Has any one ever floated the Sky from High bridge to Sultan. I have a fifteen foot Hyde low profile and have only floated from sultan down before. Is there anything to be aware of or is this a good float. I know the river will be up because of the rain.Thanks in advance. I hope the Chum come in behind this rain, the silvers in the sky have everyone I have seen or talked to on the river scrathching there heads. Nothing like a big dumb aggresive chum to put a smile on a guys face.

The Highbridge to Sultan take out is a very nice float!
But you need to be extremely careful when you get down into Startup.
There is a three finger dikes stick out into the main channel in Startup. Thanks to the railroad company.
During high water like it is now, the force of flow is very strong and very swirly and you don't want to get caught in that swirling current.
When the river flow is low like in the summer then it becomes very easy.
I'll be floating that stretch this Saturday.
If you want to follow me you're more than welcome!

Three finger dikes can I watch........

Summer-Run has it right. Three fingered rip rap can be a hazard at higher flows (3000cfm and up). Lower flows than that and it is no problem. If in doubt, line your boat through. Once you put in under the bridge, start back rowing to slow yourself for the first hard right. After the big pool, stay hard left down through the rock garden. From there on out it's business as usual. As with any river, at the split, stay to the split with the most flow. There are a couple spots that will leave you in a gravel bar dead end if you don't.

Kyle is absolutely accurate on the first fast water below the high bridge under the rail tracks.
Fish that tail out right after you make that first hard right.
I've many fish in that tail and the deep pool.

Misplaced,

Kyle and Summer do well to point out the first drop into the Big Eddy, especially for those with low profile or overstuffed boats. It can get pretty squirrelly down in there and you don't want to suck water or end up on the right side of the rock garden. It's very tempting to start out down the middle and try to cut across the eddy to the right. Not a great idea with a LP. Ease on down the left and track the seam all the way through and you'll be fine.

I'd tell you to check out the deep back eddies just past the Big Eddy for silvers but unfortunately I've never done that well on them or found any really bright ones up that high myself. Sky chums on the other hand are a flaming blast. But it might be just a tad early yet. Typically most of them are down pretty low on that drift around the Wallace. Let us know if their in yet.

It's a beautiful float. If it was as productive as the lower section I'd float it more myself. I know there is something to be said for quality over quantity but I can't stop looking for both.

I saw a guy lose his clack in that section. Right below the put in, it's got an unusual pull to the right, you'll undercompensate because it doesn't look fast. Next thing you know you're too far over and you'll be saying oh f@#$. Same as above, stay left. I don't know how experienced you are, but there's a few other spots I've seen yahoo's NEARLY lose their boats in. The fishing isn't as good as below, might as well stay below. Plus it takes forever and a day to fish it effectively.

Mooch, I float this one all the time to stay out of the crowds. It is much less productive, you are correct. I like my solitude though. It's a beautiful float, even if you don't touch a fish.

I floated this stretch a couple of weeks ago for the first time since June. The last few times I remember comenting on how it seems the river is filling in. This last time the river was at 1300cfs (which is a decent flow for the upper stretch) and most of the slots were shallow. I kept looking forward to the "next hole" only to find it had changed. Have any of you noticed this stretch filling in?

I noticed some huge changes last time I went. It had been almost a year since I had last drifted it. I like this drift even in the very low flows of summer. I don't mind dragging my boat a couple times. It's very peaceful. As several of us have stated, it's not the most productive stretch on this river, but that's what makes it the road less traveled. All good.

Amen Kyle. But we could be in a pretty small minority that thinks that there might be something more to fishing than just catching. That stretch undoubtedly one of the most scenic and secluded urban drifts around. If it produced better it would be a different story. Thank goodness for dead-heading brats and Reiter to take the pressure off.

Kyle and Mooch

We don't catch but a few winter run brats a year on that float but it sure is pretty.

Try it sometime when there is snow on the ground.

1300 cubic is a near impossibility on this drift. There's a few sections that are literally impossible to pass without dropping off your passengers. I remember in years past taking this drift at 1000 cubic and doing better than I did last week at 1800.

I can't wait for 30 degree temperatures and snow covered river banks!!
Them winter runs will crush my plugs!
Oh it so beautiful when everything is covered with snow and hardly any boat traffic on the river!

Queets

I've done that float at 400 CFS in August and never had to dump off a passenger. Got to love a glass Lavro

I've got a glass Lavro. I've also made the drift in my alumaweld at around 800 without getting out. My point was, my last drift was above 1500 and in one particular section there was no way down without a leaving fiberglass on the rocks, and at that flow I've never had that problem, and I live next door to the boat launch, meaning I've made that drift 500 times.

Queets

Oh ok I get what you where saying now.

That fiberglass you leave behind is a bread trail for others to follow. :p I am amazed at how many rocks in that river have a fiber trail when I float down.

Since we are neighbors we should float it sometime.