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OnTheFly
It's been nearly ten years since I floated this river with a group of pontooner's. We shuttled up from Haritage far enough to give us a full day of fishing. I would like to float this stretch again or a different one. Here's where my line of questioning comes in; for the life of me, I cannot remember where we put in for that particular float. I recall a small parking area and a ramp, and it was maybe a thirty minute drive, that's all I know. So I need someone familiar with the area to inform me with various float options. A little schooling with fishing options are welcome too
What is your experience level? I have a few floats, they are quite mellow; but produce fish.
Personally I would float the Middle Fork of the Willamette...less pressure and nicer Trout, Steelhead and Boots if you like them.
Chuck
A very popular float that can be milked for a long time but is only a couple miles is between Rennie and Silver. I can never remember which is upstream and which is down but you could lock a bike at the take out and ride it up to the put in to get your rig. I do this all the time between Island and D on the Willamette. In general there aren't too many difficult areas on the upper Mckenzie but I'd avoid floating past Ben and Dorris Kay Park because the rapids just below that is pretty killer. Below leaburg I really like Bellinger to Hayden Bridge. There is nothting in that float that would cause you any trouble...tho you should still always be careful.
i think that the most relaxed, easily axccesed, and lots o' fish is the float from hayden bridge to armatege, or you can shorten it and put in at marshal landing depending on how long you want to be on the water, hayden to armatage is about 2 hrs with no stops, but put in and marshal and it would be about an hour with no stops, plenty of soft water and tons of holes....dont work my spots over too hard....lol
i think that the most relaxed, easily axccesed, and lots o' fish is the float from hayden bridge to armatege, or you can shorten it and put in at marshal landing depending on how long you want to be on the water, hayden to armatage is about 2 hrs with no stops, but put in and marshal and it would be about an hour with no stops, plenty of soft water and tons of holes....dont work my spots over too hard....lol
I haven't done the float but there are a few ramps to put in and take out i'll start downstream and work up. Armatige, harvest lane, hayden bridge, right above hayden is one big rapid, ballenger, and then more farter up but i think the farther up you go the more rapids you run into. you could float down from ballenger and take the toon out and carry it down the bank right before hayden and then maybe even float down to harvest. I think hayden to harvest is a 2 hour float at the most. see people do it all the time in the summer. You could put in at hayden and float to armatige and i bet that could be an all dayer fishing. Oh just noticed you said above leaburg. I have no idea up there.
Well I did some recon and what that little birdy neglected to tell me is that the steelhead that are currently in the river have 2 years or more before I want them on my line anymore. Some one played an April fools joke on me...Alittle birdy told me that there may just be summers in the Mckenzie...