Trip Report: Cane's To Riverton

[Jeff_L]

This past Friday and Saturday a group of 18 floated in 9 canoes from Cane's Bluff to Riverton, staying at Hufstedlers cabins. We had a grand time, Mike and Wendy took very nice care of us.

We really struggled pre-trip with whether to put in at Cane or at Greer. We wanted two solid days of floating, and several of us wanted to fish the upper part of the river for smallmouth. That part of the river is difficult to get information on, and we were afraid it would be very low with lots of dragging. Turns out our fears were not justified, at least on the dragging. If you picked the right line, you only dragged 2 or 3 times for very short distances. However, there were some really, reeeaaaaallllyl long slow pools that were getting pretty froggy. With even a slight headwind, you were headed back upstream. We had quite a bit of luck on the smallies at the end of runouts, mostly using either pumpkin seed tubes of Rebel crawdads. One of our group actually caught a 15" rainbow about 4 miles above Greer. The downside is that 6 miles took a very long time to get through due to low flow. More like a series of farm ponds with small creeks between them.

We had a car stashed at Greer access and stopped to pick up supplies to camp on the river. It was getting pretty late, so a couple of us headed downstream to claim a sandbar and get set up for the slower guys. Wanted to stay across from Little Hurricane, but that was taken by a large group who looked like they might have claimed it sometime in the 1980s. We were getting a bit concerned at this point, because it was about 7:30 and most of the slowpokes were still way back, and they were going to be loaded with gear for the boulders and whatnot after Greer. We ended up on the next sandbar river left after Little Hurricane, which was fine, if a bit small. Luckily there no chance for rain, because we had 6 tents about 4" above water level, which ended up being fantastic. Nothing like sleeping to the sound a burbling Ozark stream. By the time the slowpokes showed up (two soaking wet after a good dumping with gear and two more after helping collect), we had big pots of jambalaya bubbling and camp mostly set up. One even hauled in a nice 15" or so rainbow (which we obviously did not keep).

Got up the next morning to a great river breakfast of canadian bacon, french toast, pancakes and coffee and back on the flow. A few of the spincasters got into some rainbows below Turner, but it was pretty slow fishing for most of us. The primary reason being that we were headed all the way to Riverton so had little time to get out above and below the chutes. In any event, it was a beautiful day for cruising. I don't know the name of the spot, but there was a hard right with the flow jammed up on a large tree that took out 4 of our 9 canoes. We made it through with just a bruised shoulder and ego. Thanks to the locals who were assisting in debris collection for some of our guys, one ended up down on a root ball and had a bit of a scare, said when he got back to the surface a local was getting ready to dive in and save him. The last of us rolled into Riverton landing around 7:30 (after taking a break to repair a split in a canoe with some duct tape, looked like a miniature Gree Spring coming up from the bottom).

The jet boats weren't terrible, although many zipped close to us, and 3 came upon one of our canoes around a blind corner scaring the crap out of everyone involved. Most were generally courteous (although more so towards those without rental canoes we thought). It is what it is and people generally seemed to try to share the river.

We all agreed it was a fantastic river, although the low flow made it more paddling than we preferred and prevented us from stopping more often to hit the good spots. On the other hand....with this year's conditions, we weren't going to be on the Upper Buffalo or Upper Jack's, so this was just about as good as it could be for this season.

[steve l]

Nice report, sounds like a good trip. The food sounds great.

And ditto on Mike & Wendy - they always do well by my brothers & I.

[flyfisherman]

I know where you tipped in, there is a sycamore tree on the left and the current forces you into it. That tree has claimed many a canoe who are on the river the first time. Best to walk your canoe on the right. It is about 3 miles or so below Turner, that tree knock out my best freind, glad no one was hurt

[Jeff_L]

My canoemate and I survived the sycamore by kneeling and I put my shoulder into and pushed us by, but it was close. We saw it from a couple hundred yards and talked about different strategies. We tried coming in on river left hard and trying to cut across the current at the last second, but I don't think there is a way to get through without hitting the tree unless you walk. Maybe river right if you hug the bend, but you might as well get out and walk it at that point. Our canoe had an angle iron patch on the left side, we now know what that was from. Several others in our group made it by caroming off the tree. The best was one that hit it head on and bounced back, they managed to get by without swamping. Makes for a pretty good show for the peanut gallery for sure. We were glad for the entertainment.

[snap]

that would be "fisherman's hook" that you all are referring to....no easy way past it, esp with the water low and going to the right is the worst thing you can do right now. You will drag and then hit it solid....Jeff, we were on the river on Saturday also, must have just been in front of you all the way down. We put in at Turner around 10:00 and got out at riverton 7:15.......had not been way down there for a while and could not help but notice how the river has changed....use to be able to walk past halls bay, now there is a gravel wall about 4 feet high on the left side past it. Also, lots of downed trees......

[Jeff_L]

We probably saw you. We hit Turner around 11 or noon, I believe and had to hustle from there. We were strung out down the river pretty good by Whitten. It was all good.

I would like a few more shots at fisherman's hook. I've got a pretty good bruise on my shoulder, figured if I leaned away at all we were going under. I said jokingly to the gallery "That's how you do it, right?" and they shrugged and said "pretty much, yeah."

[steve l]

Took a couple of minutes, but know the spot. Yup, always walk as well - just looks like a no win spot, especially with a loaded canoe.

[snap]

nahhh...we missed each other. We were leapfroggin a couple from south of memphis, two couples from KC, and a group of 3 kids and two dads from willow springs. My oldest son bear hugged that "hook" to keep himself in his kayak......I had a rope tied to the front of my canoe to keep mom and me dry.....learned lesson a few years back.....she keeps bringin it up!!!! BTW, the fishing was good, nothing real big, but plenty of action whenever we wanted it. a couple of spots most productive to those who are familiar.....Brantley Park and Sand Island.....did not spend much time at Emma's or Stinkin Pond, even though Emma's worked for me...boys snagged many while driftin in the yaks.