 For hundreds of years, the La Vizaforca, the big sandy river, served as a main transportation route for Pike County. Native Americans and early settlers used the river to hunt fish and transport goods. This week we took a float trip from the fish trap damn spillway to pipe oil along the river. Traveling in the way of our ancestors offers the floater a unique experience and a different view of Pike County. Although our canoe was made of high-tech plastic versus birch bark or a hauled out log, you can still capture a glimpse of what it might have been like to travel the river a hundred years ago. Covering eight and a half miles, the trip consists of floating through multiple communities in Pike County as well as traveling through some beautiful wooded areas. The river offers excellent fishing opportunities for largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill and catfish. Beginning below the spillway at Fish Trap Lake State Park, the journey begins by floating through a beautiful wooded stretch offering a great opportunity to view wildlife. There have even been a couple bald eagles spotted here recently along this stretch. The river meanders its way out of the park and flows adjacent to Rocky Road in the Miller community. This stretch is dotted with ripples and shoals that offer the floater a little excitement along the way. Approximately three miles into the trip, the Russell Fork meets with the La Vizaforca under the Miller Bridge. From this point on, the river almost tribbles in size, offering some good-sized ripples and shoals to run through. For the next five miles, the river flows through the communities of Millard, Greasy Creek and Shelby Annem before reaching the Pipeville City limits. The river has numerous ripples and shoals that flow into longer, deeper pools that is perfect for beginning floaters. This float can be accomplished in as little as four hours but could easily take all day if one wanted to take their time and enjoy the sights or fish along the way. Always be sure to wear an approved personal floatation device whenever you're on the river. No matter how calm or shallow the water may be. The takeout point for this float exists at the Jubilee Christian Assembly Church in Pipeville. If you have a canoe, kayak, raft or jambote and want to experience a different view of this section of Pipe County, give the fish trap spillway to Pipeville Floater Trout. You won't be disappointed. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Ronnie Hilton.