Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
October 31, 2024, 04:13:30 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 01:03:02 PM]

[October 28, 2024, 04:51:21 PM]

by Spot
[October 25, 2024, 03:15:17 PM]

by Spot
[October 25, 2024, 03:12:18 PM]

[October 24, 2024, 09:57:46 PM]

[October 20, 2024, 03:05:45 PM]

[October 14, 2024, 01:00:12 PM]

[October 13, 2024, 02:50:03 PM]

[October 13, 2024, 02:49:00 PM]

[October 11, 2024, 10:09:11 AM]

[October 11, 2024, 07:29:06 AM]

[October 08, 2024, 07:17:40 AM]

[October 06, 2024, 08:31:11 PM]

[October 05, 2024, 03:24:34 PM]

[October 05, 2024, 10:36:50 AM]

Picture Of The Month



Pepper and rogerdodger with a nice fall coho

Topic: Hoh river float trip  (Read 11686 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Theshoeman

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Northwest Yak Adventures
  • Location: Tumwater WA
  • Date Registered: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 346
Hey so I was reading a flyfishing blog today that had all sorts of routes on the hoh river one day floats. I am guessing they are doing it in a drift boat but I think that most of it could be navigated in a kayak. Anyone think a multi-day Hoh river fly trip could be planned out. Float get out fish and then camp along the way. Would love some input of anyone who has floated the river.


Lee

  • Iris
  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Fuck Cancer!
  • Location: Graham, WA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 6091
I would recommend going down that river with someone who knows it first.  It can be really dangerous.
 


Theshoeman

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Northwest Yak Adventures
  • Location: Tumwater WA
  • Date Registered: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 346
Oh yeah for sure! From what I read there are a few places that get a little tricky I would defiantly need some one with some river experience.


Mark Collett

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Make It Happen
  • Location: Between the Willapa's
  • Date Registered: May 2011
  • Posts: 2022
  I've fished the Hoh River many times --but always in my mini-drifter or a full sized drift boat.
  Never tried a kayak there.
  If you do-I'd suggest staying on the lower river--from the Oxbow Campground down to the mouth.There are many boulder fields that come at you quickly so you need to be prepared.And it changes every year.

  Have you thought about fishing the Queets instead ?It has much more "kayak friendly" water.It's a great steelhead stream.Not too bad silver fishing too.                                                                                           Just sayin'...

http://www.hotshotguide.com/WA_Hoh_River.jpg
http://flyanglersonline.com/features/greatrivers/hoh/

  A couple of links to fishing the Hoh.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2012, 10:00:41 AM by Mark Collett »
Life is short---live it tall.

Be kinder than necessary--- everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

Sailors may be struck down at any time, in calm or in storm, but the sea does not do it for hate or spite.
She has no wrath to vent. Nor does she have a hand in kindness to extend.
She is merely there, immense, powerful, and indifferent


ballardbrad

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Kayak Fishing Washington
  • Location: Ballard, WA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2010
  • Posts: 626
I agree with the above posts.  Hire a guide.  I have fished with Larry Ford and he's great.  One of the few guides that actually prefer fly fishing to gear fishing but will do either depending on the trip.  Here's his info:  http://www.theriverfishingguide.com/


Theshoeman

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Northwest Yak Adventures
  • Location: Tumwater WA
  • Date Registered: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 346
what about the cowlitz?


Ray Borbon

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Hook em and cook em
  • Location: Kirkland,WA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2012
  • Posts: 474
We did the Hoh three times last month. It was doable in a sit on top in the conditions at that time. Conditions change all the time but here's the logistics. We camped at Oxbow and floated down about 8-10 miles (just a guess) each time. The turn off to the river down below is just past G L Shake Road on 101. In Forks there is a Laundromat and a few quarters was useful for getting our dry suits dry.

We also did the Cowlitz (I only did it once) last month. I think the conditions vary based upon the let-off from the dam.  The Blue Creek area was packed with motor boats and bankers. As soon as we got down to the one big turn below that there were not very many boats. There are some good fishing holes in this river but my experience is very limited so I can't comment much further.

I wouldn't recommend a Mirage Drive in either river unless you like throwing money away. I'd also recommend doing the trips with one other person in case you get into a bind. Watch out for rocks and strainer trees. Ask locals for conditions and tips. I do...


YakBum

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • guided by Wind and Emotion
  • http://www.heroesonthewater.org
  • Location: Germany
  • Date Registered: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 284
Ran the Hoh with Yaktrap and Ray, as well as the Cow with Yaktrap.  would not have done either unless it was with Yaktrap, he has more years in a kayak than I have being alive.  If you do it, you really want to go with someone who really knows what they are doing.  the upper Hoh has a crazy turn in it right before the launch at the campground, Yaktrap said Ray and I Had a 50-50 chance of making it, which really meant probs around 10 percent.  Also when we ran the Cowlitz, it was really blowing though there, it has tricky spots as well. 
Call me FIL THE CHUB MASTER!


YakBum

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • guided by Wind and Emotion
  • http://www.heroesonthewater.org
  • Location: Germany
  • Date Registered: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 284
there is also a set of rapids full of boulders right before the take out on the Hoh that has the sun shining directly in front of you, so if you do get blessed with one of the few sunny days out on the peninsula, you will get the opportunity to "boat by brail"  super hard to see with the sun shining off the river and in your eyes, kind of like bump oops theres a rock, bump oops theres a rock.  it may have been the final blow that cracked my hull, had a 4 or 5 inch crack in the bottom when I got home that required some welding.
Call me FIL THE CHUB MASTER!


Ray Borbon

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Hook em and cook em
  • Location: Kirkland,WA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2012
  • Posts: 474
Quote
kind of like bump oops theres a rock, bump oops theres a rock
How about that big thumper on the Bogachiel? LOL. Smack!

Yeah lots of rock in those low conditions and I agree that I wouldn't have tried it without someone else who had experience in rivers being with us. I enjoyed that run from Oxbow to below G L Shake.


YakBum

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • guided by Wind and Emotion
  • http://www.heroesonthewater.org
  • Location: Germany
  • Date Registered: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 284
Quote
kind of like bump oops theres a rock, bump oops theres a rock
How about that big thumper on the Bogachiel? LOL. Smack!

Yeah lots of rock in those low conditions and I agree that I wouldn't have tried it without someone else who had experience in rivers being with us. I enjoyed that run from Oxbow to below G L Shake.

Hah, yea that one was a doozy, those drift boats in the middle of the rapid didn't help either.  Heard Yaktraps fiberglass boat ring like a bell from 200 yards away.  I remember feeling nothing as I entered it cause I already accepted that I was going to die. 
Call me FIL THE CHUB MASTER!


Nangusdog

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Live to fish, fish to live
  • Location: McChord Air Force Base
  • Date Registered: Oct 2012
  • Posts: 442
Man, I'd love to get out and drift one of those rivers on the peninsula...I'd be grateful as hell to get an invite should any of you be planning another trip.
Gordon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7QYFPLqHbdZIJblTDhgAuQ

Hobie Outback x2 (for fishing)
WS Tsunami 140 (for paddling, wishing I were fishing)
Old Town Dirigo 120 (for rivers)


Ray Borbon

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Hook em and cook em
  • Location: Kirkland,WA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2012
  • Posts: 474
I'd invite you but I don't exactly think I am the most experienced and it would be a stretch to say I should lead people on a river. However I'll see if you're available the next time I go to the Hoh (which might not be until next fall/winter). For the immediate future the Sol Duc is where it's at. Although it is worth noting the Sol Duc is a significant notch up in difficulty. My underwear got sucked into my inside shooting some of those rapids on the Hatchery to Maxfield run.


Yaktrap

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Seattle WA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 712
I agree the Hoh is a great river, it is a class 2 with some tricky bolder sections, not a river to learn on but one of the easier of the coastal rivers if you have some experience. Ray and I ran the Duc a couple days ago at 9 boards and it was as nasty as ever. When I got that big steelhead last year it was near 15 boards. The Duc doesn't have a flow gauge so the way locals measure the height is by how many boards or concrete blocks are submerged at the Maxfield take-out. There's lots of information on running the Duc, most of it talks about drift boats that flip and they are serious. Running the Duc at flows lower than 7 board is not recommended, the lower water makes the boulder fields even worse, higher flows pad the boulders a bit but speed things up. The Duc is a class 3. Ray and I have been on at least a dozen drifts this winter so I'm confident in his ability to survive and help me if I fail or I wouldn't have taken him. Bottom line - not the place to start.

The upper Cowlitz is an great run it has some of the best scenery in the state with some low class 2 sections at flows of 6,000 to 9,000 cfs. Yakbum and I ran it at 14,500 cfs and it was a bit too fast for productive fishing. I put together a video of kayak fishing the upper Cowlitz () if you have 15 mins to kill.

If your looking for a good learning river I'd suggest the 2nd Cowlitz run (from Blue Creek down), Nisqually or Snoqualmie. I don't know the Humptulips and Satsop but I hear they have some mellow runs too.
Sponsors:
Werner Paddles, RAM Mounts and Kokatat Waterwear

AOTY wins: 2013 (2049 points), 2015 (2026 points)


 

anything