… some fish hiding out down there !!! … below this spillway on an Eastern Shore flow feed pond begins a remote stretch of the headwaters (tidal portion) of Tuckahoe river … this section begins narrow (maybe 30’) and wriggles through twist and turns as it widens to about maybe 100’ aprox. 3 miles downstream at 404 bridge … the river keeps on going from there but not interested in the rest of it … I’ve been looking at this sections beginnings from the spillway for more years than I can remember and have always thought about checking it out , just never have … very few have ever gone down it to my knowledge , and the water looks excellent , clean , slow , semi deep and remote as it disapears into the woods … above the spillway on the main pond there is a healthy population of chain Pike , Largemouth , Bluegill and some Crappie … the main pond is feed by a flow that runs into it , the flow is a good 6’-8’deep by 40+’ wide (open water between vegetation) in it’s channal and have canoed back into the flow for at least 3 miles many times … when back in the flow it is like entering the land of the lost and at the right time of year (soon) , some good catches of chain Pike (jacks) and an occasional Largemouth can be caught in it … the pond and flow have yeilded some quite large fish from time to time , but most are avg. size … I’m just thinking the stretch below the spillway might be a hidden sleeper holding some giants … a couple weeks ago at sunset when we were leaving , some movement in the surface vegetation (a little side area off the area below the spillway) having a couple foot wide clear flow through it , caught my eye and I stopped and got out to take a closer look … I watched for a half hour as bands of chain Pike tour through the open section eating every thing they could get hold of (a frenzy) … there were two Mallards a couple hundred feet into the vegetation right near the 2’ open water , then one of the chain Pike took a shot at them causing some hilarious events to follow , the Mallards together side by side started to attack the Pike swimming forward and stabbing their bills into the water at him , afterwards they went back to their original spot , 10 min’ later it was a repeat but this time the Mallards backed off another 10’ and one of them took a log or something to stand on and stayed there … it’s difficult to say what the passage would be like going downstream from the spillway because only the first 150’ or so is visible and that has a fallen tree (log really) blocking the route from side to side … I’m thinking if I want to go for it , there will be some hurdles to jump here and there like the log right near the beginning , maybe it will be just that log and free passage from there but who knows ??
Well , I’m heading over there right now
… been looking at and thinking about this way too long , should be finding out soon , wish us luck , let ya know if I chickened out and how it went when we get back … got to stop and get some big minnows on the way … man I hope the passage is fairly clear !! … if I were smart I’d scout it from the bottom end up in the Jon boat first , but I guess I ain’t too smart …
sooooooo?
How did you do?
The water was muddy …
… from all the rains overthere yesterday … muddy water depresses me , but put in anyway to at least check it out for future fishing considerations … the current from the spillway tailrace gets close to what we are able paddle back up against to return and still keep forward progress … we went downstream maybe a 1/2 mile , lots of strainers and tight spots , current remained strong and technical manuvering a was must , lots of submerged flood wood also … some really good looking deeper holes for possible larger fish ?? … decided to turn around and go back to put in and return another day , muddy water just doesn’t get it , besides wanted to see how tough it would be going back upstream and just decided to keep on going instesd of running 5 miles down into it this day … plan B , go to another nice pond 20 miles further up the road , this one stays clear almost always , caught 9 fish , all Bass except 2 (a Crappie and a chain Pike) , one Bass almost 4 lbs. , another 1/2 dozen hit and misses …
Not a bad day
high muddy running water…its catfishing time.