet boat use. Some nice possibilities in Missouri would be the upper Gasconade and the St. Francis. Of course, on those streams you will probably have to furnish your own canoes and do your own shuttle.
hoglaw Posted January 12, 2011 Author Posted January 12, 2011 I normally write off the Kings for the reason you mentioned - crowds. However, I've never floated above Rockhouse. It's pretty water dependent, but that's not a bad idea if the conditions are right. I can't remember where I used to float all the time over there. I think it was from the grandview bridge down, and I know I've done Stoney Point to Romp Hole a few times. One of my favorite camping spots is on that stretch.
tjulianc Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 The water in the Kings is much better above the confluence with Osage Creek, because of a chicken factory in Berryville. I'd definitely try to stay above(in this case south) the 62 bridge because of that. Marble to Rockhouse is very secluded with only one take out in a 27 mile stretch. I doubt you see a soul during midweek. Of course the catch is the water conditions. Surely we will get rain by then, and hopefully just the right amount.
GloryDaze Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Another vote for the 11pt- Start at Cane Bluff and head on down. However, it is pretty narrow on that section until you pass Greer Spring. Follow me on Twitter @DazeGlory
Brian Sloss Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 The 11 point, especially in April is not crowded and when you add in that you are going in the middle of the week, the traffic is even lighter. If we finally get some rain this spring, you could start all the way up at Thomasville to add another 9.5 miles of very good smallmouth water. From Thomasville down to Myrtle (Arkansas line) you have close to 50 miles of water, 20 of which you can add trout to the mix. If you can't go to Thomasville because of lower water, you could start at Cane Bluff and end at Dalton Arkansas. In other words there is more than enough water, especially since you will be fishing, so you might want to pick a shorter route. www.elevenpointflyfishing.com www.elevenpointcottages.com (417)270-2497
hoglaw Posted January 12, 2011 Author Posted January 12, 2011 The 11 point is sounding like a likely candidate and I really appreciate everyone's responses. The other two I'm considering are the Glover River in southeast Oklahoma (seriously remote) and the Saline in central/south Arkansas. Nice to have options I guess. Anyone have any experience with either one? The Glover looks pretty awesome and I always have an Oklahoma license for one particular smallmouth spot over there, but there are some funky legal issues for out of state folks to contend with. The Saline is absolutely huge and has like 200 miles of floatable water. I know I've seen bits and pieces of it (grew up in Little Rock), but I've never spent any time on it.
Justin Spencer Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Can't argue with any of these suggestions, looks like you may have to make it an annual thing and try them all. Hopefully we'll get some rain between now and then or many of these trips will be better done with a backpack and hiking boots. I think your best chance of not seeing another person for an entire trip would be on Bryant Creek. A beautiful river with big gravel bars and big bluffs, good smallmouth and goggle-eye fishing and no outfitters on the river. I took some guys up for a three night float a few years ago and they had a wonderful time, I even met them with some grocery reinforcements so they could eat lobster and steak every night (group of chefs). Seems like they floated from highway 14 down to Sycamore Access. Like most warm water streams the upper streaches can only be done in times of ample rain. "The problem with a politician’s quote on Facebook is you don’t know whether or not they really said it." –Abraham Lincoln Tales of an Ozark Campground Proprietor Dead Drift Fly Shop
FishinCricket Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Another vote for the 11pt- Start at Cane Bluff and head on down. However, it is pretty narrow on that section until you pass Greer Spring. Times 2.... cricket.c21.com
tjulianc Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Ya'll got me wanting to go to the 11 pt. I've got a small solo canoe, are the rapids there tough? Are there sections I would want to avoid without getting into a bigger canoe?
FishinCricket Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Ya'll got me wanting to go to the 11 pt. I've got a small solo canoe, are the rapids there tough? Are there sections I would want to avoid without getting into a bigger canoe? Nah, during average flows you should be fine... cricket.c21.com
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