Last night was the first time we have slept in our own homes for eight days, and it felt good to be in a familiar bed again. However, it was still easy to get up the next morning with the anticipation of another day on the Neuse River. Today’s paddlers will include Bill Olah and, back again, was Dave McCracken. Only three of us on the river today, but an enthusiastic group all the same.Once again, Mother Nature would supply some much needed rain during our paddle. It is still rather amazing that even a day on the river when it is raining is better than a dry day in the office.
As we left Maple Cypress Landing, there was a slight mist just above the surface of the river that made for a very beautiful scene. We only had about 12 miles to paddle today, so the pace again was fairly moderate. This section of the river is again just a great place to paddle. On this day we encountered no boat traffic or even a fisherman on the banks, and while we were only about 26 river miles from New Bern, it felt as though we were 50 miles away from civilization. Partly due to the end of the trip being near, some fatigue setting in, but mostly just enjoying being on the river, the three of us were not quite as talkative today. There seemed to be some reflecting going on in our heads that focused on what we have seen, and the incredible need and determination to protect our Neuse River.
We have not seen the trash on the river over the last two days like we had witnessed further up river. This is due largely to the fact that there is not a lot of urbanization between Kinston and New Bern that is the usual source of trash getting into the river. While paddling the Neuse in this section, and along much of the river where urbanization is not very prevalent, it is difficult to remember that the waters we are paddling through are still heavily impacted by the human activities in the watershed. Hog factories, agriculture, Stormwater, wastewater treatment plants, sedimentation, mercury and trash have a grave impact on our water quality. One of the things that rang true throughout the Tour de Neuse was the fact that many people do not appreciate the beauty of the river, but they also don’t appreciate the stresses that we place on the river. Throughout the trip, people we have talked to, whether along the banks, fishing from a boat or at the many presentations that were made, the most common question was “how is the river?”. The answers, depending on the time we had to stop and chat, were of varying lengths and of different degrees of technical information. But the message that was being delivered was that our Neuse River is not without issues and is not out of danger. Because it is a beautiful body of water, we need to remain focused on what is under the surface, what we don’t see with the naked eye that is causing the river the most trouble.
Trot lines
Throughout the trip, on virtually every stretch of the river we paddled, we saw what are known as “trot lines” hanging from tree branches that are suspended over the river. These lines, as you can see from the photo, are placed by people fishing the river. The line is fitted with a baited hook, attached to a tree branch, and the hook is allowed to be suspended in the water. The trot line is then left to do its job. The purpose is to have fish take the bait and be caught by the hook, but instead of being reeled in, the fish are allowed to fight for their lives while hanging from this setup. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not against fishing, whether for sport or for food, but there is no sport to this type of fishing, and the sad part of the process is that these lines are not being checked on a regular basis, and the fish are not removed even for consumption. The number of times that we have inspected these lines and found a dead fish carcass on the hook was very discouraging. Let’s respect the art of fishing and give the fish the courtesy of a fair fight. And use what is caught or return it to the river to continue with its life. OK, enough pontificating.
Our trip continued, sometimes with rain falling steadily, other times when it was just a light shower. And occasionally, it would stop raining all together. The shoreline continued to provide spectacular scenery. Large cypress trees were an almost constant companion; they seemed to be guarding the banks of the Neuse. When we reached Cowpen Landing, we were met by several local residents who have taken it upon themselves to try to keep the landing cleaned up. This is not an easy job, as these landings are used as party spots and the amount of trash left behind is amazing. We took the opportunity to talk with these gentlemen more when we returned the next day, and I think you will enjoy their outlook on the river. The days paddle ended, and we again returned to our own homes and our own beds, with much anticipation of the final paddling leg of the Tour de Neuse which would take place the next day. We were expecting to have a number of boats on the river, but never anticipated what the next day would bring. Tomorrow’s trip from Cowpen Landing to Union Point Park in New Bern would also see the return of Upper Neuse Riverkeeper, Dean Naujoks, to the trip. You will definitely want to read on to see how the last paddle day turned out.(Click here to read day 20)
