# The real river of Hemmingway



## neazor91 (Aug 4, 2008)

After the last 2 or 3 years, I'd rethink the float idea. There's 3 times as many trees down as there was before. A couple of weeks ago, we had a lot of rain. I was up there last thursday. The high water from the rains caused more trees to come down and moved some big logs. Floating would be even more brutal than your last trip.

Mike


PunyTrout said:


> There is a report in the archives I posted a few years ago where we floated in between the campgrounds in a canoe. The amount of portages are brutal!
> 
> I would stilll like to do it again and bring a GPS unit to mark interesting spots to hike into when on foot.
> 
> You guys are free to use that idea for no additional charge BTW...


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

After hearing stories from Splitshot and some other guys that did the long floats, I never had the urge to go too far and kept my floats short there. Portage's are too much work for me for not much payback.

I do miss my float boats sometimes. Those were good times on the rivers.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

neazor91 said:


> After the last 2 or 3 years, I'd rethink the float idea. There's 3 times as many trees down as there was before. A couple of weeks ago, we had a lot of rain. I was up there last thursday. The high water from the rains caused more trees to come down and moved some big logs. Floating would be even more brutal than your last trip.
> 
> Mike


From what I saw I can't imagine trying to float it.


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

I hit that area pretty hard for a few years about 10-12 years ago. First time, no boat. Took a boat after that. Any which way you cut it, on foot or floating, it's not for the faint of heart. We even motored up the other branch. It's a cool system in a lot of ways, but for what you have to put into it, you better really, really, be into the journey.... I swear some of those holes on the main branch are downright intimidating.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

zig said:


> I hit that area pretty hard for a few years about 10-12 years ago. First time, no boat. Took a boat after that. Any which way you cut it, on foot or floating, it's not for the faint of heart. We even motored up the other branch. It's a cool system in a lot of ways, but for what you have to put into it, you better really, really, be into the journey.... I swear some of those holes on the main branch are downright intimidating.


Yeap, very deep and narrow.


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

Forgot to add this in my early post..

Years back on the day I caught my biggest brookie, I had another special moment. Later during my float I heard something in the woods, once, twice and then I saw a full grown bear. I turned the sticks up to a higher speed and could hear him still following. Finally I realized my wife had packed me a half slab of ribs we'd smoked in camp the day before. I tossed the package on his side of the bank and started rowing harder. He stopped but I didn't! Not for a half hour anyway. I didn't mind going hungry that day.

Anyone else ever see a bear fishing the river?


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Don't feel bad Steve, there are no fish in that river anyway.


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