*Updated photos from our Fox Ten Outdoors shoot on Big Escambia February 2007.
*Vania Kuy, Fox Ten Outdoors photojournalist shoots video of likely fishing spot.
* Vania takes a break and hauls in a nice spotted bass at the confluence of Sizemore Creek.
*We boated 20-25 nice spots. The largest was close to 2 pounds.
Big Escambia Creek forms near Frisco City in Monroe County and flows south through extreme S'west Conecuh County. The creek is reported to be covered with numerous log jams between CR 30 and I-65 as it enters Escambia County, AL. However, below I-65 there are some interesting sections to float up to the town of Flomaton. There is a clear 12.5 mile section from Sardine Bridge(CR 27) to Flomaton, with another access point halfway down this run at Murray Branch Road.
Big Escambia is a typical clear blackwater stream, and is very similar to it's nearby cousin, Little River which flows on the Monroe Baldwin County line. There are gravel bars, rock formations and occasional white sand bars. Overall, the drops and rock formations are more interesting on Big Escambia, but water quality is better on the Little. Big Escambia cuts through rock and clay, and the first 9 miles from Sardine Bridge (Cr27) contain some minor shoals that are borderline Class I. Unfortunately, gravel mines and clear cutting take there toll on Big Escambia as you get further downstream. The sediment is an issue keeping the river pretty shallow as you approach Flomaton.
Trip Report
I had a business trip in the Huxford, AL area on Thursday morning, and the rest of my afternoon was free. It only took one quick look at the Delorme Map book and a trip to Big Escambia Creek was in the works. This trip ended up being a solo experience and it was a rare treat. I called a friend, Jerry Hawsey, from the Brewton area who was very kind to help me with the shuttle. Special thanks to Jerry! The trip turned out to be perfect.
We have had several months of drought across the Gulf Coast, and most rivers are running quite low. This makes for excellent fishing, however, the streams can actually be too low to float. After Driving to the Sardine Bridge and looking at the 2.2 foot level (usgs), I went a little further downstream. I decide to float from Murray Branch Road to Flomaton (Us 31) making for a 6 mile trip. Sizemore Creek comes in above this lower section and adds substantial volume .
I drove into Flomaton and checked out the easy take out access on river right (N'west side of US 31), ate at Hardees, and went back up to Murray Branch Road. The put-in at Murray Branch is good, you have to try several dirt roads to find the best spot. This is a locals hangout from the looks of the trash scattered around. The put-in scenery gets a D-, but this is soon forgotten.
I began my trip around 1pm and planned to fish hard and paddle very little. The first two miles of Big Escambia had some twists and turns, along with a few very minor rock shoals. I began to catch fish pretty quickly. At one shoal area, there is an interesting lagoon on river left that you can paddle into. I caught one fine bull bream there on my flyrod. I picked up some small spotted bass throughout my float, mostly behind log jams. I caught a fish on a beetle spin, and one on a worm.. The rest were all caught on a #6 Frugal Frog Betts popping bug. The river slows down and gets more choked with sediment, but I did catch three bass near the powerline cutover 1.5 miles above Flomaton. The highlight of the day came when I caught a 2+ pound largemouth on a fly in this area. Most of my bass that I caught on a fly, hit when I was wading. When you canoe float fish these blackwater streams, its a good idea to get out and wade from time to time. Whenever, I see a deep cut against a high bank, with log jams that create slackwater eddies its time to pull over... I stop on the adjacent sand bar and wade fish so I can make a better presentation
Overall, the put-in was trashed and the river was pretty in most spots. I did hear a gravel mine in operation, in one small section. Otherwise, I saw no cabins, and no people for 5-6 hours. There were a few herons, a red headed woodpecker, and a water moccasin along the way. The timing worked out well. Jerry said he would be done with work by 6:30 pm. I saw the Flomaton bridge about 6:20pm and called on the cell phone, which works well at the takeout in the heart of Flomaton.
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