West Branch of The Penobscot - Ping D LaCourse again

On Mar 1, 12:00*am, D. LaCourse wrote:
On 2011-02-28 09:32:38 -0500, riverman said:





On Feb 27, 9:02*pm, D. LaCourse wrote:
On 2011-02-26 21:48:05 -0500, riverman said:

On Feb 26, 12:51 am, flebow wrote:
MyronOn Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:02:33 -0800 (PST), riverman

wrote:
On Feb 25, 12:22 am, flebow wrote:
One last time
Dave
We have a choice of the East Outlet - Kennebec or the West Branch of
the Penobscot in July
Which is a prettier float? - or less people in July? or more
productive water?

Any idea?

Thanks
Fred

Fred: Which stretch of the West Branch? If you're floating down from
Pray's Campground, you will have several rapids to deal with, and a
long stretch of choppy water. Then a huge lake to paddle across. The
east outlet has more continuous current and a homogenous nature. Both
are great fishing, but the East Outlet has more little pockets. I
think you'd find the Penob has larger fish (thanks to the Deadwater),
but they are harder to find. East Outlet would be a more fun day,
imho.

--riverman
(ex-West Branch, East Outlet raft/canoe guide)

Riverman

Thanks
You and Dave have suggesed the East Outlet and that is where we are
going

Fred

Good call. We both neglected to mention the 80-100 commercial rafts
that will pass by you on the WB any given Saturday or Sunday....

--riverman

HUH? *I've fished the WB a number of times and have never seen that
many rafts. *The two times that I rafted it, we only saw one other raft
and it stayed anchored in the Big Eddy.

Dave

You must have been picking the best time of day, or week. About 80
rafts leave from the Dam each weekend morning between 8:30 and noon,
and another 50 depart each afternoon between 1 and 3. Considerably
fewer go downriver on the weekends. It's a major tourist industry in
them thar parts.You don't think Pray's campgrounds or Pray's Country
Store got so big on the occasional fisherman, do you? :-)

--riverman

Like I said, Myron, I saw no one rafting the three times I was there. *
The water between the dam and the Big Eddy would be ideal for rafting,
and farther down the river there are rapids (our guides made us walk
around them rather than go thru). *There were many fishermen camped at
Pray's (The Big Eddy Camp Ground), but no rafters. *There were quite a
few fishing the fast water above the Big Eddy, and no one below the
pool.

Perhaps, like the Rapid River, they have rafting week-ends where they
open the dam for some really high water. *I just didn't see it.

Our advise to Fred was good, however. *Given the choice, I would fish
the Kennebec out of Moosehead (East Outlet). *Never saw rafters there
either. *d;o)

Dave
(Taking the entire family (kids/sons-in-law, grandkids, nephew/niece,
dogs, kitandkabootle) rafting on the Rapid first week-end in August)

You picked good times to be on the Penob. Most of the rafting is on
weekends; something like 600 people on any summer Saturday go down
from the tailrace behind McKay station to below Abol bridge; it's a
huge production. I always felt bad for the fishermen I saw because I
knew my boat was about halfway through the flotilla. I can name every
one of those rapids in that 16 mile stretch; in fact I DID name one of
them, as it did not have a name on the maps before we started running
it in the late 70s, but now the maps show the title I gave it. BTW,
the boaters rarely stay at Prays; the outfitters put them up on their
own properties because they can sell them drinks and meals, too.

Rafts go down the East Outlet also; two, three times a year on the
multiday trips, so you would probably never see any there unless you
were there pretty much all the time, all season.

I also prefer the East Outlet over the West Branch....easier to move
around, and more secluded.

--riverman