MOHAWK - Discovering the Valley of the Crystals Copyright 2003
Chapter 12 - Tributaries
West Canada Creek Part Three - Crescent Bridge to Fishermen's Parking Area
Re-Discovering Russia Flatts
July 28, 2003, 60 degrees, Cloudy
This is one of the most heavily utilized sections of the river. It runs through a fairly well developed area at the northern end of the Town of Deerfield and the village of Poland in the Town of Russia. There are several access sites, no rapids and long stretches of flatwater-runs, making it popular with fishermen, canoeists and tubers. Despite its popularity, fish and wildlife are abundant.
This 1974 topographical map illustrates the winding course of West Canada Creek from Sheep Island to the Fishermen's Parking Area east of Poland.
We launched the canoe at 8:30 a.m from the Parking
Area just upstream from Crescent Bridge and the junction of Routes 8 and
28. In the early 1800s this stretch of West Canada Valley was
known as Russia Flatts. The Schermerhorn Family settled here, building
a sawmill and planting wheat on the river bottom. When the river washed
everything away a couple of years later, they moved their farm to the highground
south of the river. To this day that highground is called Schermerhorm
Hill.
Although
the waters under the bridge often produce trout and bass, we couldn't raise
a fish, so we let the current take us down the right side of a large island
that over the years has been called a variety of names including Sheep
Island and Sunny Island. Sheep Island because a farmer kept a flock of
sheep here. Sunny Island because it was the name of a nearby picnic and
campgrounds. That long ago campground no longer exists, but on the opposite
side of the river, downstream from the island are the West Canada Creek
Campsites.
The water was crystal clear despite recent rainfall.
At bends and backsets where the river slowed to a snail's pace, scum covered
the surface. The rocky shoreline at the big bend across from West Canada
Creek Campsites has produced a variety of fish over the years, many of
them from under the scum line or right next to the rocks. This time the
entire run produced one small brook trout.
At 10'clock we canoed under the Steel-Truss Bridge
and passed the Fishermen's Parking Area just west of Poland. This area
is fished heavily, so we continued downstream and around the bend to a
mid-stream boulder where I've caught smallmouths in the past. Nothing.
As we fished the slack water below the rock, two
great blue herons flew side by side up the river heading directly toward
us. A mere hundred feet away, they veered to opposite sides of the river
and continued upstream. While we were recovering from that experience,
an osprey soared overhead, its curved wings silhouetted against blue sky.
A few minutes later a small flock of mergansers beat the water to a froth,
and a green heron flew into a downstream willow. At least the "abundant"
wildlife was active. I had told Denny we
were sure to catch fish from the Lumberyard Pool near the mouth of Cold
Brook, so when we eased the canoe into the eddy across from the pool, expectations
where high. Cold Brook is a natural brook trout hatchery, so the pool is
usually good for both brookies and browns. Our lures never raised a fish.
As we passed under the old railroad bridge and the
new State Road Bridge, I directed Denny's attention downstream to the stone
pier in the middle of the river. Years ago an iron bridge crossed here.
For almost 100 years this tall stack of quarried limestone withstood the
ravages of highwater and ice flows. I was surprised and saddened to see
it was deteriorating. Some of those massive blocks were cracked and tilting,
soon to fall into the river. I caught a limit of fish behind that pier
way back in the 60s and over the years it almost always produce a trout
or two. Not today.
We beached the canoe at the Fishermen's Parking
Area along Route 28 east of Poland at 11:30. It took us three hours to
canoe-fish three miles. Although we only caught one trout, we saw
plenty of wildlife and
enjoyed a beautiful morning re-discovering Russia Flatts.
Follow the path of this discovery trip by clicking on Mohawk Valley Maps: by Maptech.
Type Poland, select New York, press GO!
