Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-09
Hunting and Fishing i'm Pierce County.
WAsHINGroN. Feb. 81, 1869.

DEAR GENERAL 1t is in the month
of June. We are on Rush River again,
and nicely fixed in our camp at the
mouth of Cave Creek.
am puzzled to know how to group q
few words to describe this delightful
spot so that The SPIRIT can see it in has
mouths eye, and love to dwell on the
picture. Our tent is pitched among a
few trees on rising ground, on the east
side of Rush River, green foliage over
head, and green woods all around us; a
green carpet beneath our feet, which
Nichols horse, tethered near by, having
breakfasted at last years hay, is tearing
up without ceremony. | love to see the
horse enjoy himself at camp, as well as
any other one of the party. To relieve
the picture of the demnition" green,
there is some blue sky above us, ard
some clouds of various hues, and there is
also plenty of golden sunlight, chasing
the shadows Of the clouds over the
woods and through the river, and along
the bluff-side, up Cave Greek, wherever
the west wind listeth. Facing the west.
as we stand in front of the tent, we have
Rush River in full view, two hundred
yards in front of us. There are ripples
above, and noisy rapids below; but d.
rectly in front the river is deep and stea
DIV, where Cave Creek comes in, and
forms a pool three hundred yards long
and fifty yards wide; bushes overhang-
ing the opposite side of the river, with
white pebbly shore above and below,
and on this side little grassy spot un-
der the bank to stand on and cast your
flies. The pool is from two to ten feet
deep, with beds of moss on the bottom,
and full of trout from small ones to three
and perhaps five pounds weight. Be-
yond the river there is the woody bot
tom land, and then the line of irregular
bluffs, from whose tops stretch out the
table-land of the big woods. Cave
Creek flows close by us on the right,
over bed of white sand ard graveT-a
stream of perfectly clear water, where
every trout that stirs can be seen. Just
over Cave Creek high bluff appears,
that would elsewhere be called n noun
tain. 1t slopes down to near the creek,
and there breaks off into a perpendicu-
lar ledge of pale sandstone, forty to a
hundred feet high, the creek washing its
base long distance. The face of this
ledge is covered with rude pictures made
by the Indians, by cutting into the soft
rock, and by painting also thereon pic
lures of Indians shooting deer, with va
rious other images and hieroglyphics,
which we may describe more minutely at
another time. The rocks in some places
are worn by the action of the water into
columns and chapters that look like the
work of human art. In Cave Greek,
just above its mouth, is little pool. Of
deep water, oyerhung with bushes, where
the large trout retire at times from the
Rush River pool, for GOODNESS and con-
temptation, in the middle of the day
1t is the grand arbor Of the trout COM
mdnity, dwelling in the large adjacent
pool of Rush River, open to none but
the principal personages. You can see
them there frequently, if you approach
quietly and peer through the bushes ;
but have care how you do it. or they
will see you first and scud down into the
deep water of the river" Let them go
down there" say you, as you take the
bundle Of rod joints from under your
arm. Yes, General, we have had talk
enough about this fishing. We will fol-
low them to the deepest depths at once,
and with alacrity. There is plenty OF
room for us all to stand around this pool,
and whip out as long line as we please
and long cast will be necessary unless
we build a raft. So now we will put
our rods together. and each with fly or
bait. as best suits bis pleasure, go to fish
ing in earnest, and see who gets the big
gest trout this day.
You have your pretty oriental rod
Nichols bis eigh;een-foot bamboo, which
has whipped this pool many times and
many years before, and is wound from
one end TO the other so that little of the
timber remains in view. Mine is one Of
Andrew Clerks general rods, which did
me good service on Lake Pepin last sum,
mer, ill a en-pound "wall-eyed pike
broke the second joint which Estes re
placed with better one made from bill
lard cue, worked down, polished BY