Heading to forks for the weekend. Bringing my 14' cataraft.
Wanted to try floating the lower sol duc. Part fishing, part snorking for lures (the wife enjoys this a lot).

I'm very familiar with the bank portion of this stretch (I grew up in forks) but I haven't floated it. I'm a little hesitant to do it given some of what I've heard but summer seemed the safest time. I figured I can always just get out and wade/walk the boat down w/ a rope.

Float resume (each done quite a few times):
Bogi - 101 to 3 rivers
Sol duc - Maxfield to Whitcomb dimmel.
Kalama Red barn to i5.
Nisqually
Cowlitz
Quillayute

Is this a terrible idea?

Thanks for the input.

Pretty easy water. Im not sure what it looks like at the bridge over the duc at the takeout, last winter there was a log right through the main flow that was a boat sinker. scout that for sure unless someone else chimes in and has seen it recently.
Other than that its mostly a moving lake down there.

Was just there last weekend pretty skinny probably do a little dragging and oar banging.
Salmon hatchery to maxfeild would where I'd go with a good supply of #3 spinners and stealth.

I did that float back in May when it was skinny in a 16' glass DB and regretted it. I'd imagine it would be even worse now. We essentially lined the boat down one rapid, broke a rod on a branch shooting another, and had to get out and walk the boat about 1/4 mile total at other times while struggling to keep our footing on slime covered rocks and boulders. Huge PITA.

That noted, I typically only float that section in a raft or pontoon boat so I'm not an expert in doing it in DB in low flows. Indeed, while bank fishing the next day I was shocked to see a guide going down the same section in an aluminum DB with 2 big guy clients. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Good luck and be safe.

That stretch has a handful of pretty good rapids, but this time of year they will be runs of really big boulders with very little water between them...I doubt you will have any trouble with water, except for the lack of it in a lot of places.

Lining the boat down will probably look a lot more like dragging it down in a few spots, but you should have no trouble with a rubber boat.

Fish on...

Todd

I've learned some lessons...

-Only float it if you know someone else has recently done the same float.
-If the river splits scout all the way down. (regardless of how tired you are)

After talking to a friend of mine I decided to float hatchery to maxfield, instead of the lower river. What better opportunity to see water I may not feel comfortable doing at normal flows. (dumb)

Some highlights:
Wife was literally rammed by a few salmon while walking down various rapids. I was startled multiple times by the same thing.

Tested out a new lure recovery tool. An extension pole with a 175lb pull magnet on the end. Worked really well.

Took the wrong path down a fork and pushed/pulled the cataraft down this:


Hooked a few fish, didn't land anything. Fishing was real tough with sun on the water.

I know that spot. Really looks like you should go left from the top, but nope. That's the sort of thing that keeps me OFF the oars when I'm on the Sol Duc.

Good thing you were in a rubber boat, eh?

Cool report.

Pretty sure an old PP member accidentally ran his new Willie down that side at winter flows quite a while back.

lol

I remember that. I don't think he had any fun going down that side, either.

Schit happens. There is one of those, times ten, on the Bear Creek run... picture that, only with raging water thru boulders three times bigger than those...yeah, I went the wrong way the first time.

Anyone who has been on Bear Creek knows the spit, and if they went the right way the first time it's only because someone showed them...worst "fool me" spot...ever!

Fish on...

Todd

The first time I went down the hatchery run on the Duc Toff took some bullchit side channel @ oh sh!t corner and perfectly broadsided a rock and showed me what not to do in a hard boat as I was behind in my 2nd boat.... I'd like to thank Ryley and Todd again for leaving me behind a few times in few rapids that day.

Another good trip/blind corner on a sunny afternoon is rvrside float and the sun glare a good mile up from the take out... Tony remember that fun portage?

Ya ya looks like if we hug the shoreline to the left we'll be fine! NOT!
Good thing it was at 9 boards or we'd be more screwed than we were. Still not sure how we got the boat through?

I should have taken a pic at the maxfield launch, it was running about -2. Not dangerous cause you could wade the whole thing but definitely tiring.

After seeing it in the summer I wouldn't try it without being able to follow someone down. Also a few sweepers that will probably get knocked out at the first high water.

Ah, such sweet memories.

Hope to revisit a few of them before too much longer.

The OP has missed you, Coley! Get back down here this winter :-)

Fish on...

Todd

The first time I ever went down that drift I took that channel in my 18' Eastside. Kalamabama was on shore scouting and I made one of the biggest Fup's ever by passing him. He followed me and I don't know why. It was getting late and we were pretty tired. That was the only time in that boat that I was pretty sure I was going to die. I was ready to jump out and abandon the boat. Fortunately one of my buddy's (Hi CB) was wearing chest waders and worked us most of the through. On the final push we got wedged between two rocks with the bow pointing down. I thought it was game over, but we rocked it a couple times and popped out and over the last three foot drop. I remember asking B if he was scared and telling him he was a fool if he wasn't ;-)

Wait....what? How many other boats have you thought you were going to die in?