My husband and I found the Fish Creek by accident several years ago. Even though it was located less than 1/4 mile off Route 13, in Westdale, we'd passed right by it for years.

We were going for one of those drives where you go wherever the road takes you, and we drove over the bridge and saw the dam. Of course, we had to stop and check it out.

Since then, we've stopped there many times, usually with our son, who loves the area. We considered the water route both sides of the dam, trying to estimate how canoe-able it was.

Those of you who know how much I love my (NY) Quiet Water Canoe Guide will be surprised to know that I overlooked the Fish Creek entry. While searching for another spot in the book, I came across Fish Creek. The next day, we were heading toward Westdale with our trusty canoe strapped on our vehicle.

We put in by the parking area, crossed under a bridge lined with teenagers waiting to jump into the water, and soon left them behind as we headed upstream.

There are some nice houses lining the bank on the right side. As Hayes and Wilson note in their book, the river is marshy for a good part of the way. We wound this way and that, paddling against a slight current. Aside from the occasional sound of traffic from Route 13, all we heard was the musical calls of many different birds. We saw one other canoe, but from a distance. We did get a close-up look at a young fawn at the water's edge. He seemed to believe that we couldn't see him through the reeds, and watched us intently before slowly sneaking away.

We crossed under Route 13, paddled a little further, and then reluctantly turned back due to time constraints. The further we went the more scenic the scenery became. The current helped us drift back, aided by occasional stretches of paddling.

My husband and I really enjoyed our time on the Fish Creek. I'm sure it's a trip we'll take again.

Another good book for quiet water paddling is Take a Paddle - Finger Lakes NY Quiet Water Guide.