Taking it easy: Opportunities abound for calm-water paddling in Alabama

By: David Haynes / Alabama Living

On a midsummer morning at dawn, the eastern sky brightens with first light, and the sounds of night creatures begin to give way to the first chirping of birds and stirring of squirrels.

An angler silently slips a worn canoe into a perfectly still lake. Moments later, a subtle flick of his wrist casts a fly near a wooded bank. As it floats down to rest on the mirror-like surface, all is silent. Then, in an explosion of water and splashing, the fly rod bends almost double as an aggressive 4-pound bass swims hard to escape.

A few miles away, kayakers are preparing for a day-long float down a creek shaded by a canopy of overhanging trees. They will scarcely need to paddle as the gentle current propels them along. Rounding a bend, they watch as a great blue heron drops from its high perch, spreading its broad wings just in time to fly just above the creek’s surface. As the day warms there’ll be opportunities for cooling off in shaded swimming holes.

The Alabama Weather Blog is pleased to present an excerpt from a featured article in partnership with the Alabama News Center. For the full post including images, videos, and related links, please visit the article HERE.

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