The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-15
GENTLE PASSAIC.
A Lovely Stream indeed
Until We Come to
Drink It.
FROM SOURCE TO SEA.
Scenes Of Woodland and Pastoral
Beauty---Points for Fisher
men.


A little brook trickling through rank,
green meadow near Mendham. Morris
county, stepped over daily with slight ex
ertion by little boys and girls, is the Pas
sale River at its source. It IS a mere rill
flowing eastward among the low noun
tains, filing several nill-ponds as it goes.
and two or three miles from its source
turning abruptly toward the south. No
where is its elevation more than $50
feet above the sea, and to get to salt
water it must flow fully seveuty-fve
miles, SO that necessarily it flows slug
gishly In the greater part Of its length and
picks its way between the hills and across
vast stretches of meadows. Seventy-hve
miles is long way for a river TO go in
New Jersey, for the State is nowhere
more than sixty five miles in width, con-
5equently the river has to Straggle con-
siderably to get In its mileage. 1t runs
toward every point of the compass
In its course. At Washington Cor
ner, two and one-half miles from
its source, it starts to run south,
and within mile of Mount Bethel
it trends to the eastward for mile,
Then it runs due north another mile and
abruptly turns to the east and northeast,
constantly growing wider. until it passes
under the fire new arch which the Morris
and Essex Railroad has constructed at
Stanley A milo and half further it
pours its way rapidly through Chatham
and under Chatham Bridge A quarter
OF O mile below Chathhm il enters upon O
stretch of meadow land, which 1t does
not leave entirely several miles, or until
it passes point half u mile below Colunl-
bia Bridge. At Lower Chatham Bridge
Where the river Is navigable for fiat bot
tic o nd aHn a
river Is twenty feet wide and from two to
five feet deep. The bridge marks a point
where its course takes an abrupt turn
and runs westward for thFee-quarteFs of
mile. At Columbia Bridge, which is
nearly two mites from Lower Chatham
Bridge, the river is considerably wider,
and it Is here where the good fishing
commences, although few bass, carp,
catfish, cells and dace are caught up as
far as Chatham.
COLUMBIA BRIDGE.
Columbia bridge is one of the fishing
resorts for the boys of the surrounding
country, and a number of queer boats
made OF three boards and sharp at both
ends may always be seen there. The av-
erage depth Is six feet, and there IS
steady but sluggish dow TO the north
ward. Between its source and Columbia
bridge the river receives accessions from
brooks at almost every mile, while below
the bridge the affluents become fewer
but larger. Columbia bridge is on the
straight read from Newark to Norris
town, the continuation of South Orange
avenue, in fact.
The next bridge to the nortnward is
Cooks, one and three-auarter miles
away. 1t is on the road from Livingston
to Hanover and Whippany. The river
here flows between good farm land for
several miles, and just above Cooks
bridge 1t turns toward the nofthward and
strikes meadow land again Lhree-quar-
ters of a sdile above Springfield bridge.
fishing place, frequently visited by
anglers from Newark. Morristown
and other places within few
hours drive. They catch pickerel,
black bass, yellow perch, catfish, carp,
sunfish and cells. and the fishing is still
fair in spite OF the fact that there Is more
illicit fishing with nets at this point than
ae any other point along the river, though
nets are extensively used at Pine Brook,
Columbia bridge, Lower Chatham, and
in fact, everywhere along the river
Fykes are frequently set at night be-
tween Chatham and lower Chatham
bridge, and seines are hanled with great
frequency at every available point along
the river in spite Of the fish wardens. Then,
too, there is a great deal OF Illicit fishing
with block lines. set lines and snares.
More pickerel are shared every season
IMAM are cduGnL Uf elLHtf nets OF lueSy
and tile jewellers along the river set the
law at defiance continually and do not
fear punishment because convictions
have seldom been obtained. and when
found are Invariably appealed under
bonds, and then lost sight of forever
The New Jersey Fish Commission is lame
at It's best, and in the whole State there
are not four wardens who are worthy of
the name of fish protectors. But let us
get back on the river and float down with
the stream between the low banks Of the
fresh meadows which are flooded for one
third of the year and very wet or frozen
hard the remainder.
HOW THE RIVER BnoADENs
Half-a-nfle below Swinefieid bridge
Fullerton's brook flows in from the east
and mile and a half further north the
river grows sud- ehIy with the accession
of water poured in by the Rockaway and
Whippany Rivers, which join issues Il
mile west of the Passaic. Half-a-mile
from the meeting Of the Passaic aud
Reckaway we hnd Pine Brook bridge,
and here the river makes almost lake
in the Hatfield swamp, but it Is great
place for fishing and lots OF Newark ang-
lers go there and catch fish. They
would catch more and the place would
be better worth visiting II the Class fam
lily would stop netting, and il is to
their interest to do so more than
anybody else. They keep inns at this
place and know Whit is going on.
They are also sportsmen and understand
the value of making the river famous
fishing resort. 1t is worth more to them
than dozen pickefel or bass suppers
year. Again we diverge from the course
Of the river and must get back and skirt
the big piece" as Great Piece Meadows
is known up there. Half mile below
Pine Brook bridge the river form almost
a complete circle of nearly mile in cir
conference and then flows due west for
another mile between meadow banks.
Then, where it turns TO the North again,
the west bank is solid ground for nearly
two miles to- and beyond Horse Neck
bridge which carries the old road across
Hook mountain from Caldwell to Boom
ton. For five miles beyond Horse Neck
bridge the river flows sluggishIy through
Great Piece Meadows. Here's fishing in
earnest and everything from bullfrogs
to Swapping turtles can be caught 1t is
the best stretch of the river for carp and
the hardest stretch for operating a net.
Just at the extreme end Of the meadows
is an island, and a quarter of mile fur
Their is the little hamlet of Two Bridges.
Here the river gets its greatest acces-
sion, for under one of the bridges flows
the Pompton river, made up of the joint
waite RS atthe Ramapo. Pequannock and
Wa naque rivers. the first Of which takes
its rise in New York State. Below Two
Bridges the river is from four to twelve
feet deep and from 100 TO 200 yards wide