Sandy Floating

Very nice!  Kept thinking that net was going to float away!

Niiiiiiice!  Dang Nate, looks like another fishy year for you.

I always wondered how your flappy things would hold up to shallow, fast flowing water.  You might want to order a spare drive for use offshore.  Don't know that I'd wanna chance stressed metal struts out the back.

-Spot-

Loved the vid! I have been wondering how well my Hobie would do on the Sandy or lower Clack. Did you guys feel comfortable throughout the drift? The Sandy seems a little safer since there are no sleds on the Oxbow to Dabney stretch.

I felt comfortable and it was my first time running that stretch.  I have other video of me running a rapid and then running aground hard because i was trying to avoid a spot a bankie was working.  I bent both my shafts bad but they were still parallel so I didn't  notice until I pulled the drive at the end.  I plan to do it again. The shafts will straighten out just fine in the vice. 

Better use flour or something similar to check for fractures. 

Nice fish, ndogg!!  Sweet video!

I am getting worried about potential fractures.  This will be the third or fourth "straightening" of the front shaft.  The last time Wobbler and I had to give it a good straightening using the fork of an oak tree on Sauvie Island.  It's amazing what hitting a submerged stump can do at 3 mph.  I will give the flour a try.

Cool. Are you using turbos or standard fins? And if you want company, shoot me a PM. I would jump at the chance to run the river. 

They were the turbos, but I think the originals may be coming with me as a back-up from now on just in case.

Niiiiiiice!  Dang Nate, looks like another fishy year for you.

I always wondered how your flappy things would hold up to shallow, fast flowing water.  You might want to order a spare drive for use offshore.  Don't know that I'd wanna chance stressed metal struts out the back.

-Spot-

Thanks.  My drive actually took more of a beating duck hunting.  In a river you can read the current and know where the rocks are, when cranking through shallow flat water you can't see submerged obstacles.  I am going to carry a spare shaft and wrench with me this spring to be on the safe side, because paddling sucks.

For anyone who wants to start floating rivers the lower Sandy from Dabney to Lewis and Clark is a great place to comfortable on moving water. 

I am getting worried about potential fractures.  This will be the third or fourth "straightening" of the front shaft.  The last time Wobbler and I had to give it a good straightening using the fork of an oak tree on Sauvie Island.  It's amazing what hitting a submerged stump can do at 3 mph.  I will give the flour a try.

Oh yeah, you should do yourself a favor and just replace it now instead of waiting for it to break.    Seriously, save yourself the trouble of being minus a fin while on the water.

I am going to carry a spare shaft and wrench with me this spring to be on the safe side, because paddling sucks.

Make sure you're carrying a good pair of vice grips.  When they snap, you'll only get a little stub to work with if you're lucky.  I keep a pair in the tool kit in my truck.

Good ideas Rawkfish.  Like Nate said, if you read the water, you can avoid running aground.  I did it once to avoid a fisherman, once to film Nate's fish (but that was more of a gentle beaching), and once 'cause I was distracted by the fishing. 

Duck hunting did give me a few surprise jolts, though. 

I replaced both masts after duck season. I bent them so many times that I was sure the next jolt was going to be the magic number. I also carry an extra mast, fin and vice-grips in my Outback.

The Dabney run is a great place to try a river float. If you read the water and watch the flow you will not have any problems.

Wobbler

Nice job.