Dry Falls road/launch

Buzzy

Buzzy

wannabe legend
Forum Supporter
I don't know how many forum members have fished the giant cataract lake this year. If so, what did you think of the road? I would advise using a rig with more ground clearance than a Prius. To put it mildly, the road SUCKS! This sign is an understatement.

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And then there's the launch.

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It's a tad skinny but by standing in my pram and using one oar, alternating from side to side, I was able to "row" out easily. Cake walk coming back in with the trolling motor.

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I was able to line the boat trailer just to the right of the paint scraping rock on the launch both when deploying and retrieving; no paint scraped. I wore my pant waders so I could wade out in that muck to guide the pram up onto the trailer and then pull it to its resting position.

A close up of the HULL SCRATCHER:

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I didn't lose any paint today, didn't break the UHMW wear strip on the boat's keel but I did have to wash the algae off.


I wonder how in the world we can get the state park system to at least dump some crushed rock at the launch to basically cover that damn big rock? Anyone want to take the challenge to push improvements forward?

Report: It rained hard off and on (Yippee!!), it was 45°F when I launched. Flat calm with the occasional slight chop. The water was 52.3°F, some algae (as you can see) but I could see bottom in about 10-feet of water. I saw a few tiny chironomids, two fish rise. Indicator fishing: ZIP. Intermediate line: 5 for 9 with a size 14 squirrel tail nymph (it used to be a soft hackle):

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Two of these:

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The rest of the fish were rainbows varying in size from 10" to 17". I did hook a couple fish casting/counting down my type-5 full sink.

One more time: Anyone feel like taking on the challenge of getting the state to do some minor improvements of this launch?

Regards/Pat
 
I hit that road on my e-bike this summer in the dark. Was camping w/ family and they had all gone to bed. I wasn't tired yet, so figured I'd head back there from the park and check it out in the dark.

For what it's worth, while that road completely sucks in a 4 wheeled vehicle, it's quite fun on an e-bike with suspension. Especially under the stars.

I do however share your dislike for that frigging rock. Ugh. Can't the launch just move over a few feet?

Nice browns! It's been a while since I've pulled a brown or TT from there.
 
I took my Highlander hybrid in and out (slowly and carefully) about 4 times on a trip earlier this year. I scraped the underside once on a high spot, but no damage as far as I can tell. I doubt if that road will improve on its own, so no more trips for the Toyota. I'll use my Chevy 2500 next time.
 
Long_Rod_Silvers said:
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Actually I think there's more to it than "no budget"
Long_Rod_Silvers said:
I hit that road on my e-bike this summer in the dark. Was camping w/ family and they had all gone to bed. I wasn't tired yet, so figured I'd head back there from the park and check it out in the dark.

For what it's worth, while that road completely sucks in a 4 wheeled vehicle, it's quite fun on an e-bike with suspension. Especially under the stars.

I do however share your dislike for that frigging rock. Ugh. Can't the launch just move over a few feet?

Nice browns! It's been a while since I've pulled a brown or TT from there.
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My pram weighs maybe 80 pounds with the oars tied down inside the boat, the trailer has leaf springs so the damn trailer and boat bounces like crazy. I think there's about 1.7 miles of "unimproved" (ROUGH ;)) road; it took me just over 16 minutes from Umatilla trail head to the 'launch'.
 
Hey Buzzy, great report and I agree with your assessment of the road and that dang rock.

It was slow going for me with the pop-up camper and the trailered Jon boat. I had plenty of time mulling over the benefits of a rough road, and then a big Mercedes RV and trailered 12 Smoker Craft made its way to the lake. WT heck!? They were not happy to learn it was “No Worms” lake.

If you take up a petition with the State, I’m happy to help however I can.
 
We drove that road in my wife's Prius sometime this past spring. She has a surprisingly cavalier attitude about bottoming that thing out. If it were my car, I'd hate mistreating it like that. So it is do-able, but not recommended. That road would be a tough fix. If it keeps the riffraff factor down, I'd consider it a decent tradeoff.
 
Nice report! @Buzzy didn't mention that he's already met with the park superintendent at the "launch" a few years ago to discuss the situation, but nothing was ever done by the park/state. What makes it more frustrating is that nearby Deep Lake (also in the park) has a super nice, concrete boat launch and paved parking. Why can't the fly casters at least get a few truckloads of gravel for the "launch?"
 
Ought to just take matters into our own hands. Ought to rally the community up get a guy with a big bulldozer or whatever to get in there and just CONSTRUCT a new launch. They couldn't get it done for us so we're gettin it done for OURSELVES!! local volunteer construction crew type deal. Willing to say ah hell witb the law.
 
_WW_ said:
Sounds and looks like the same old place. Improve it too much and it'll become a swimming hole
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There was a family of three swimming at the launch in June when I came off the lake late in the afternoon. Mom was more than a little bit on the big side and barely fit in her swimsuit. I can't unsee that, unfortunately. The kid came out with a couple of leeches crawling on his shoulder. That didn't bother him at all, and Dad just pulled them off and tossed them back. I was impressed by the kid!.
 
The road is rough, true. The launch is nearly unusable. The rock, the waist deep water immediately next to the shore, and the narrow split in the weeds just barely wide enough for my Southfork, it could stand some upgrades. I’m in if I can help, Pat. Mighty tough to get Parks to do much.
 
@Buzzy - I am curious, when you met with the superintendent about the launch site, what did he/she say?

Wearing my retired state worker that managed lakes and wetlands hat - my first thought is that the act of dumping gravel in the spot would probably require a 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. They were never my favorite permitting outfit to work with...
 
RRSmith said:
@Buzzy - I am curious, when you met with the superintendent about the launch site, what did he/she say?

Wearing my retired state worker that managed lakes and wetlands hat - my first thought is that the act of dumping gravel in the spot would probably require a 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. They were never my favorite permitting outfit to work with...
Click to expand...
@Evan B - if you don't want links to the former site, delete

@RRSmith - some history:

www.washingtonflyfishing.com

Dry Falls boat launch improvements - private funding...

Dry Falls opens March 1st - the boat launch looks like this: The channel between the reeds/bulrushes is maybe 7 - 8 feet wide. There's room at the shore for one boat at a time to stage and launch. Launching with a row boat - stand up and paddle. Not enough width to row. Fins, electric motor...
www.washingtonflyfishing.com www.washingtonflyfishing.com
 
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