Our first day put in was from a private ramp in the middle of a cow pasture a day's float above Burkesville on a day when there was little generation flow from Wolf Creek Dam.  Our put in was in Irish Bottom, river mile marker 443 approximately.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

My fishing buddy for many years, Mike Arlt, is getting his Water Strider raft ready to launch.  These inflatable fishing rafts are absolutely the best way to fish a river.  We did a wilderness float in British Columbia on the Dean River year before last.  My client in Montana, Dave Inks, sells these boats.  Visit www.waterstrider.com for more information.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Mike and a nice Cumberland River rainbow trout.  I hate to admit it, but he out fished me on size this trip, but I caught more trout than he did.  This was a catch and release trip.  We are trout exercisers.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Our timing on our first day float trip worked out just about right.  As we came floating into the outskirts of Burkesville early Thursday evening, we could hear the high school band practicing.  We took out at our motel, the Riverside, just at dusk.  Mike is putting the gear away in preparation for Friday morning.  Our takeout was just above the Highway 90 bridge at mile marker 427 approximately.  We floated about 16 miles this day.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Friday morning we put in at the launching ramp just below Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland.  They were not generating at the time.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Mike landed this fat rainbow female.  We both fly fished and spin fished.  Spin fishing on this trip turned out to be much more productive.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

About an hour after we put in below the dam they started generating and the river came up quickly and we were soon cruising along at 3-4 miles per hour.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Mike and his Water Strider.  We had several folks tell us along the way that our Water Strider rafts are too small for this river.  Not so.  We have navigated some serious Class 3 rapids carrying several hundred pounds of gear on wilderness river trips without a hitch.  These are serious boats.  I would take mine anywhere.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We took a lunch break along the right bank.  This view is upstream.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Mike Arlt

Mike passed the camera back to me and I took this photo looking downstream.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We aren't sure why these turkey vultures were hanging out with the cattle river left.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We passed the Rock House, a natural bridge cut into the bluff river right heading downstream.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Mike is cruising and casting.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Hurricane Katrina started affecting the weather in Kentucky late Friday afternoon.  The air was warm and humid, surface winds calm, the river was cold from high volume flows from generation and the river started fogging over.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Floating into the clouds, the fog was stratifying at just about the top of my head sitting on the seat of my Water Strider.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Fog is covering the river left bank.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

You can see Mike's head, the small dot center frame, downstream from me.  Our takeout is on the right, we are beginning to wonder if we missed it in the dense fog and if we are going to get to float all night back to Burkesville.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We always take flashlights and a good LED headlamp when floating.  We were prepared!  Fortunately, we did not miss our ramp.  We took out at Winfrey's Ferry Ramp, which is 14 miles below the dam.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We found the takeout AOK on Friday evening.  Saturday morning was a much better day.  Generation was down and the river was glassy calm.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Some Fall colors are starting to show.  Weather was warm, sun was hot, trout were biting.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Hey, hey!  Ron catches a nice rainbow about 14 inches.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Saturday is a great day on the river.  We put in at Traces on the Cumberland below Burkesville where the Highway 61 bridge crosses the river at mile marker 422.5 approximately.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Mike lands a nice brown trout.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

We stopped for lunch on a gravel bar.
Cumberland River trout fishing photographs by Ron Castle

Our takeout was at Cloyd's Ferry Landing at mile marker 409.5 approximately.  We floated about 13 miles the last day.  Since the river was slow, the float took longer than we thought.  We ended up rowing in the dark for about 2 hours.  As noted in Captain Gar Whicker's book (link top of the page) we were able to see our takeout from the overhead wire that crosses the river just before the ramp.  Gar's description was perfect.

In three days we landed about a hundred fish and floated about 43 miles.  We would like to fish the stretch between Burkesville and Traces on the Cumberland.  The most productive part of the river was from Traces on the Cumberland down to Cloyd's Ferry.  If I only had one day to fish, that's where I would go.

We are ready to go back.  Call us if you need some fishing buddies.  Get your Water Strider and let's go.