John Day Float, Service Creek to Clarno, 2016
So much for plans. The plan was to take advantage of spring flows and spend Memorial Day weekend on the North Fork John Day. Well, spring must have ended a few days early, the snowpack was gone and the flow dropped like a rock during the week leading up to the launch. The night before departure the flow dropped below 800 cfs and we pulled the plug and looked downstream for an alternative. Friday we found ourselves at Service Creek and off we went.
Service Creek to Clarno is a popular float for Memorial Day, the flows are usually good and the weather hasn’t turned out quite too hot yet. This is the perfect recipe for crowds. Fishing wasn’t red hot the first day but there were definitely bass to be found. (more…)