Bucannon Creek University

Just past Saddle Mountain there is a Junction . Highway 53 branches off of the sunset Highway. also known as the Necanicum Highway , 53 heads southwest for about 18 miles before it brings you out at Highway 101 near Mohler and Wheeler Oregon .

The Farm house we spent several years in on the weekends was Seven and a Half miles from the Junction. For Distraction Bob and I would count the turns on this Highway from the place where we entered the road to the driveway of the home . in Seven and half miles there were 75 turns . One turn in the rod every tenth of a mile . MY dad used to quip the road was laid out by a drunken cowboy chasing a Horse that had eaten Loco weed . The Road divides two great Forests , the Tillamook State forest and the Clatsop State Forest .

The Farm was dissected by Highway 53 the farm house and an old Orchard was on the left hand side of the highway , and on the right was an old Barn . A small creek named Buchanon Creek was just past the barn .

The house had electricity , and even had indoor plumbing . IT was not completely finished . the downstairs had a mud room , Bathroom , Living area and large Common Kitchen . The stove was a wood burner and I believe there was a wood burning stove in the Living room as well . Upstairs were four Bedrooms .

In front of the house was the remains of a very old Apple Orchard . The house also came with its own caretaker . An elderly Man we called Shorty lived on the property in a very small shack next top the main house . He watched over the property and cared for the Numerous , Goats , Geese , and chickens that also lived there .

Shorty appeared to be quite old , was usually very dirty and unkempt . He would ride His bike to a Friends house near Saddle Mountain once a week for a Sauna and shower . A journey of about 18 miles round trip .

On several occasions this man became our personal Guide , and fishing expert . Although for Him he was more inclined to illegally net the fish rather than catch them on hook and line.

The major attraction for me was the Creek that ran by on the opposite side of the road . Like the Necanicum river we were very close to a large fishing hole . where the fishing hole on the Necanicum was dark and mysterious , this hole revealed everything . There was no boundary of Basalt , both sides of the creek could be reached if you didn't mind getting a little wet . And on the side of the Waterhole facing the House there was a bank overlooking and peering into the deep . On this bank at one time two very large Sitka Spruce trees made their home . One had fallen and had been salvaged in part leaving a very wide 7-8 ft Stump to sit on and watch the river . across the hole the top half of the Tree still lay in the water .

Here also High water had eroded the soil under the trees roots , carving out small cave like place under the tree . When the creek was at normal flow this was a perfect place to sit and cast and stay dry when the rains came .

From the vantage of the bank and the stump when the water was not filled with sediments from Heavy rain and runoff you could look into the water . And it was a Dazzling site ..Huge schools of fish rested here ...The King Salmon the Coho , steelhead , and schools of Cutthroat trout . I have never seen so many fish in one place as I would see in this singular wide spot in the river .

At times the water was so clear you could make out the individual spots on the fish , you could see which of the salmon were beginning to molder . and directly under the stump waves of minnows were constantly on the move .

Upstream the creek widened into a long and shallow expanse ..and for some reason I cannot remember I rarely went upstream from my vantage point . Downstream from the hole the water emptied out into a narrow flute ..here the water went quite fast forming a very large rapid . at the point where the water enter the rapids ..there was a fairly shallow gravel Bar , and it was here we could cross over to the other side . On the other side our fishing place was the remaining stalk of the fallen Sitka spruce . The width of the pool was about 40 feet . and even forty fee away from its stump the tree measured over five feet in Circumference .

This place , this deep hole was where I Began to catch fish .