Is Threerivers floatable? cataraft or small Dboat?

[Captn]

I have always wanted to float 3rivers from the hatchery bridge to the Nestucca. I saw a driftboat the 101 bridge Sunday. I think he was going down. I have my cataraft and need a little information to see if I am going to beable to make more than one trip.

Remember, few adventures are appreciated while they are happening.

[Jennie@ifish]

I think for a little while it is.
Blub blub blub...
:smile:
Actually, I don't know! I have wondered this also!
Jen

[Bubzilla]

The answer is yes with a large caveat. I've seen several glass boats and lots of one-man pontoons go down Three Rivers, but only in very high water, and usually only by individuals with way more cojones than sense.

It is a very small and swift river with several nasty obstacles. To add to that, virtually every spot that is fishable is also accessible from the bank--and is generally full of bank anglers before sunrise each day. What water you'll be able to fish that others can't reach, is owned by people who are not about to let you anchor to fish--which means you'll have to hold your boat/pontoon in place with the oars in order to fish.

There used to even be a cable stretched across the river--about neck high to someone in a driftboat--just upstream from Hebo to keep people from drifting. That's how popular the idea is with landowners and bank anglers.

[Jennie@ifish]

Yikes!! Barbed wire? That's cutthroat!
Jen

[NWRedside]

Last year I was just putting in my pontoon at the bridge by the hatchery when the owner of the land (supposively on both sides) drove up and told me he would call the state police if I put in. He explained that he owned both sides of the river and that there was a log jam that would require me getting out and walking around. If I did that, he would call the police for tresspassing. I ended up talking with him for a long time and he gave me access to some bank spots on his property, but wouldn't allow me to drift it.
I know there is a huge debate on the legallity of this, and I won't go into it since it has been discussed in great detail in prior postings.
Anyway, if you plan on drifting three rivers, get there early (dark maybe?) and beware that you might get asked to leave

[William]

three rivers is condsidered a non-navigable stream by the state

[Bait O' Eggs]

I was looking at 3 rivers just yesterday and wondering why I couldnt slip a boat over the bank and fish the entire river. It looked deep enough at yesterdays flows to get me down thru the riffles with minimal banging/dragging.

I ran into Marty Peterson in Hebo and asked him if he had ever tried to float 3 rivers. If anybody knows the water around the Nestucca river it is him He told me there are some spots that the brush would get the best of ya. Maybe if you threw a chainsaw in and opened up a path thru the narrow spots hmmmmmm.... :shocked:

[TheRogue]

Hey, William.....do you have a written source for the "navigability" of 3 Rivers (and others for that matter) that I don't have?? Not that I don't believe you, but, I've never seen the OFFICIAL non-navigable list. I'd have to agree that it doesn't fit the exact definition of navigability, but that doesn't necessarily mean much, unless the State has ruled on it.

Kyle

By the way, I've been on most of 3 Rivers at one time or another, in places I probably wasn't supposed to be . And I wouldn't take a boat through, either, though I've seen it done more than once.

[ 12-27-2001: Message edited by: TheRogue ]</p>

[William]

I've witnessed other people trying to drift and as a result got a ticket with a heafty fine attached.

[I'mThe10Percent]

I have fished Three Rivers for a long time now. I have seen mini-drifters float by, as well as small pontoon rafts. I would not recommend it at all.
It really ****** us bank anglers off! Especially the idiots who try to anchor in the middle of one of the few good runs on the river!
Last year I saw a guy in a pontoon almost flip it over after he got wedged in bewteen 2 rocks.
Just join the crowd and find a rock to fish from.