Big South Fork in McCreary County

[Coleman1]

Was up at Blue Huron today with no luck. Saw a couple of guys using worms and minnows, no luck for them either. Water was falling but still high and clearing. Threw almost everything in my takle box with no results.

[Tim_T]

It seems to me I read somewhere that you can do overnight canoe/fishing trips there. Is this true Coleman and if so, where can I find out about put in/take out spots. Thought this might be a cool trip for me and my son sometime, but don't really know the area. Any help is appreciated.

[condusivecranker]

I absolutely love this run, I've ran it for the past 7 years on Memorial Day. It is a beautful, scenic run with some good runs. If you put in at Station Camp near Bandy Creek, and take out at Blue Heron, it can be a great overnighter. The first few miles are deadwater, which makes for some good fishing, especally smallmouth. The rest of the run is through the "Shoals", and it is about a 5 mile strech dotted with a Class II run about every 100 yards. The only major hazard on the river in this strech is Devils Jump. It is a rapid where the 100 ft. wide 10 ft deep BSF churns itself through a 4 ft. wide, shallow chute. It is either a Class III or IV, depending on level, and is characterized by the lookout on the top of the mountain. If you dont know much about canoeing, it is a MUST portage, otherwise, it is a great whitewater rapid.
If you go from Leatherwood Ford Bridge to Blue Heron, I recomend 3 days. More dead water, more fishing oppurtuinties, but another hazard, Angel Falls, which is a man-made rapid when the TNFWR blasted a strech of river in the 20s to try to make a dam. It is a hazordus Class IV that is a MUST portage for most paddlers. Again, a overlook on the cliffs characterizes the portage.
All in all, i think you will be pleased with the run. Small, in-line spinnerbaits drifted over shallow rocks near riffles produces the most fish, and I have always had luck fishing nightcrawlers at night for catfish while camping. If you want to learn more, you can email me specific questions at [email protected]
Hope this helps

[markmac60]

Mighty fine report ..... sounds like a ball.

[Coleman1]

You can find more information about the area from: http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/tntrails.htm

Good luck, it's a great area to visit and enjoy.

[Tim_T]

Thanks for the info Coleman and condusivecranker. I have been in the area once, but only for a half day. I did fish Rock Creek for trout when I was there and it was good. I am going to make it a point to get me and my son out there this summer.

[condusivecranker]

TimT--
I would keep a watchful eye about a week out of going. Get on the USGS website and keep an eye on the river flow out of Leatherwood Ford, TN. It is a fairy steep gorge with a rather large watershed, so flash flooding is probally the number one source of injuries on the river. I wouldnt run it any lower than 300 cfs, its a drag (no pun intended). 500-900 is good. Above 900 is a little hairy, especially for kids. The river has some huge rocks, some of which get submurged at that level, and the current can get very swirly. I remember being on it once around 1500 and got caught in something of a whirlpool where the river got a little swift around a slightly submurged rock. Slowly moving slackwater and we tipped over, never fun!
I've been on it as high as 5000, and that was a wild, wild ride. Devils Jump at that level was a terminal hole of death. Noone thought twice about going around it. So defeinetly make sure there are no major rains coming before or during your stay. The year I was on it at 5000, it started at 500, and went up to 5000 overnight, where we were camping, very little rain. A huge storm went just south with little notice.