Huzzah floating conditions

[Al Agnew]

My buddy and I floated from the John Coleman bridge to Huzzah Valley on Thursday.  I figured Cory and company at HV would have scouted the creek between Harper's Slab and HV and cleared any bad blockages, but was curious to see the creek upstream from where they usually run floats.  

Lots and lots of new downed trees, making many stretches obstacle courses, but surprisingly few real blockages.  We came to only four spots where we had to get out of the canoe, and only one where we actually had to drag it for 20 yards across a gravel bar to get around the downed tree.  On another, I was able to push and pull it through the smaller branches of the tree, and the two others had sneak routes, little channels that were too shallow to paddle but made for easier dragging.  However, once the creek goes down another few inches those channels will be dry.  

However, if you're not an experienced canoe/kayak paddler, there are other places where you probably need to be prudent and walk it around.  There were several other places in fast water and sharp bends where you could easily come to grief.  And that includes at least one place between Harper's and HV.

Lots of changes, and many of them for the worse.  One formerly good pool was almost completely filled in.  A couple others had shallow gravel deltas filling the upper portions.  On the other hand, a couple of pools had deepened considerably, all the way down to bedrock or to large rocks where it had formerly been gravel.

[405z06]

I'm not familiar with that put-in. Is that the one that is referred to as "The Railroad"?

I floated Harper's to HV on the same day you were there (Thursday) and the bite was brutally tough for the Huzzah in May. 4 people, 2 canoes, 6 miles, 5 smallies total. Granted, the other 3 gents I was with were somewhat novice fisherman, but for me to catch only 4 fish on that stretch in May was disconcerting.

Went again Saturday morning, this time HV to Scotia - crossing our fingers the whole time that the storm wouldn;t jack up the creek- and we totally killed it. The difference of 48 hours was amazing. Fish were super aggressive and chasing.

 

 

 

 

[Gavin]

The railroad crosses the creek next to John Coleman road.

 

[Al Agnew]

2 hours ago, 405z06 said:

I'm not familiar with that put-in. Is that the one that is referred to as "The Railroad"?

I floated Harper's to HV on the same day you were there (Thursday) and the bite was brutally tough for the Huzzah in May. 4 people, 2 canoes, 6 miles, 5 smallies total. Granted, the other 3 gents I was with were somewhat novice fisherman, but for me to catch only 4 fish on that stretch in May was disconcerting.

Went again Saturday morning, this time HV to Scotia - crossing our fingers the whole time that the storm wouldn;t jack up the creek- and we totally killed it. The difference of 48 hours was amazing. Fish were super aggressive and chasing.

 

 

 

 

Interesting...I didn't fish much above Harper's, doing mostly handling the canoe for my buddy to fly fish.  He caught very little.  I started fishing about at the bridge a mile above Harper's, and actually had a lot of action between Harper's and HV.  Still didn't fish all that seriously because my buddy in the front of the boat was kinda blocking off the kind of long casts you need to make when the Huzzah is clear.  But I probably caught a couple dozen between Harper's and HV.