The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-07-02
FISHING IN THE CANAAN VALLEY.
The Sportsmen Wade Through Water Up
to Their Waists and Catch 527 Trout.

III OClODtT, 1JUS, Willie Oh Il WISH TO
st. Johns, Annapolis, | accepted a
warm invitation from Messrs. Bert
and George w. Wilson to join a fish
ing party going to the Canaan Valley
during the coming summer. So on
Monday evening, June %, we met at
Wilson, w. Va. Besides the three
mentioned, Messrs. Daniel w. Wilson
and Warner Harvey were in the
party. Next morning at day
we started in drilling rain for Dob
bin where we boarded a log train that
took us out near the headwaters of
Wilson Greek. After walk of about
five miles through a desolate region
covered with blackberry bushes and
the charred tree tops we reached
Wilson Creek which we found swollen
by the recent rains so as to cover the
swamps on each side with a foot or
more of water. The party divided
here; two fished down the stream
while the rest took down the side of
Brown mountain and through a
laurel swamp to Limestone Spring
where we had decided to camp. This
spring is an old landmark in that re-
gion and has been used for fifty years
or more as a camping place by hunt
ers and fishermen. The water bub-
bles out from under a limestone
boulder at the foot of a steep bank
and is cold and clear as crystal. On
Tuesday the spring was submerged
by the overflow from the creek but
the creek soon subsidized and the
spring was itself again. We found
here an old camp evidently built by a
novice. 1t was made of poles and
covered with bark and except for a
small hole closed in front. We showed
our contempt for it by sleeping on
the ground outside.
Two of the party that had fished
down stream on Tuesday afternoon
advised us to move down the valley
as the fishing was better farther down.
So next morning we hit the trail
again. The first part of the journey
was through an alder swamp covered
with about two feet of amber colored
water and through a gut a side
issue of the creek, filled with a Shiny,
inky fluid that came up to ones
waist. Then we followed an old road
through a laurel thicket until we
came to an open glade covered with a
dense growth of blue grass about
waist high. From this point we fol-
lowed the creek until we came to a
point about four miles above the
junction of Wilson and Gladly and
here we decided to camp. Mr.. Bert
Wilson and The writer was left to
build the camp while the others
fished. This camp consisted of roof
of pine bark, back wall of poles and
sides of fir boughs. The fire was
built in front. This camp was very
comfortable, but Mr.. Daniel Wilson
and Mr.. Harvey, who slept on the
planks, getting cold during the night
would get out and pile on fuel to
warm things up. As we slept with feet
toward the fire the sleeper would soon
be making violent scramble for the
back OF the camp, supposing that
their toes were in the fire.
George and Bert Wilson conceived
the brilliant idea of crossing over
Canaan mountain and striking Gladly
creek and fishing down that to the
junction, so one morning they started
off, but when they arrived on the
other side they found Stony river in
stead; then they recrossed the noun
tain and struck Gladly about three
o'clock. Their return to camp was
marked by violent shrinkage in our
store of food and medicine.
After the water ran down the fish
ing was good, the grand total of our
catch being 527. OF these Daniel
Wilson caught 243. He was yerita-
BILE wizard at fishing, being able to
entice the 'speckled beauties" to bite
at all times and in all places.
The evenings were most pleasantly
spent lying on spruce bed by the
fire telling stories and singing songs.
Once we were entertained by rare
bit of snoring. 1t resembled the
noise of a cross-cut saw with couple
of sprung teeth cutting through a
knotty log. At last having almost
stalled on a hard knot, we awakened
the sleeper and advised him to grease
the saw, which he did from quart
bottle.
On Friday morning, our provisions
being low, we broke camp and tramp
ed up the valley, caught a log train
and journeyed home with the salts
faction of having had a royal good
time. G. H. SHAFFER.