Hardest Stream/River to Wade?

[turkey]

This has probably been hashed out numerous times on PAFF but the broken rod thread got me thinking, what's the most difficult stream (you've expereinced) to stay upright in? I've seen rods broken on Penns from a fall. I saw a tumble in a canyon in Idaho that made me ponder how far we were from emergency services. I've heard stories of amish clothes being purchased when an angler fell in, had no spare clothes, but had to get back to the creek because a hatch was coming off. I'll say that the Madison was the hardest wading I've ever experienced. Like walking on greased bowling balls as they say. What say yinz?

 

[wildtrout2]

The Lehigh...

Edit: Only fished it twice, but that's all it took.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

The rocks on BFC can be slicker than chicken sh*t on a tin roof. I'd also throw Elk Creek-Centre County in the mix too.

 

[vealboy]

Hayes Creek,Carbon Co,I watched a guy almost go down 3 times this past sunday.Stream was raging.

 

[Swattie87]

Lehigh River. Mods can just lock the thread.

In PA, there isn’t really a close second in terms of size/danger/gradient. Yough maybe, I guess.

Then after that IMO is a big drop off to streams like Penns, LJR, and BFC in their respective “Narrows” or “Gorge” sections. Outside of those areas they’re a lot more manageable.

If the Lehigh is a 10 in terms of wading difficulty, the Yough would be a 9. Then it would drop to like a 6 IMO for the above mentioned grouping of streams.

Small, steep streams can be dangerous too (like Black/Hayes mentioned above) but they’re much easier to stay out of and find ways around obstacles by keeping both of your feet on dry land.

In all of the above it’s important to recognize when flows are too high and unsafe. They’re all dangerous if you’re fishing them when it’s unsafe to do so.

 

[JLB]

The Lehigh...

Edit: Only fished it twice, but that's all it took.

Never thought I needed a wading staff until the Lehigh.

 

[Bamboozle]

That fact that I have never waded the Lehigh means it wins...

...or I am a pu$$y but either way, I vote the Lehigh. 😉

 

[Drifly]

No doubt, hands down whether in the east or west. It’s the Ausable in upstate NY.

 

[krayfish2]

No contest, Lehigh for me.

Honorable mention to worst wading list:
Yough
Susky
Little J

Annoying to wade list:
Letort
BFC narrows
Penns

 

[troutbert]

The Lehigh Gorge is the Beast of the East.

The Yough is the Worst of the West.

These are two DANGEROUS places, even at medium flows.

It's not a coincidence that these are two of the most popular white-water boating destinations in PA.

 

[JimNovo]

I’ll defer to everyone saying Lehigh as I have not fished it….but there seems to be a consensus.

On water I have fished….gotta be Penns. Even at low flows, the scum builds and you slip from foothold to foothold. Only water I have fished that I won’t enter without a wading staff.

 

[smoothop]

Big Hole River... From Wise River to Melrose. MT. Perfectly round bowling ball size rocks.... Also in the canyon the rocks on the banks are precariously balanced....... and the rattlesnakes are numerous.....

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Tellin ya stony creek is a lower body destroyer worst in my lifelong experiences.greased bowling balls

 

[wcosner2]

The Delaware in the summer is definitely like walking on greased bowling balls but guess I need to go experience the Lehigh.

 

[tztrout]

Madison in the west, Lehigh in the east. Truth be told I’ve probably fallen in the Salmon River more then anywhere else!

 

[Clams]

Yep it's the Lehigh in the gorge. Deep dark fast slippery and cold.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Board,

Just a question for those who picked the Lehigh, what do you find so difficult about it? It gets my vote too, but I have a particular issue with the river that makes me vote that way.

Even when the river isn't huffing and puffing, the tannic water makes it almost impossible for me to see where the place I am standing descends into the abyss. It might be the only place I've never stumbled or fell when wading because I waded like a cat whose feet were in water.

I'll never forget the time we were fishing the Lehigh above White Haven near Wilmot Engineering. The Hendricksons were popping and my late friend Tony G was slaying them on wets while my brother Terry and I along with Tony's son Tony Jr were struggling to wade out to reach them with dries.

All of a sudden there was a loud curse word and a big splash as Terry fell in. Tony Jr busted out laughing and said, I can't use the actual words he said, but this should suffice, "Look at the fat SOB, he looks like a gigantic $%$#ing muskrat floatin' down da river."

I waded even more carefully after that.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[FlyGuy9]

The Lehigh.

 

[CalBar]

Dear Board,

Just a question for those who picked the Lehigh, what do you find so difficult about it? It gets my vote too, but I have a particular issue with the river that makes me vote that way.

Even when the river isn't huffing and puffing, the tannic water makes it almost impossible for me to see where the place I am standing descends into the abyss. It might be the only place I've never stumbled or fell when wading because I waded like a cat whose feet were in water.

I'll never forget the time we were fishing the Lehigh above White Haven near Wilmot Engineering. The Hendricksons were popping and my late friend Tony G was slaying them on wets while my brother Terry and I along with Tony's son Tony Jr were struggling to wade out to reach them with dries.

All of a sudden there was a loud curse word and a big splash as Terry fell in. Tony Jr busted out laughing and said, I can't use the actual words he said, but this should suffice, "Look at the fat SOB, he looks like a gigantic $%$#ing muskrat floatin' down da river."

I waded even more carefully after that.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Yep. Big rocks, swift current, zero visibility.

 

[ryansheehan]

North Branch of the potomac