Waters That Are Tough Wading

[dryflyguy]

Yeah - the Yough certainly has many places where wading is impossible.
Nobody in their right mind would try to wade the whitewater section between Ohiopyle and Bruner run.

On the other hand, there are a few sections where wading is relatively easy: the big flatwater section above Ramcat access all the way up to the bike trail bridge.
And about 5 miles below Ramcat, there is a huge flat pool at Bidwell Station that's pretty easy to navigate

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

Voting for the Lehigh. Greased bowling balls on the river bottom. Slick and clunky even in a foot of water. Really enjoyed that river though when I was living in PA.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

Swattie87 wrote:

shakey wrote:
mud run near hickory run has those leg breaker holes. giant slabs that go almost straight down with just enough room for a shoe between them.

Mud Run, below Hawk Run has a brutal combo of gradient and tannic water. And while certainly not a big stream, when coupled with the gradient, it's just big enough to be dangerous for sure. There's some deep cliff holes that are nearly impossible to get around, without some serious climbing through very steep rhodo. That section below Hawk is locally known as the "Wild Mile." I'd say Mud, along with a couple other similar ones in that general area are the toughest "small" streams I've been on in PA. DWGNRA has some similar type terrain, but I haven't fished much there.

Number two on my list for all the reasons described above. Definitely the toughest small stream I have waded. Great exercise, though.

 

[mcwillja]

I know its not PA but an honorable mention is the Ausable River in wilmington NY when the flows are high. You need to be an american ninja warrior to fish that river at times.

 

[henrydavid]

Lehigh River, I pick my spots carefully and won't wade it over 500cfs

A few years ago myself and a friend of mine had planned on heading down from the rail trail to cross the river upstream of Mud Run. He managed to get across. I got about half way and got busy with some trout and a pile of feisty smallmouths that kept me busy for the remainder of our outing. On his way back across he stopped about 1/4 of the way out, seemed like forever that he was seemingly stuck there. I was all ready with some rope watching. Finally he continued on and made it back across. He then told me that his feet were wrapped up in old railroad rails on the bottom of the river.

 

[Smike]

henrydavid wrote:
Lehigh River, I pick my spots carefully and won't wade it over 500cfs

A few years ago myself and a friend of mine had planned on heading down from the rail trail to cross the river upstream of Mud Run. He managed to get across. I got about half way and got busy with some trout and a pile of feisty smallmouths that kept me busy for the remainder of our outing. On his way back across he stopped about 1/4 of the way out, seemed like forever that he was seemingly stuck there. I was all ready with some rope watching. Finally he continued on and made it back across. He then told me that his feet were wrapped up in old railroad rails on the bottom of the river.

It helps to know your history on that river. There are more than a few of these types of dangers on that river.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_Run_disaster

 

[franklin]

afishinado wrote:

Dave_W wrote:
There's a discussion in the Reports forum about the Lehigh River and how tough it is to wade (and Brodhead Creek too).

We've had this discussion, but it's been awhile. . .so I thought I'd bring it up again: What is the worst stream(s) or river(s) to wade in PA?

Some have a reputation for being tough - think (Big) Fishing Creek, Savage River (not in PA, but close enough), the Lehigh, the Yough etc.

My vote is the Susquehanna River, especially up around Dauphin. I wade that area a lot, and it's just really rough on the body and equipment - sloped ledge rock with sharp edges, boulders the size of small cars, cracks and crevices that just seem to always be the right size to trap your ankle. I won't venture out on the Susky without cleated soles (felt with cleats is even better). I almost always have a wading staff, but I'm amazed at the guys I see on the Susky and other rocky streams and rivers who don't even carry a staff.

What's your toughest place to wade?

I've fished a lot of places in PA over the years and from my experience, the gorge area of the Lehigh is no doubt the toughest wading of any place in PA. In fact, just trying to walk along the bank in some areas is rough in itself.

Out of PA, a section of Boulder Creek I fished in Montana was really nasty.

Agree. I always pack an extra set of dry cloths for Lehigh trips. I think on one outing I tool six spills.

 

[bigspringdweller]

I agree with the Little J and will add First fork of Sinnemahoning and pine creek in certain sections.

 

[fisherboy3]

Id have to say the Bushkill in Easton, with the lower brodhead being a tie. Both thise streams can be a pain. The bushkills rocks are just very, very slippery. The lower brodhead, well the rocks are big, and the water is deep.

 

[wildtrout2]

kobalt335 wrote:
Another vote for BFC. It's very deceiving, and what looks easy and flat normally isn't. I have never fished the Lehigh though.

Now that I've finally fished BFC (narrows), I can totally agree with it being decieving. With the deep aqua color in the mix, you need to be extra careful. I also noticed the rocks are at strange angles, making it tricking wading.

I fished it Monday from 7:30AM - 12:00PM. Caught 5 smallish browns in the first hour, (thinking fishing is going to be awesome), then didn't get another strike until I went elsewhere. With high conditions, I can see BFC being a handful/suicidal.

 

[phiendWMD]

That's me in the blue helmet just below Glen Onoko. Yeah it's different when you have a PFD, helmet, and well qualified swiftwater rescue instructors feet from you.

Being out of your boat in White Falls, Bridal Veil, Pipeline, and/or Snaggletooth on dam release weekends sucks. If you think wading is tough at fishing flows try pulling a family of 7 off a rock at 2500cfs. I spend most weekends pulling rafters who have no idea what they were getting into out of a lot of dangerous situations. Which unfortunately for me means following them in.

But yeah, the lower gorge is the most difficult wading I've experienced.

 

[rrt]

Well, I think many of these places are really rough. I'm glad I don't have to do water rescues like phiendWMD does.

As for tough wading: I am now almost 70, and I am finding that wading just about any stream is getting tough as I slip and slide all over the place, even on hip-boot creeks.

I used to be a lot braver (dumber?) when wading than I am now, and a couple of places where I used to fish are off limits to me now because of my tendency to stumble around. Getting/being old sucks.

 

[RLeep2]

Even though I'm a couple years your junior, Rich, I'm having the same issues, particularly on my smallmouth waters. The positive side of it is that it has made me stop fishing so inefficiently and hopping from pool to pool like the Energizer bunny. My movement is more hard earned now and I tend to take my time and fish a little more thoroughly. This has paid off. The situation has also made me spend more time in my inflatable yak where I am only in danger of ending up on my can in the drink upon access and egress.

It is what it is and I'll make the best of it and just keep going until I can't do it any more. But it sure sends a chill up my spine when I look at some of the places I used to wade carefree in my 40's and even 50's...

 

[afishinado]

RLeep2 wrote:
Even though I'm a couple years your junior, Rich, I'm having the same issues, particularly on my smallmouth waters. The positive side of it is that it has made me stop fishing so inefficiently and hopping from pool to pool like the Energizer bunny. My movement is more hard earned now and I tend to take my time and fish a little more thoroughly. This has paid off. The situation has also made me spend more time in my inflatable yak where I am only in danger of ending up on my can in the drink upon access and egress.

It is what it is and I'll make the best of it and just keep going until I can't do it any more. But it sure sends a chill up my spine when I look at some of the places I used to wade carefree in my 40's and even 50's...

Me too. I don't wade as aggressively as I used to a decade and certainly two decades ago. I fish alone most times and felt I needed to do something to give me peace of mind when wading or kayaking the bigger rivers for smallies or trout.

I decided on a fishing vest / pfd thingie. It holds all my fishing stuff being a full featured vest plus it's a certified pfd. It's flexible, lightweight and you hardly know you are wearing it. If I go in the drink I can just ride it out and work my way to shore. I just ordered last week and am waiting to try it out. Pic below >

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

I was wading and fishing the Lehigh Gorge below Rockport about a month ago, fishing the bend by where the railroad track goes into the tunnel. I had actually just fallen in in about two feet of water just being clumsy but was emptying out my waders when I see a half submerged kayak come floating around the bend with a woman in a kayak chasing after it. She manages to catch up to the floating yak and pulls it across to the far side where the railroad tracks are. I immediately start hollering about where the occupant of the kayak is and she said her husband rolled it about 200 feet down from the Rockport launch but he got to shore safely. I waded out to the middle of the river talking her through what she would need to do to get both kayaks to my side - I was now standing in swift water up to my chest in the middle of the river. She asked me if she could walk them both over to me.....I said hell no honey, I can't even get across to you with metal studs in my boots. I was worried about her slipping down into the next whitewater run which was about 100 yards or so downstream while she was trying to get over to me. After she emptied out the kayak, I told her to walk both kayaks upstream as far as she could and then launch out and try to float down with both boats where I would try to catch her in the middle and drag them to shore on my side of the river. While she was doing this, a raft comes down with 3 people and they help grab the kayaks and her and I grab their boat and swing them over to the side of the river so they can get to shore.

These folks were using stillwater kayaks in the Lehigh Gorge with no helmets, no wet skirts, and no freakin plugs in their kayaks. I asked if it was the first time in the gorge and they said yeah. They had never floated it before in their lives...and were attempting it in their gear during fishing release conditions - I think it was about 350-400 CFS out of the dam that day. Thankfully after the oarsman on the raft and myself talked to them we convinced them to walk their kayaks up the bike trail and to get the hell out of there. The woman was convinced at first that they could handle the rest of the gorge in their gear....and I told her if she continued on down I'd be calling emergency services immediately to notify them to have two body bags ready at Glen Onoko.

 

[RLeep2]

afishinado wrote:
Me too. I don't wade as aggressively as I used to a decade and certainly two decades ago. I fish alone most times and felt I needed to do something to give me peace of mind when wading or kayaking the bigger rivers for smallies or trout.

I decided on a fishing vest / pfd thingie. It holds all my fishing stuff being a full featured vest plus it's a certified pfd. It's flexible, lightweight and you hardly know you are wearing it. If I go in the drink I can just ride it out and work my way to shore. I just ordered last week and am waiting to try it out. Pic below.

Nice looking multi-purpose piece of apparel.. I might have to look into that. Even though I wear my back up hearing aids (I'm useless without them to the point of it being dangerous..), if I take a full dunking and submerge the devices, I'm out about three large to replace them.


Makes a couple hundred bucks or whatever the pfd/vest costs chump change and a wise investment.

Thanks~!