After reading William Walker’s book, “Down the Little Pee Dee,” Ryan Stephens, my brother, Dawson Jordan, and I decided that we should explore the headwaters of the Little Pee Dee River. This is the last stretch of the river that I had not yet seen. Being mid-December, duck season was well underway and we intended to hunt along the way. Walker described the extent of how difficult crossing the logs blocking the river would be. This section of the river is rarely paddled and the DNR believes that the low usage does not justify any maintenance of a navigable channel.
After leaving Dawson’s truck by the County Line road bridge, we drove my car to Clio to begin our journey at Red Bluff Lake. A dam releases torrents of water which form the headwaters of the Little Pee Dee River. We slid our boats down the hill and let the dam’s current propel us into the journey. I was paddling my canoe with Ryan as the shooter on the bow. Dawson followed closely behind us in a kayak. The branches from the trees on both sides of the river met forming a shaded canopy. I always enjoy being on the river in the winter more than the summer because the trees are bare and I can see much further into the woods.
We had not gone far before we encountered the first obstacle. Balancing on the tree trunk, we pulled the canoe between us and stepped back in on the other side leaving Dawson to fend for himself. The turns were tight and frequent, often 180 degrees. Although we maintained a steady pace, we made relatively slow progress.
We saw many deer along the way and came very close to some before they leaped away splashing through the swamp. All we could see was a white tail bouncing away and splashes. At one point, we came around a bend to find a group of deer crossing the river right in front of us. They waited in the woods despite our presence, until the last deer reached the bank.
Duck hunting remained our primary goal but it was not easy. We made so much noise crossing logs and hitting stumps that the ducks always knew we were coming. Coming across an open stretch of the river, we managed to jump a pair of wood ducks at close range on our right side.
A right sided shot by a right handed shooter is an awkward position from a canoe but Ryan managed to fire off all three rounds as the duck darted through the thick trees. Bark and dust burst from the tree trunks all around the duck but she escaped unharmed. At times, all the shooter can do is to follow the bird and fire into the trees hoping to catch it for a split second in the open.
No more ducks were sighted through the duration of the ride. Following around another bend, I was startled by what sounded like a helicopter. A flock of turkeys had been resting in the trees above us and took flight when they noticed us.
The sun was dropping quickly and Ryan took up a paddle to help us to reach the bridge in time. We continued to meet more obstacles and cross more logs. Seeing the bridge through the trees was a relief to all of us.
We finished the day swinging from a rope swing and landing on the canoe before pulling out at the County Line Bridge.
Overall, this section of the river was a great paddle. The river was no wider, at times, than the length of my boat. I was surprised that the banks were dry on both sides, even though the river was flooded in Dillon at the time.
The dry banks and plentiful deer would make this section a great stretch for a camping/canoeing trip but is not ideal for duck hunting. Exploring the headwaters of the Little Pee Dee River would be a great adventure for any river enthusiast.
