db down on the siletz

cully · 03-14-2004, 07:50 PM

I decided to leave the db home today and join the bankies. I just did not have the energy to tow, row, fish, tow and well, you get the picture. I went to Moonshine. Caught a hatchery straight away. Very nice hen and bright as could be. I decieded to head up stream towards the boat ramp ( I like boat ramp areas to fish) and as i did I saw a db starting to back down to put in. I started to get my casts off Knowing that I'd have a dozen or so cast before the db would be drifting over the area i was casting into. I've never drifted Moonshine as the rower, only as the front seater. My buddy who grew up rowing made it look easy that day and it was way below 4 feet. I'm not sure what it was today but it look skinnyyyyyy. When the db put in I thought that I would stop casting and watch their line threw the first set of rapids and maybe learn something. On their approach I could see they looked off. Stay to the right was my thought but they stayed center. I learned to fish from that 20 square yards they were in and that center boulder in that rapid has had my foot on it in the summer flow many of time. I just hoped they would miss it right or left. Nope, they hit it and not only hit it but broadside. Flip in two seconds. Slow motion to me but believe me it was in a blip. Two of the the three came right up. I started to back out of the water to run down stream to see if I could lend a hand when the third one came up. The boat continued down threw the next run then it became pinned down in the current. The boyz all in their twentys (no pfd's) and some down stream bankies pulled the boat up and out. I walked down to see what was up and to see if all was ok. No one was injured but plenty of gear now rests on the bottom. As they relaunched they became high centered again on the very next run. One more dunking for a passanger in blue jeans. That's it.....but for me the lesson learned. Don't mess with Moonshine unless you know what the heck your doing and make sure you have some river height. For me that's going to be at least 5 plus. It also scares me some to think of going for a swim for my life wearing blue jeans.

Twitchs_Tackle · 03-14-2004, 07:59 PM

WOW :shocked: Thanks for the storyand the heads up. I don't mess with that first section either. I let my buddy who grew up floating the Deschutes do the first few drops, then I take over :grin:

Glad I wasn't in that boat!

tag-a-long · 03-15-2004, 06:09 AM

Thanks for the info. We usually put in down below, and from the sounds of it, always will.

willierower · 03-15-2004, 09:18 AM

[img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Some people......

hookumhi · 03-15-2004, 09:31 AM

someday I hope to get a DB , is it really hard to row and maneuver.I know the importance of knowing the river before you venture , I guess from what I've seen it didn't look too hard and the DB seemed to be very stable.

Captn · 03-15-2004, 12:08 PM

I have put in there many times and had a few bumps now and again, but nothng serious. Always did wonder what it would be like with the river lower than 5 foot. Thanks for the note on that area. It sounds like the fellows may not have had enough experience to read the water and make the proper adjustments. Nothing like having someone who knows show you the tricky parts of any river. There are a few areas of the Siletz that do require one to pay attention, especially in low water.

Another heads up is when the water level is at 5.5 or higher, the take out at Morgan Park is no given either. That can be very easily missed at those higher water levels if you dont get right over and hug the bank and ease around that wingdam at the takeout. All in all though the Siletz is one of the best to learn on.

However there is nothing like being able to read the water and that comes with time on the water.

We are all in this together!

[ 03-15-2004, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: captn ]