At first glance, the river looks sluggish and flat but a million currents, from fast to still, tear at attempts to get a drag-free drift. The weed beds, rocks and substrate variances all enter into the factoring. The trout has many food choices and even when you are able to imitate their foods exactly, they often frustrate you by feeding in a rhythm all their own or by cruising as they feed, not coming up at the same place twice. This piece of water has many subtle clues to trout feeding activity and is a game of finesse, not the masculine tromping that Box Canyon anglers endure. As the river begins to cut its way through the plateau toward lower elevations, it picks up considerable speed and roughness.
Access is limited to a few old logging roads and sometimes requires a hike.
It can be floated but the oarsman must be competent at maneuvering through numerous rocks in fast water. This is a scenic and wild section of water that sees few anglers in a year. If you want to get away from it all, this might be your place. Depending on who you talk to, Cardiac Canyon refers to the whole canyon from Pinehaven to the mouth of the Warm River or it refers just to the river between Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. Dry fly fishing is often fast and furious for smaller trout.