This trip was just Dan {Eddy Rider} and myself {Fish Tank}. We were doing an overnight paddle through areas south of our normal range. Under normal flow rate there's some sketchy boulderfields that expose at normal flow. We wanted to take the opportunity to fish these fields as drifting with our backs to them would be safe.
Immiedately into the run Dan hit a decent walleye that squirmed out of his grip while I was headed over to get an image. The smallies were also cooperating, but were smaller in size, until Dan hit this solid 16"er on a spook type plug woroking the surface.
As you may see we were pre-frontal, and there was drizzle with thundershowers forcast well north of us.
We worked through the boulder field and hit some active fish. We passed off a few boaters who were fishing, and all complained about a slow bite and small 8"-10" fish. We weren't finding it to be a slow bite... must have been the kayaks.
Given the weather forecast and that we were going to be on an island where the water coming through is shallow and boulder strewn, it serves as a barrier to most boats, save those with jets or or airboats. We boogied to get there and took a route that is usually to exposed to paddle through. Good times on the yak...
not to mention this is the backwater to the island we were to camp on and the flyrod was calling to me.
So we pulled up, unloaded the camp gear, got the tent set and while Dan was setting up the "kitchen" and prepping the percolator, I grabbed this shot to show the boat barrier that had our names all over it...
Notice the current seam right next to shore. That's an eddy and I had a solid smallie throw my shallow running crank, on my first speculation cast. I was horsed, so I grabbed the flyrod and began swinging the tip of the island where both channels converge. Again, I had a smallie whack my fly at my feet and go aerial, and spit it back at me. Both Dan's and my mojo was workin'.
This is where the trip went down hill, actually off the cliff.
I was mid flycast ready dump an 80' cast to swing the island tip. I noticed Dan on his cell. The next thing I hear is Dan say "Ok. we'll break camp and be off the water as soon as possible...", in a hurried unsettled voice that was not his normal tone. My heart sank, not because I was going to have to leave the grounds, but because there was some sort of emergency and we were going to have to paddle, in the dark and through rather unfamiliar water because of the flow rate, and how things have changed because of it. We were in the process of speculating on an additional 6miles of river to add to our repetoire. Camp was set, and so to was the sun.
Dan's mother-in-law was at a relative's house for dinner, when she passed out in her chair and lost color. Luckily a doctor was at dinner with them and he took over. We got the panicked call while the ambulance was in route. We were an easy 10miles from the take out and Dan needed to be home as there is his 11 year old son in the mix who witnessed everything that transpired at dinner.
Dan said "Dude we have to paddle." I said "let's get it done." I was by no means thrilled about a night paddle through 10miles of river we haven't seen after the heavy summer flows, and weren't going to this night. So we fell into rank. In these situations there's only one captain, and that's Dan. I was on point as first mate. We attacked the tent. I loaded my yak, then I ferried gear to Dan's yak while he packed up the kitchen. We broke camp in 10minutes and had the yaks loaded.
This was the last image I could take because of light level. The weather in the background didn't help our outlook either...
In the process of breaking camp Dan kept apologizing for having to be in this situation. While this was not comfortable for me, I don't panic. I looked at this situation as if it was a fare who received this call and determined they needed to be off the water, in route to their loved ones in crisis. I never ever advocate paddling the likes of the Susquehanna river in the dark, but we need to be able to do it.
We saddled up and put the paddles in the drink. We had about 3miles of flat water to cover before we had to make our first decision, which was what side of the island do we wish to take, as both sides were rapids. We opted for the left, and quieter side of the two, and we were quickly in swells. On the smooth water Dan and I determined that we paddle abreast no more than 2 paddle lengths apart. We kept constant chatter verifying what we were seeing. "You dude, you see that texture? Boulder or wind?" I'd say. Dan would reply "I see it, boulder." Right as we hit the rapids at the island Dan had me fall in behind him with no more than a yak length away. He kept me abreast of what was coming and I kept replying so he knew I was there. We did have moon light which greatly aided in seeing water texture.
We got through that and paddled more smooth water at a maintaneable pace but careful not to go too hard so we didn't get shut down with fatigue. There's fine lines. Before we knew it we were again into quick moving water and swells. I came in behind Dan and before we knew it were through the last of the rapids. We stayed on the paddle through the remainder of the run, and evntually saw the bridge in the distance where the take out is. All said and done we covered 10miles of dark river in under 2hours from the time we got the call. That was the last time I'll complain about the high flow rate. This paddle would have been ten times more treacherous in a normal flow, what with the exposed boulders in the rapids.
We hurriedly unpacked the yaks, put them on my rig which was the takeout vehicle, and got back to the put in for the main rig. We got to the house where I hung with the 11year old while Dan went to the hospital.
I'm relieved to say that Dan's mother-in-law is doing well and the doctors have been doing a battery of tests. She is still in the hospital awaiting the results.
While we did what we had to do, I never want to paddle that river in the dark again. There were downed trees so large that they looked like islands in the night. Water lapping in my cockpit through the rapids is not fun either in the dark.
So at this point stay tuned because Friday Dan and I are getting back out to actually fish the water we paddled through yet couldn't see.
Tightlines and safe Paddlin' All!!
Fish Tank