Once anglers arrive at the confluence, they should experience little difficulty, as the next five miles of the New are very mild. The Mouth of Wilson river-left take-out is near the intersection of routes 58 and 93, next to the Route 93 bridge.

Mouth Of Wilson To Bridle Creek (Six Miles)
The Mouth of Wilson float is one that my wife, Elaine, and I enjoy. The river-right put-in is below Fields Dam. Anglers can, of course, begin this float at the Route 93 bridge, but then they would have to paddle through the one-mile-long backwaters of this dam. That's why I recommend accessing the river below Fields Dam, also known as Woolen Dam.

The Mouth of Wilson excursion is a very scenic one, as most of the time the New meanders through rural countryside in Virginia and North Carolina. Several features characterize this float.

The first is the entrance of Fox Creek, not far below Fields Dam. Fox Creek is the only major tributary of the New on this section. The second major feature is a large island; take the right passageway for ease of floating.

And the third point of interest is the Class I-II Bridle Creek Rapid that pops up at the end of the float. Scoot down the left side and you will avoid the roughest water and also arrive at the Bridle Creek take-out on river left. The access point is just before the Route 601 bridge.

Bridle Creek To Independence (10 Miles)
The Bridle Creek to Independence float is another one that Elaine and I enjoy taking, as the fishery and scenery are quite fetching. However, float-fishermen should know that this float contains some white water. Caution: The Class III Penitentiary Falls can be a real boat buster, as some major boulders and ledges litter the stream bottom. On one float during the 1990s, my canoe collided with one of those boulders and the craft capsized. No one was hurt, but gear was lost. You might want to portage Penitentiary on river right; I wish I had that day.

Another rapid of note is the Class II Molly Osborne Shoals. This is a very technical rapid in high water, as Molly can metamorphose into a Class III then. I recommend portaging Molly Osborne Shoals on its river-right side. This rapid lies just upstream from Penitentiary Falls.

Another named rapid on the Bridge Creek affair is the Class II Big Island Falls, which occurs below Penitentiary. Most New River rapids that have the word "falls" as part of their name are at least Class IIIs and very daunting to run. Big Island Falls is one of the very few exceptions to this rule. Take the center right channel through Big Island.

Before and after these three major rapids, float-fishermen will only encounter Class Is and riffles. All of these rapids have the potential to produce nice smallmouths in the push water above and eddies and runs below. The Bridle Creek excursion makes for a long day on the New, as it easily can take eight to 11 hours to fish properly. But the excellent fishing is well worth the effort. The take-out is on Route 700 via Route 21. This access point is located directly across the river from the New River Canoe and Campground.