Chapter 12 - Tributuaries
Ninemile Creek Part 2 - Ritchie Road to Rostiser Road
Discovery: Goose Eggs All Around
May 1, 2003, 60 degrees, Partly Cloudy
Wow! Three years went by fast. After my last outing on
the Ninemile I didn't plan to explore any more of this stream, but the
more I learned about it the more interesting it became. So interesting
in fact that I downplayed its reputation as a so-so fishery and told Denny
we were sure to catch trout and maybe even some bass. After all, this was
the time of year the Ninemile was stocked with trout and when smallmouths
came up from the Canal to spawn.
`This was also the time of year to see ducks, geese
and herons, and such beautiful wildflowers as marsh marigold, trillium
and myrtle. That didn't impress Denny too much, but when I added
the possibility of seeing deer to the mix his enthusiasm elevated a notch.
meadow above the upper Ritchie Road Bridge.
This section of the Ninemile forms a 1.2- mile "S"
between Rostiser Road Bridge and upper Ritchie Road Bridge. We started
our upstream exploration from Ritchie Road at 9:30 a.m. The heat of the
sun filtering through clouds had raised the air temperature considerably
since early morning. A good day for a discovery trip. It would be a better
day if Denny caught fish right off, so I suggested he fish the pool under
the bridge where stocked trout congregated. While he fished the bridge
pool, I waded upstream, casting to runs on both sides of an island and
along a shale cliff. Neither of us caught fish.
Opposite the cliff, the trees at the edge of a large
meadow were decorated with yellow posted signs, so I stayed in the creek.
I was surprised to discover a patch of ice still clinging to the cliff.
Amazing considering all the warm and rainy days since winter.
Upstream from the bridge the stream bottom was solid
shale. Easy to wade but poor trout water---no cover and lousy habitat for
insect larva and other trout food. At 10:10 the sun came out, revealing
that much of the creek was too shallow to hold fish. Not to worry, we'd
find trout where the creek runs deep over rock, cobble and gravel.
A great blue heron was fishing here.
The valley was coming alive with the pale green leaves of Poplar and willow and the red buds of such late "bloomers" as maple and ash. I discovered great blue heron tracks in shallow-water mud and streamside sand, and deer tracks on a gravel bar. Also noted were the bright yellow flowers of Coltsfoot.
A Canada goose (right) keeps an eye on Denny Gillen while he
fishes a pool in Ninemile Creek.
Note the yellow Public Fishing Sign in the background.
Upstream from the cliff was a long island. Denny
took the left side, I the right. Part way up on my side, a wood duck jumped
off a small tributary and flew upstream, dodging overhanging branches.
Except for the homes and barns near the bridges there were very few
buildings along this stretch. At 10:25 we discovered a new house---steep-pitched
roof and decks all around---in a clearing on the left side of the creek.
Twenty minutes later we saw another house on the same side of the creek,
barely visible through the trees.
Around
the next bend, a rare photo opportunity. Denny was fishing a pool off a
point on the left side of the creek. In the background was a yellow Public
Fishing Sign and directly across from him was a Canada goose. I didn't
have a telephoto lens to adequately capture this scene, but I took several
photographs as Denny moved slowly out into the creek, eventually flushing
the goose.
While I was putting cameras back in my pack, Denny
continued upstream to fish the next pool. As he disappeared from view,
I heard the most gawd-awful racket. When I rounded the point, Denny was
standing in the creek pointing to an island.
goose nest to emphsize the size of the eggs.
"There's a nest over there. I didn't see it until
the goose took off and made all that noise. I waited because I knew
you'd want to take a picture of the nest."
Indeed I did. The down-lined grass nest was located
on the ground at the lower end of the island. It held five eggs. Big eggs.
To illustrate their size, I placed my glasses beside the nest. When I reached
across the nest, I felt heat radiating off the eggs. It was like holding
my hand over a burner on an electric stove. Amazing!
Upstream from "Goose Nest Island" the valley widens
considerably. In this area willows grow streamside and the creek flows
through meadow and pastureland. As I approached a huge rock-and-cobble
bar opposite what appeared to be a deep pool, a great blue heron took flight.
Rock and cobble! Deep pool! Great blue heron! Trout water! Couldn't
prove it by us. We never saw a fish.
The last quarter mile was a straight stretch of shallow water flowing over rocks and boulders. On the left, a couple of houses sat atop a maple and hemlock highbank. On the right, abandoned meadow and pasture bordered the creek. With nary a fishing hole in sight, the Public Fishing Signs posted on streamside trees seemed rather incredulous.
We fished the shallow pools and runs in this area, again without seeing a fish. While climbing up the bank on the left side of the bridge I discovered a patch of myrtle. Purple flowers under a blue bridge.
After loading our gear in Denny's car, we drove back to the bridge on Ritchie Road. I couldn't resist one last look at the water below the bridge. Just upstream two big smallmouths were holding in a pool below a stretch of fast water. We were hot and tired so it was easy to resist the temptation to climb down the bank and make a couple of casts. Besides with our luck we were pretty much guaranteed goose eggs all around.