Chapter 12 - Tributaries
Ninemile Creek Part 3 - Rostiser Road to Stittville
Discovery: Rain, Rain Go Away - We Got Hotdogs To Roast
May
8, 2003 60 degrees, Cloudy & Light Rain
Rostiser Road Bridge looked fluorescent blue despite the cloud cover
and intermittent morning rain. Upstream the creek ran over a smooth shale
bottom between a green meadow and a shaded cliff. Hemlock and cedar
grew atop the steepest section of the cliff. A stream spilled over the
edge, creating a waterfall and exposing tree roots. Budding trees, including
a white-blossomed shad bush, clung to the side of the cliff further upstream.
It's two miles from the Rostiser Road Bridge
to the first bridge in Stittville, and another quarter mile to the second
bridge and the Fishermen's Parking Area where we left Denny's car. Much
too far for two 65 year olds to wade without rest and sustenance. To insure
we had plenty of both we packed hotdogs to roast over an open fire.
We
started upstream at 10:15 a.m. It was refreshing to discover there were
no posted signs on the trees at the edge of the meadow. However, nestled
among the trees were several rusted cars and pieces of farm machinery.
These relics of the past didn't look out of place. Upstream, on the same
side of the creek, the yellow blossoms of marsh marigolds accented the
green of a spring-fed wetlands. Beautiful!
We moved quickly through this area, casting occasionally,
but not expecting to find fish where the stream flows over algae-covered
shale.
At 11 a.m. we entered a dramatically different Ninemile
Valley. It was wider and the creek had cut through beds of soil, sand,
silt and gravel. Willows and poplar were more abundant, as were beaver
tracks, slides and tree cuttings. Deer tracks perforated sand and gravel
bars. Crows and songbirds filled the air with song and consternation, and
a pair of noisy Canada geese flew overhead.
Two small tributaries entered the left side of the
creek just a few feet apart. I cast to the mouths of these streams and
to runs above and below. Looked fishy, but it was raining so my gold spoon
couldn't work its magic. Excuses. I have a million of them.
At
a horseshoe bend on the other side of the creek I discovered a "willow
meadow." This flat of widely dispersed willows was a pleasure to walk through,
but the abundance of emerging vegetation would soon be head-high and nearly
impenetrable. To the right of the flat was a high ground "hemlock" peninsula
that I couldn't resist exploring. It was so similar to the places where
ancient Indian villages were located along tributaries further down the
Mohawk Valley that I gave my imagination free reign. From the top of the
ridge I could see Denny walking along the creek.
"Friend or foe? Iroquois or Huron? Advance and be
recognized."
A train whistle broke the spell. It was 11:35. Sprinkling.
Before
I caught up to Denny, I heard the geese. Their banter was identical to
that of the nesting Canadas we discovered on a previous trip, so we weren't
surprised to see another nest. We were, however, surprised that we didn't
raise a single fish. The pools and runs all through this area looked especially
good for trout.
Around noon we passed through an area that had been worked heavily by beaver. A number of trees were down, some were hung up in other trees and quite a few were girdled or partially chewed through. Busy but not very proficient beaver. We were amazed to discover that some of the "girdled" trees had buds on them. Just upstream a beaver dam blocked the mouth of a small tributary.
Marsh marigolds grew in a spring-fed wetland.
By
12:15 the rain had let up, so we stopped to cook lunch on a sand and gravel
bar next to a fallen willow. After collecting dry wood---not an easy task---Denny
started a fire and I cut two forked sticks. Ten minutes later we were eating
"blackened" hotdogs wrapped in buns and covered with mustard and relish.
It started to sprinkle, but the fire was so hot we roasted the second batch
of hotdogs . . . to perfection. Washed down with a cold drink, it really
doesn't get any better.
At 1 o'clock we put the fire out and continued upstream.
Thirty minutes later we saw homes on the outskirts of Stittville. Violets
grew in the meadow opposite an eroded sandbank. Imbedded in the sand was
a large boulder, soon to be deposited in the creek.
Despite the rain we roasted hotdogs over an open fire.
We
approached the first bridge at Stittville at 1:45. Two men and a small
boy were fishing off a gravel bar in front of a home. Attached to a wooden
deck overlooking the creek was a Detour Sign pointing downstream. Prophetic.
Trout were rising downstream just out of reach of the fishermen. From the
opposite side of the creek I cast a gold Phoebe to the rising fish and
caught three brown trout in succession. Denny caught two trout, one from
under the bridge. When we continued upstream, three drake mallards following
a black and white duck preceded us.
(There are three fishermen in this photograph.)
Denny fished the pools and runs between the two bridges, including a run
near a huge erratic (boulder). I made a few casts under the second bridge
and started to cross the creek to the Fishermen's Parking Area. This area
looked too shallow to hold fish, but on a whim I cast a gold spoon . .
. and caught three more trout. Recently stocked fish. Easy pickens. A heavy
rain would move these fish downstream to all those pools and runs where
we couldn't catch fish.
After
releasing the third fish, I sat on a log and waited for Denny. The rain
had stopped and the sun was illuminating the stream bottom. I was fascinated
by the variety of colors of the rocks and pebbles in the stream. There
were white rocks, black rocks and many shades of grey rocks. There were
orange, rust and red rocks, brown, tan and yellow rocks. Some rocks were
striated, others mottled. Each was created by a specific geologic event
and then brought here and sculpted by glaciers and running water. Amazing
what you can see when you take the time to sit and stare.
When Denny started to wade across to the parking area, I told him fish were holding in the fast water. He caught and released two more trout before we wrapped things up at 2:15.