Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: canuckjgc on January 21, 2009, 02:29:56 PM
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Hi all -- I'm still planning to take my 18ft square stern canoe (with 40" beam) up Pitt Lake to the Pitt River. With a 5hp it goes 11mph+ so should take 1.5 hours or so according to Google Earth. I know that the lake can get rough but the canoe is very stable and seaworthy and I'd keep a keen ear and eye out for weather changes. I don't think taking this canoe is as risky as some people say it is.
My question is this: once at the Pitt River, could I expect to motor-up to the first sandy beach (about .5 mile in according the map)? Surely it's deep enough for my canoe and 5hp prop? I'd then want to get out of the boat and fish from shore.
Thoughts?
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keep dreaming..
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Why? River too fast or? I've never been there, obviously
keep dreaming..
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That system is a lot more dangerous than you are giving it credit. For someone who's never been up there I'd listen to what others are telling you. I would never risk my life in a canoe up there, but it's your choice.
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there was 4 , 18-20 foot boats that sank on that river last year. in the past several years there has been several deaths.
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I have never done it, but a friend of mine who is a very experience canoe'r explained that the danger on Pitt is when the chop picks up (which it definately does) that getting dropped on one of the many dead-heads can tip you over very easily... Sounds logical to me. At the very least get some good charts and find out where you can safely go from someone who has done it before.
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The mouth of the river (head of the lake) is very shallow, mostly sand and gravel and there is no real way to tell how deep the water is because of the colour (glacier run-off)
I would not attempt it with a prop. EVER! Period!
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Ok thanks for the information. You've talked me out of it -- fishing isn't worth that kind of risk.
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hay canuckjgc Ive been up there many times in my 18 foot alum and i wouldn't recamend going anywhere near the mouth without a jet boat, fast water and lots of dead heads,not too mention that the fishing down there isn't all that great.When Ive gone up there i tie up too the gov dock and ride my mountain bike down the flat logging road, unfortunately the access is limited until you get about 8km in .Ive found the fishing best between the pitt river lodge and the canyon,but with the winter weave had the roads probably only been cleared as far as the hatchery.If you really want too go i would recamend booking a weekend at the lodge and they will pick you up at grant narrows and drive you up the river when you get there,good luck...............
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i saw on google earth , theres roads and like 3 parking lots on the first 1or 2 kms of the river , so does anybody know how to get to the parking lot, or the roads leading to the parking lot?
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I've taken a 12' canoe with a 1 1/2 hp motor up there a few times. The problems are there when the tide is low and the wind is up. Also the level of the river above Pitt lake. As your not doing high speed down that river like a jet boat, it's like any other river in a canoe. Depends on your experience. It's a long haul though but lots of places to stop along the way if you have to. The wind can make it a nasty winter trip. Be prepared to paddle or push the canoe over shallow spots on the upper river. Makes a nice summertime trip. Only Lobster up there no crabs.
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Thanks all. Guess I'm looking at a second boat. Most economical seems to be a used Zodiac inflatable (13') with a 25hp jet. Surely this rig would be suitable for going up the river, yes?
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Experienced guides in full-sized jetboats get into trouble up there sometimes....you have no experience. Find a guide, book a trip........Gary at Riverside goes there quite often.
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An inflatable with a 25hp jet won't be doing 40mph either -- I think it would be quite capable. It's pretty tough to sink an inflatable on a river!
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Honestly, that's pretty paranoid. I don't need to fly up the river with that setup -- I'll be able to see sweepers going about 7mph and flipping an inflatable is nearly impossible.
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That's really a goofy analogy. Inflatables are made for rivers.
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like blinky said get a guide for the first time or like i said go too the lodge if you can ,that way theres no suprises and you get too fish all the best water .Its also a very long day trip for this time of year,dark at four thirty,so if you can go for a few days . And too the guy looking too go crabbing its all fresh water zero crab .
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That's really a goofy analogy. Inflatables are made for rivers.
::) so are 18'-22' aluminum jet boats with 240-400 HP with EXPERIENCED operators who are skilled enough to run that river. But like I said go have fun! Oh and you wont be doing 7 MPH running downstream LMFAO youre going to want to be on plane haha.
Why would I need to be on plane? Burping the jet provides good steering. Also, a large inflatable with a decent set of oars is a great drift boat.
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god forbid someone would go to the upper pitt without paying a guide. It seems to me that the upper pitt has been, for lack of a better term " privatized" which is a shame in my opinion. There is danger in any such adventure(hence it being called an adventure) I would go for it if i were you, just be cautious and you should be fine.
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Simple solution is to take your inflatable up to the dock at the top of the lake and then ride a bike along the road for 12km with gear on your back. That's what I've done. A hell of a lot safer than running the river in any boat. But seriously, if you ask for advice atleast listen.
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Amen brother. No fun without adventure.
god forbid someone would go to the upper pitt without paying a guide. It seems to me that the upper pitt has been, for lack of a better term " privatized" which is a shame in my opinion. There is danger in any such adventure(hence it being called an adventure) I would go for it if i were you, just be cautious and you should be fine.
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I like this a lot. If the river is too mean, just ride.
Simple solution is to take your inflatable up to the dock at the top of the lake and then ride a bike along the road for 12km with gear on your back. That's what I've done. A hell of a lot safer than running the river in any boat. But seriously, if you ask for advice atleast listen.
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Have you found that boats are safe while docked? I don't want someone cutting the lock on my shiny new outboard and zipping away...
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Paranoia is right....
it's all about calculated risks. He did ask for advice on a simple question and the answer should have been "yes, but it is dangerous water"...let the guy make up his own mind whether he wants to risk it or not, or for him whether it is a good idea or not. Personally I think braving it in a small inflatable with a jet would be a blast.
Live a little, take some risks, be careful doing what you're doing and know what you're getting into....life is more fun that way.
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I like the bike idea, and have wanted to try that for a while... unfortunately, I am always too busy while out there. If you do get out there on you're bike, take some photos for those of us stuck at a desk all day :-\
Theres supposed to be a full section of land (irregular shaped I would imagine) up there for sale if you can scrape together the $9.5 million... might make a nice base for further fishing expeditions. :o
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While we're on the topic, has anyone tried/considered a tunnel hull jon with a prop engine, low water intake and transom jack? Seems like such a rig could run shallow, and be decent on the lake in some chop (without the cavitation problems of a jet).