Dodge Park to Oxbow Float

[Slow and Low]

I had a lot of people ask me about running the upper Sandy in a hard boat. I said I would try it this year and let you know how it went. DON'T DO IT!

I made this float every Sunday last winter in a 15' Supercat and had no problems. On a scale of 1 to 10 skill level I am a 9.5. First time in a hard boat will probably be my last (at least at 2300 cfs) I know some guides who take clients ect...they are nuts. The guy riding shot gun saifd this flaot is worse than the Sol Duc at low water (whatever that means).

Hard to focus on fishing when your nerves are racked. Boy was I glad to see the boat ramp.:pray:

[Matthewc]

I know alot of people whom have downed dirfters in the section. The key realy is floating at a good water level....Not so high that its scary, not so low its ricky......Since its a saftly issue, you could always try consulting one of the local guides. Yes I know who they are but they are not onliners..

[Patrick Kollodge]

Glad you made it home! Thanks for the warning.

[TallFlyGuy]

What were you thinking?... It's that bad? I figured if the level was 2500+ CFS and you could survive that first rapid, the rest would be smooth sailing. Unless of course you have a metal boat, and you get hung up on every rock you touch:jester:. I just don't have big enough Jewels to do it. For me, it's my cataraft all the way.

What parts gave you white knuckles other than that first drop?

[Slow and Low]

What were you thinking?... It's that bad? I figured if the level was 2500+ CFS and you could survive that first rapid, the rest would be smooth sailing. Unless of course you have a metal boat, and you get hung up on every rock you touch:jester:. I just don't have big enough Jewels to do it. For me, it's my cataraft all the way.

What parts gave you white knuckles other than that first drop?

Pipeline isn't a problem. There are a lot of sections that are JAIL below. In a cat you can stradle some rocks and stuff.


As for consulting a guide, that's not necessary (for me), I've been down that stretch many times in the old supercat. I would not be afraid to do it again in a hardboat but...more water is needed for a drifter than 2300 cfs. There is zero room for error in an aluminum boat.

I got my eye on a 16' cat. Should be a done deal in the next couple days. That will also solve my GR, and JD problem.

Be careful out there.

[AndyK]

I had a lot of people ask me about running the upper Sandy in a hard boat. I said I would try it this year and let you know how it went. DON'T DO IT!

I agree. I have floated that stretch many times and always in a rubber raft or pontoon. There are rapids below pipeline where you cannot avoid the rocks.

[Two Fister]

The guy riding shot gun saifd this flaot is worse than the Sol Duc at low water (whatever that means).

The Sol Duc at low water is like floating through a graveyard. There are rocks sticking up out of the water everywhere. It's not a matter of avoiding rocks, but picking which rocks you are going to hit at hyperspeed to keep from getting pinned or sunk. Never been so scared in a driftboat.

After a while you don't even notice to noise of the boat crunching impacts. Kind of like living next to train tracks and not noticing the freight trains rumbling by.

Glad you made it through OK!
TF

[chromeseeker]

Dude you're hard-core for running that stretch in a hard boat! You really have to be on the sticks in that section. Even in a cataraft it's work.

I've run it in a small pontoon and inflatable kayak so I can portage but the stretch still makes you work and you feel beat-down when it's over.

There's some sweet water in there, though. Did you get any grabs?

CSI had a lot of people ask me about running the upper Sandy in a hard boat. I said I would try it this year and let you know how it went. DON'T DO IT!

I made this float every Sunday last winter in a 15' Supercat and had no problems. On a scale of 1 to 10 skill level I am a 9.5. First time in a hard boat will probably be my last (at least at 2300 cfs) I know some guides who take clients ect...they are nuts. The guy riding shot gun saifd this flaot is worse than the Sol Duc at low water (whatever that means).

Hard to focus on fishing when your nerves are racked. Boy was I glad to see the boat ramp.:pray:

[Abalone]

I did a salvage dive at the Blue hole a few years back for a guy that
sunk his drift boat there. Some rough looking water down there. He sure had a lot of stuff on the bottom of the river, Camera's, Poles, etc. etc.

[Steelie Mike]

I floated that stretch today with Tallfly and I got to say you got some balls for putting your boat through some of those mine fields. Awesome water!

[FishonDon]

If you don't mind an aluminum boat that is beat to pieces and patched and welded and re-welded, then its not a bad stretch if you are an expert on the stix. That describes the boat and the guy who ran down just ahead of me one time.

I think I'll stick to the inflatables. Still have to be extremely good on the sticks though.

[speyguy]

I agree. I have floated the upper river a few times in my 15' cat raft. The put in and pipe line is just the start, their are boulder patches lower that will screw you just as fast. I would not do it in a drift boat w/o my life insurance being paid up.

[Right Wing Cripple]

Fish On Don,
You made an insightful reference to an angler with a beat up boat you followed down the Dodge to Oxbow float some time ago. He has been floating that stretch since well before I met him in the early Eighties. As stated earlier in this thread you have to be hot stuff on the sticks to get a hard boat down the river at numerous different flows. The boat you followed has indeed been repaired many times, as well as deep sixed twice, and the guy on the sticks (I'll leave his name out because I did not consult him before writing this) is as good as they come. When a rock moves in the minefields he knows it, yet the river has bitten him twice anyway. There are always a few boatmen who will float this stretch in a hard boat a dozen times without anything too dramatic happening and proclaim it safe for quality oarsmen, but sooner or later it's going to bite you, and maybe where you least expect it. Even in a soft boat or pontoon it's not a float for those who aren't mighty handy with the "Idiot Sticks". More than one raft has been flipped by guides, anglers have been thrown from pontoon boats, you name it, and it's happened on this float. While it may not have a book written about floating it, it is truly for experts, and only those with an intimate knowledge of what the various parts of the river do at specific flows. There's more to that part of the river than just the Pipeline and the Minefields. I'm always surprised that there are not more accidents (even with the advent of the pontoon boats) as the traffic has increased in the last ten years. It's a beautiful float, but not one to be taken lightly. Hire a guide for your first float and enjoy the canyon safely.

Regards,

R.W.C.

[River Ranger]

I agree, I would never take my drifter down this section. A toon on the other hand is a piece of cake. I have watched three different drifters go through this section and they are experts to say the least.

RR.

[flopearedmule]

How about a 10 foot toon with 24" tubes? It has a diamond plate floor for standing and anchor system. I floated dodge to oxbow on new years on a 14 foot raft for the first time and I got hung twice. Once in the minefield below the blue hole and another time down river. I didn't have too much trouble getting off the rocks however. I also saw 2 clackacraft DB's that day so I know they are running the river. I also kayaked it numerous times so I know this section well. Has anyone tried it in a pontoon and would 10 feet be OK through pipeline rapid? The rest of the large waves/rapids I think you can skirt around. Pipeline you have to run. No way around it.

[SCR Steelheader]

How about a 10 foot toon with 24" tubes? It has a diamond plate floor for standing and anchor system. I floated dodge to oxbow on new years on a 14 foot raft for the first time and I got hung twice. Once in the minefield below the blue hole and another time down river. I didn't have too much trouble getting off the rocks however. I also saw 2 clackacraft DB's that day so I know they are running the river. I also kayaked it numerous times so I know this section well. Has anyone tried it in a pontoon and would 10 feet be OK through pipeline rapid? The rest of the large waves/rapids I think you can skirt around. Pipeline you have to run. No way around it.\

anyone? I have pontoon very similar and am curious as well, I am decent on the sticks, and have been rowing for 4 years now ( 5 in april ), Floated the UPPER upper wilson a few times last winter and didnt have any problems, just need some advise is all, from the sounds of it, I have a green light and just need to keep my eyes peeled and hands on the sticks.

[weekender]

fishrkid - When you say upper wilson, what drift are you refering to?

[SCR Steelheader]

fishrkid - When you say upper wilson, what drift are you refering to?

I Put in just below jones creek and floated down to an unknown hole a couple miles downriver and pulled out. I pulled out a little bit above yergens. I have floated from the "make shift" slide above vanderzandon to the guideshop many times as well.

[TallFlyGuy]

I went down it for the first time awhile back on my 12ft pontoon with just me on it. I normally do it with two people in it. When there was just me on the toon, it was very light and bounced me around quite a bit. Kinda scary because some of those rapids and places can turn you in a split second. You just have to be ready on the sticks to keep you straight. I saw a guy in a 10 foot steelheader do it as well. Not sure what your skills are, but I'd go down with someone first, then judge it for yourself.

[SCR Steelheader]

I went down it for the first time awhile back on my 12ft pontoon with just me on it. I normally do it with two people in it. When there was just me on the toon, it was very light and bounced me around quite a bit. Kinda scary because some of those rapids and places can turn you in a split second. You just have to be ready on the sticks to keep you straight. I saw a guy in a 10 foot steelheader do it as well. Not sure what your skills are, but I'd go down with someone first, then judge it for yourself.

anyone wanna do a trip with me soon?

[SCR Steelheader]

anyone wanna do a trip with me soon?

nada huh? this must REALLY be a scary one :pray: well I'll report back how it went when i get back.

[Slow and Low]

Well, problem solved a couple fishing partners and I just picked up a 14' cat. Nothing special, web floor and seats that's it. Game on until April Starting next week. Be ready for some fish ****.

[etacada]

The rivers at 9.10 right now, is that to low for catarafts?

cb

[flopearedmule]

I would do it on my 10' pontoon with you this weekend but I have another obligation. How about weekend after next. PM if you want. I know this run pretty well.
--jeff

[Mad Mikey]

The rivers at 9.10 right now, is that to low for catarafts?

cb

No.

Assuming you want to learn that stretch I would recommend you learn the river using the "cfs" graph instead of the "ft.".

From today: Most recent instantaneous value: 2,310 01-31-2008 13:45

In some places on that float just a few hundred cfs can mean you will need to "zig", instead of "zag", especially in the minefields. And THAT cfs difference won't be reflected on the "ft." graph, if that makes sense.

I made the switch to using the cfs graph on almost every river I fished many many years ago. Doing that helped me learn the floats and fishy spots at a very intimate level.

The other folks here who do the same know what I'm talking about.

Be safe, have fun!

[speyguy]

I am getting ready to sell my 15' Momentum cat raft if any one is looking. It will be posted this weekend. It has been down that float more than a few times.