Anyone living in the NE part of the US during the past 3 months can relate to the title of this piece!  Residents are dealing continuously with wet basements, flash flooding, soggy soles (and soggy souls!) and even loss of property.  So putting an angler's dilhemma into perspective, I guess we've been rather lucky.

That said, fishing full time requires me to figure out how to attack high flows on rivers.  Here is the simple, but not easy, process I use to determine where, how and when I fish during elevated flows.

First, I continuously and closely monitor the United States Geologic Survey's realtime river gage forecasts and reports.  I can tell how fast a rise will flow downstream, whether we're in for a rise or falling water, and based on forecasted precipitation, what sort of rises will occur for a specific location on that flow.  Now.......these oare forecasts and are not etched in stone.  I've been burned a few times cancelling trips based on heavy rain forecasts in a specific basin only to awaken the following day and see the gage hasn't reached the forecasted levels.  Remember, the forecasted levels are just that, forecasts.

Secondly, over the 23 years I have fished the rivers in eastern PA, I have developed a knowledge of what I believe are "optimal high water conditions", what is "unsafe", and what are "difficult conditions". 

We had nothing but "difficult to unsafe conditions" this past week for our scheduled shoot on the North Branch Susquehanna River.  We deliberated at length on what options we had, and as we studied the gages and our mental notes from years of fishing these rivers, we somewhat reluctantly decided to travel 3 hours west to shoot on the Upper Juniata. 

I had NEVER fished this section of the Juniata, but Chris Gorsuch, my partner, had in the spring.  "Fishes really well early in the year.", he stated.  My response....."These bass will not be in the same locations as early spring.  They'll be in current and on breaks because the water temps are in the low 60's yet.  Will the levels be OK for this type of pattern?"  "I think so, besides it's our only real option if you want a river shoot."  "Yep!" was my response.

So we headed west.  And quite concerned, we went as far west (upstream) as we could to get out of the chocolate water we witnessed for about 50 miles of the river as we traveled along it.  We arrives at our launch site and were pleasantly surprised at the improved clarity of the water.  "Lets get 'em!", I stated.

                        
      (left) Delaware River 21" High Water Brute. (rt) Upper Juniata River High Water!

Eighti hours later, and 68 smallmouth in the boat, we high-fived each other and filed a successful shoot.  A bunch of 3+ pound smallies pounded spinnerbaits and rattlling crank baits.  And best of all. YOU will be able to see this footage next season on NBC Sports!  We had to go as far up river as possible to get out of the muddy flows, and boy did it pay off for us!

Good fishin!

Blaine