The Middleton Salmon Fisherman
Old 1950 Postcard Showing the Annapolis River Near Middleton, Nova Scotia The Middleton Salmon Fisherman is a story about an exceptional person. He was not written about in the history books, but he was the topic of conversation for many years in the little town of Middleton. Back in the mid seventeen hundreds many of the New England Planters, who were promised free land if they settled in Nova Scotia, decided to settle along the banks of the Annapolis River approximately 30 miles east of Annapolis Royal. They were joined later by several Loyalist families also looking to settle in Nova Scotia after unrest in their former lands of the New England States. They named their new settlement Gates Ferry, most likely from a ferry that crossed the Annapolis River taking people across. Later, after the stage coaches began travelling through the Annapolis Valley going from Halifax to Annapolis Royal the name of the town was changed to Middleton. It was exactly halfway between Kentville and Annapolis Royal. The town grew up along the river and extended on the other side. This was the setting for the story of the Middleton salmon fisherman. The Annapolis River was once full of salmon. It always seemed to have fishermen lining it’s banks with their lines in. Years ago there were two great fishing holes found within the limits of the town of Middleton. Gordon Marshall worked in a grocery store along Main Street in Middleton. He loved to fish and was known as the town’s top angler. It is said that on a slow day in the store, when there was nobody around, he would grab his fishing tackle which he kept right at the store. He would then head across the street, down the hill to the bank of the river and throw his line in. It would take him no time at all to catch enough fish for his supper. He would then head back up the hill and return to his duties in the store. Gordon designed and tied his own flies, a white buck-tail fly which he used in May and a squirrel tail used in the months to follow. He always seemed to be lucky, some days landing up to seven salmon with an average weight of 10 lbs. Even long after his fishing days were over Gordon was always referred to as the Middleton Salmon fisherman.
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