If you put in at Millville and pulled out at Brunswick that is one heck of a canoe trip! I've done it many times, the Autumn was my favorite for scenery. SPRING is time for canoeing and fishing.
You'd need to be a Class III canoeist to do this trip, not for novices.
So you put in at Millville, WV. It's the Shenandoah river.
A mile smooth float until the first drop which is class 2. I never caught fish in this bumped up area. then over the Class III Bull Falls. The classic drop is 3rd chute from the left, keep your ass end of the canoe as far right as you can.
Same with a raft.
This drop will whip your butt around left into a broach and a dunking if you don't keep your ass tucked up on that right rock.
After that, you think you are a champ there is one rock going to dump you right below, so lean dowstream.
I use to catch fish galore under that drop. Cast after cast. 50+ a day.
Probably 100. Some big bass.
NOW THE 'famous' Shenandoah Staircase! Which is pretty cool technical canoeing,
the level is too high now but it is a really cool canoeing/ kayaking spot..
you weave and shuck and jive and staircase and whirl and horshoe down endless choices of paths - I can't speak - just a maze of
canoeing choices - after the Staircase, you canoe down to Brunswick, watch out for the White Horse rapids on the left after you hit the Potomac..
(you could hug the FAR shoreline to avoid Whitehorse - I have done that at very high river levels)
Then bouncy fun down to Brunswick...
The fishing can be very good. If you have live crawfish on a 2/0 hook I guarantee a fish on every cast.
I should add I only camped once along this stretch, and it was not a good site. Other spots on the Potomac have great sites.
You'd need to be a Class III canoeist to do this trip, not for novices.
So you put in at Millville, WV. It's the Shenandoah river.
A mile smooth float until the first drop which is class 2. I never caught fish in this bumped up area. then over the Class III Bull Falls. The classic drop is 3rd chute from the left, keep your ass end of the canoe as far right as you can.
Same with a raft.
This drop will whip your butt around left into a broach and a dunking if you don't keep your ass tucked up on that right rock.
After that, you think you are a champ there is one rock going to dump you right below, so lean dowstream.
I use to catch fish galore under that drop. Cast after cast. 50+ a day.
Probably 100. Some big bass.
NOW THE 'famous' Shenandoah Staircase! Which is pretty cool technical canoeing,
the level is too high now but it is a really cool canoeing/ kayaking spot..
you weave and shuck and jive and staircase and whirl and horshoe down endless choices of paths - I can't speak - just a maze of
canoeing choices - after the Staircase, you canoe down to Brunswick, watch out for the White Horse rapids on the left after you hit the Potomac..
(you could hug the FAR shoreline to avoid Whitehorse - I have done that at very high river levels)
Then bouncy fun down to Brunswick...
The fishing can be very good. If you have live crawfish on a 2/0 hook I guarantee a fish on every cast.
I should add I only camped once along this stretch, and it was not a good site. Other spots on the Potomac have great sites.