Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-10
ATRIP NOR IHwEsrwARD.

iC@rcTo,Dsosc, AZ TIE Eu,1ug SoTl
DULUTH, MINNESOTA. Aug. 3. lS-A
Having safely arrived a. the ..Ceurer OF
tie World."I hasten % report the result OF
my nrsi attempt AZ trout fishing ia the Ia
nous waters Of the Nepigon. Allow mo
first to sketch the mode ana manner OF how
irout-fshing is accomplished al this ultima
thule OF anglers. A permit from the Cana
dian government has 70 Toe obtained. NJ
permit reads as follows:
SPECIAL PERMIT,
GrWNofby OTyf,r " me NiatS'tT - HutnC al
The holder OF this permit, \. X. E, esq,
having duly applied, is allowed TO angle
from July 18th To September Isl. lsI5. Ia Ne
plgOn river, within the district OF the fishery
Overse,r cOuntersigning underneath.
This permit IL Not Transferable, and re-
quiTes strict conformity 10 the various pro.
visions OF the fishery laws and regulations.
ISSUED AT Ottawa. COuntersiguel ana
dated al Red Rock, L. :. \. =. NESNoR
NJ. r. WHTrCHER.
Commissioner OF Fisheries
JOSEPH WILSON. Fishery OverSeer
haNlng obtained my permit, I secIre1 n
large, nne blrch-btrk canoe, aud engaged
three oJlbwa Indians a. guides aud oarSmen,
and two picked sailors a. cooks ana general
assistants. From the trading post / secured
good tent and al necessary camp eluipagc
including an ample supply Of heavy Mack
nav blankets. Our Harder was well provided
with provisions for the party for a weeks
TIP and every thing being I'm readiness our
party OF SIX started al a IN. TO ascend the
Nepigon river, a distance OF twenty-five
miles. Ny Indian guides, 10 whom 1 paid
by agreement one dollar day each, could
not speak a word ~ English. but were quick
70 understand signs.
THE SEPIGOS RIVER
Is but a chain OF lakes connected by straits
composed OF falls where n great volume OF
water from coo TO GOO yards wide goes leap
ing and seething through granite boulderg
and down rocky cliffs ten, twenty and dty
Ieet. such found 10 be the character Of the
Neplgon. Having run The first swift rapids
10y means of paddles and poles, our canoe
entered take Helen, which resembles In many
respects Lake George, surrounded a. IL Is Toy
bold range Oi wooded hills. Through tho
center OF this lake dartCi our frail bark for
eight miles. when We reached the Long
Rapids, which continues for five miles. At
this point begins
THE PORTAGE,
very rough railway, which leads 10 the
foot OF Lake Jessie, three miles by land.
Here we had to disembark, and tue Indians
carried everything-boat and cargo-on their
shoulders was astonishod at the strength
and endurance exhibited by these young red
skins. A long leather strap. with the central
portion as broad as the hand, was tied at
eacd END around the load 10 be carried, aver
aging about 800 pounds. The Indian stOopeI
with his back To the load, and slipping the
middle OF the strap over his head and against
hls forehead, would rise with seeming ease
The upper end of the portage, my goods were
laid down, and two OF the Indians returned
TO bring twenty-foOt canoe, which they
soon accomplished, having passed the port
age three times or footed il nine miles Lake
Jessie Il Ia feet higher than the river al the
ioot OF The portage. This same process OF
loading and unloading had To be repeated
i've times during the day. Asp. m. 1 was
at point twenty I'VE miles up the Nepigoa,
ana go ieet above The level OF Lake Superior.
Here 'Ound two gentlemen. Mr. RQoinson,
of
IL camp, ard ell gagged in
MILLING TROUT.
Here determined 10 try my luck and risk
my reputation as an angler. These gentle
men received me most cordially and treated
me handsomely. My tent was pitched near
them, and my trusty tars soon put my house
IN order and had hot supper ready before a
blazing camp fire I learned from my new
acquaintances that they had had splendid
luck, and the fish were abundant They hat
killed several hundred pounds each day The
river AT Camp Rooinson-(I take the liberty
Of thus naming one of Ia G prettiest spots on
the whole river)-is about six hundred feet
wide with a deep, rapid current. Having OBJ
tanned some knowledge OF the best fishing
points returned eaTly-my sailors sharing
my tent and the Indians storing themselves
last started, equipped for
DAYS SPORT,
accompanied 10y Indian Henry, 10 han .
the landing net Ny first throw wa, a sue.
cess. speckled beauty was ready 10 re-
ceive it, and although he fought desperately
for several minutes he was safely landed,
ana weighed 81 pounds. The Dall was now
iairly opened, and by noon / hal killed -
Trout, several weighing 1 pounds. and not
one under 2H pounds. OF course, my whole
PARTY Jared sdmptuously at dinner Late i'm
the afteSnoon / again amused myself by
lettering along the bank near our camp and
watching the trout rise 10 the deceptive fiy
only 10 find a resting place ia Henry's net.
Although had not been over half a mile
from camp during the day was completely
overcome with fatigue and excitement, and
was soon sound asleep in my tent. A largo
campfire was kept up during the night, as
the thermometer would TAIL 10 i0' during the
latter part Of the night During the day the
temperature ranged IIOm as 70 G5e Fahren-
heit. Al an early hour next morning 1 re-
sumed offensive operations. Tue whole river
seemed
ALIVE WITH TROUT
i supplied my Indians with hooks, and told
them they must catch their own dinners.
They obeyed, and soon had an abundant sup
ply. Within a few rods OF the camp | securet
my trophy, pound fish, after a gallant
reSlstan &c on his part and a running fight OF
fifteen minutes. This fish, with several three
and four FOUNDERS, i have carefully pre-
served, and will present them TO you on my
return To Washington.
Having killed more fish than / wanted
all told, 81 speckled trodt, whictr
packed into my frail canoe and brought safe
ly back 10 the steamer, we struck our tent
the next morning, bid adieu 70 Camp Robin
which we run several OF the rapids, and thus
avoided as many portages, reaching Rel
Rock at p. m. The next morning our
~bese ief ths at Sill
mines In the world, and secured some choice
specimens. A. II. E.
a n