Question on the Yough

E

edhank

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Jan 22, 2007
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Do yinz know if there is a service that would drive you from Ohiopyle up to Confluence?

I am seriously considering getting an inflatable to float fish from the below the dam to ohiopyle. Without having to bother my wife and use two cars, it would be great to drop the inflatable off at Ramcat, drive the truck down to Ohiopyle and get a ride back up to Ramcat.

Is a Ramcat to Ohiopyle a good fishing float?
How do yoinz handle the logistics?
 
edhank wrote:
Do yinz know if there is a service that would drive you from Ohiopyle up to Confluence?

Is a Ramcat to Ohiopyle a good fishing float?
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a good float.
With respect to a shuttle, I'd guess that you could probably, for a small fee, arrange this with one of the companies in the town of Ohiopyle that set up float trips. They are running back and forth every day and you might be able to fit in their van. Of course, during the colder months of the year when kayak trips are fewer, this option may be less reliable.
 
Yes you can get a shuttle. Call one of the numerous outfitters in Ohiopyle. What type of inflatable? A tube/belly oat would be a long day- IMO, not to mention there are a couple class II runs. Doable for sure but not always a walk in park in a few spots. Good luck and have a good time.
 
You could also bike it - no shuttle required
 
I would suggest biking it this time of the year too. That way if the fishing is really tough, which is likely, you can turn around at any point and cut the day short. They're definitely there, the water is definitely cold, but dog days of summer, it hasn't been stocked in a while, not many hatches coming off, deep runs, and a million plus places for fish to hide out until dark can make it tough with fly gear. Good luck tho. I'm sure any you do catch will be really nice looking and fight like crazy since they've been in there a while.
 
I am considering a Water Master raft.
 
Check out Venture Outdoors activity in September, this is a great event

https://www.ventureoutdoors.org/activities-calendar/?wppb=program&month=9&calyear=2016&=&tmpl=register&id=1748
 
The last time I fished the Yough - a month ago now - was on a very hot day. And the water temp was an issue.
I read 58 just above the ram cat trail head. But after we biked down 4 miles to bidwell station, it was already 10 degrees warmer at 68. And with another 5 miles down to Ohiopyle, I'm sure the water was over 70 in the most of the remaining stretch.
By biking, we were able to stop there and go no further. If we had floated, we would have been committed to fish mostly in water that was too warm for trout
 
Original Post:
Do yinz know if there is a service that would drive you from Ohiopyle up to Confluence?

I am seriously considering getting an inflatable to float fish from the below the dam to ohiopyle. Without having to bother my wife and use two cars, it would be great to drop the inflatable
Click to expand...

It appears from the original post that the person is asking for suggestions on logistics for floating the river or for shuttle service information. As Dave_W mentioned, contact the outfitters in Ohiopyle, they'll do a shuttle for you. I'll also suggest buddy system for floating. #1, for safety. If alone, it only takes an injury or boat malfunction and you'll be in trouble. $2, Buddy system usually means 2 vehicles so shuttle isn't an issue.

Most of the responses have been to use a bike to fish the river. If the original question was "Should I float or bike to fish the Yough?", the responses would make more sense.

If someone is suggesting leaving a $1500 boat, $200 vest / fly boxes, 2 rod & reel combos ($500 ea.), net, cooler, camera, etc., while you bike back to the put in.....that's crazy in my opinion. If it takes 30 minutes to bike to Ramcatt and then 30 minutes to drive back to Ohiopyle, it's been unattended for an hour. Remember that not everyone is an upstanding citizen, so all your stuff could be gone.


 
Water Temperatures ARE DEFINITELY an issue right now. Even the Confluence gage just a mile below Confluence is showing a few degrees of warming from the outflow. Casselman temps are well over 80F and any rain in that watershed is going to further diminish the cool water from the dam.

You can still float the river. And you can still fish it for bass, but please leave the trout for cooler days.

To the OP; Check with Dan at Paddler's Lane. He may be able to help with a shuttle. Also, from the dam to Ramcatt HAS been stocked, so maybe you don't want to put in that far downstream. If you do pull the trigger on a floatable, PM me and when the weather/ temps cool off, I'll be happy to help you get your feet wet floatfishing the Yough.

Otherwise, for now, bike or hike the cool water closest to the dam for trouts.
 
krayfish2 wrote:
Original Post:
Do yinz know if there is a service that would drive you from Ohiopyle up to Confluence?

I am seriously considering getting an inflatable to float fish from the below the dam to ohiopyle. Without having to bother my wife and use two cars, it would be great to drop the inflatable
Click to expand...

It appears from the original post that the person is asking for suggestions on logistics for floating the river or for shuttle service information. As Dave_W mentioned, contact the outfitters in Ohiopyle, they'll do a shuttle for you. I'll also suggest buddy system for floating. #1, for safety. If alone, it only takes an injury or boat malfunction and you'll be in trouble. $2, Buddy system usually means 2 vehicles so shuttle isn't an issue.

Most of the responses have been to use a bike to fish the river. If the original question was "Should I float or bike to fish the Yough?", the responses would make more sense.

If someone is suggesting leaving a $1500 boat, $200 vest / fly boxes, 2 rod & reel combos ($500 ea.), net, cooler, camera, etc., while you bike back to the put in.....that's crazy in my opinion. If it takes 30 minutes to bike to Ramcatt and then 30 minutes to drive back to Ohiopyle, it's been unattended for an hour. Remember that not everyone is an upstanding citizen, so all your stuff could be gone.
Click to expand...

I - and I'm guessing the others who suggested biking - were NOT saying to float down the river, and then leaving your floating whatever there, and biking back up to your vehicle. (although I have seen people do that}
I merely suggested biking backing back and forth - which is what I do all the time. Trust me - it works.
As for the OP stating that he wanted to float - he also stated that the shuttle would seem to be a problem. I just thought I'd give him another option to consider. Anyone that has an open mind should consider, and then decide for themselves the best route to go.
There are advantages to both IMO
 
Fair enough Bill. I will also echo Dave's sediments. With the release temps getting higher and higher in temperature, the unrelenting heat and blasts of warm water from the rain storms, staying above the Casselman is probably the best opportunity to trout fish. Once the feeders die down, water further down river might become fishable.

This has been a brutal summer for larger trout waters or marginal streams. Hopefully not too much damage has been done and it looks like things will improve with the rain conveyor belt that's in place and falling temps in the next 7-10 days.
 
Below the inflow of warm Casselman water the right-hand side of the water (Fayette County) remains cool, while the left-hand side becomes bass water this time of year. But, probably at least until Ramcatt access, you will have good temps on the right. This means, right now, you should wade if you want to fish trout. Otherwise, if you enjoy a nice float, there are outfitters that will run you from Ohiopyle to Confluence. Make sure you get out above the falls, though. It's a heck of a drop down. :cool:
 
As mentioned many outfitters supply transportation, they will have a shuttle at the takeout just above ohiopyle that you will meet at a certain time and take you back to ramcat. The yough is a very nice float, you will be able to hit many sections that you cannot wade to. There are some true monsters there but do pay attention to water temps. There is s gauge at the dam release, confluence and ohiopyle that all give temp readings.
 
I live just a few minutes from Ohiopyle and fish it a few days each week. If trout fishing is your M.O. then don't bother. Things started dying down at the end of july. Yes you can fish up near the dam, but join the crowd. Even on week days there are quite a few others fishing that section.

People quite often do a mini float from the dam down to ramcat if you are really fixed on trout fishing from a boat.
 
Thanks all for the replies! And thanks for the reminder on using my bike as well as suggesting using the buddy system. Makes sense.

I live 30 minutes from confluence and I try to make a trip once a yeAr to fish it, but I hate wading it. I was thinking a pwc would be perfect to help cover a lot of water and possibly better water.

I get that the water temps are bad now for trout, but I would not have a problem fishing for bass there.

 
There are outfitters in Confluence that rent out inflatable watercraft for the Confluence to Ohiopyle float, and do the shuttles.


 
I have spoken to the owner of http://www.riversportonline.com in confluence about shuttling a car/ trailer rig to ohioplye recently. He said they would do it for a fee.
 
The best way to handle this is to go to Confluence and launch your boat. Tie it to the shore and hopefully have someone watch it while you drive your car/trailer to Ohiopyle. Then hitch a ride only to Confluence with an outfitter to join or retrieve your boat.

When you take out at Ohiopyle, you can load your boat and head straight home.
 
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