Watauga Float - June 29

Started by Woolly Bugger, June 30, 2006, 13:01:52 PM

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Woolly Bugger

the river was back down to a normal flow with a slight green cast. I was a lot clearer than we had anticipated due to the recent rains. We floated from the put-in below Elizabethon and floated through the trophy section. My son joined me reluctantly, his ideal summer vacation involves sleeping till 11 and the 6 AM wake-up call put him in a teenage mood. I tossed a bunny leach for a while and then switched over to the standard double nymph watauga rig. I foul hooked four bows in a row. Now these 22 ~ 24 nymphs were just outside of the mouth, left right, up and down... It was not until the fifth fish that I actually got a decent hook set only to be followed by yet another foul hooked fish. Yikes. The fish just weren't hitting and things were pretty slow for much of the float. Even "productive" runs and eddies proved to be difficult. Chris caught a couple but was bored and ended up having more fun rowing the raft. "Guide in Training".

Long day with a couple of half decent fish but not exactly what I had dreamed about the night before.....

Note: Always take a picture of the first fish (they just might be the best fish of the day ;) )
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

DarrinG

I'm planning a trip to the Watauga tailwater in about 2 weeks. I've floated it before but never down through the "trophy" section. I've been Hunter Bridge down to River Ridge campground but never past the campground. This trip I am going to float from Blevins road TWRA put-in down to the twin bridges take-out through the trophy section. What is the water like from the campground down? I will have one of my daughters on my toon (ages 7 and 11), so I dont want to get them into any very rough water. Is it a relatively easy float from the campground on down to the take-out?

Thanks in advance!  :)

Woolly Bugger

There are a couple off rapids to get through, the caddis riffles, the ledges and a couple of others...nothing bigger that what you've seen on the way down to river ridge. I've never rowed it. There are few spots were some serious oar work is necessary. Last week a couple and there dog took the trip from River Ridge to the take-out in an inflatable duckie...

Chris was 9 the first time he floated the Watauga that was back in 03 with Jason Reep. This past week we floated with Marty (tri-state angler)

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2003
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

DarrinG

Thats a cool picture.... 0--0

Thanks for the info. I take it my 1220 will have no problems getting through.


kylemc

Darrin it is not tough at all.There are a couple spots where you have to ferry but not far.It is not a technical river for the oars at all. Have fun!

                                                                Kyle

DarrinG

#5
Kyle, what do you mean by "ferry"? Portage the boat around something? I hope not, I cant pick my boat up and carry it by myself, LOL!

I'm used to floating rock gardens and some chutes and such on smallmouth rivers, but on this trip I'll have one of my young daughters on board and dont wanna get them into anything too rough. I've floated the Watauga down to the campground but never below. That's the section I am wondering about (below the campground to the twin-bridges take-out). If I was going alone or with an adult, I wouldnt even ask, but dont wanna get a child into something I wish I hadnt. :o

marty

only one spot with any rapids at all and thats going into the "goat hole" not bad just a little rapida take it river left and in a pontoon shouldn't be any problem
Marty Shaffner
Tri-State Angler Guide Service
www.tristateangler.com