Mill Towns

I put in under a bridge in the town of Derby but I am unsure of which river I have set out in being very near the confluence of the Naugatuck and Housatonic.  So, I head upstream to figure out where I am.

There is little current and the upstream paddle is more of an upwind effort than anything.  I pass old brick industrial buildings in various states of decay and refurbishment.  The river towns in this area are old mill towns that have truly entered their post-industrial eras.  In short time, perhaps 15 minutes or so, I see a dam and know that I am in the Housatonic because I have been on the uphill side of that dam not to many days ago.

I return the way I came and pass the put in, finding out by a sign on the shore that I set out from O'Sullivans Island.  I round the downstream point and head up the Naugatuck, which has a small current and seems more exposed to the wind.  The east bank is steep and wooded, often about 60 feet high with houses built right to the edge of the bluff.  The west side, once I leave the lower parts of the island, is a 40 foot high dike of piled tan rock.  It is devoid of life.  The east bank unfortunately shows the wear and tear of being a town river and there is far too much trash entangled in the brush for my liking.  It is an uninspiring paddle and even my camera struggles to get more than a dreary toneless image.  But, I know that it is a place to return to.  I will have to come back because there will be a time when I will find the beauty that lies hidden.

music for fish