The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-07-29
Salmon Fishing.

THE following graphic and lively
sketch of salmon fishing is from an cutter
tanning article in the atlantic for August,
entitled 'Ten Days Sport on Salmon Xiv
ers," by Dean Sage:
hooked him just in front OF Mowats
house; he rose to the same small dark
Nicholson fly had killed the other salm-
on with. His first rush was not rapid as
he started off, but a steady, lasting gait
that showed conscious power. As he went
on his speed increased, until he had about
sixty yards of the line out, which l was
obliged to give him in order not to take
the canoe past the only spot where, for
some distance, we could land. When he
jumped he showed larger than any fish l
have seen, and made me very doubtful OF
my ability to land him. As soon as L
reached the beach I started down and be-
gan to reel in, but had only gained few
feet of line when the fish took another
rush down stream, and for couple of hun
bred yards kept me going at full speed over
very rough country composed chiefly OF
driftwood, stumps and large rocks. When
he halted, which he did after jumping
twice more, had about ten yards of line
left, and despite my fatigue and bruises Il
had fallen flat over large rock had to
keep on as fast as | could reel up. had
hardly gained half my line when off went
the fish again and had another foot-race,
which left my reel almost bare. AT the
conclusion of this burst he jumped again
and then began coming toward me. This
is an exceedingly dangerous thing for
salmon to do and, if not soon checked,
certainly results in his breaking loose, as
the current makes the line sag down.
stream and it is sure to catch on some of
the rocks, which all have their sharp
edges pointed in the direction of the cur
rent Fortunately the canoe was some
distance above me, and the Indians
brought it over the fish and turned him
down stream before he had done any harm.
He then took refuge behind rock and
sulked for half an hour, being perfectly
willing to have him do 50 until | could
get my second wind. 1t took good deal
of stoning and one pike-pole to start him
going again, but at last, after as arduous
an hour and a half as | ever spent, during
which the fish had jumped nine times and
fought with unsurpassable resolution and
intelligence, he was induced to come
within ten yards of me, where |
held him, his fins erect and his mouth
went just below to gait him. When hegot
in position | eased up little on the reel,
the fish slid downstream, Peter made
dash at him out of reach and missed; the
salmon made one last effort, parted the
frayed gut, rolled over utterly exhausted,
and disappeared. Mowat saw him that
evening lying by large stone at the edge
of the rapid, just moving his fins, and with
about yard of my leader hanging out of
his mouth. So severe were the PUSHES of
this fish that | found the brass ring at the
end of my rod-tip cut so nearly through by
the friction of the line that | was afraid to
use it again. | sincerely hope that salmon
lived and will populate the Restigouche
with his kind, for nobler and gamer one
never swan. Mowat thought he would
weigh above forty pounds, the Indians
over fifty and | at least sixty. dom
think had hold OF so large salmon as
this again, though the next Monday l lost
two leaders with heavy fish l did not see,
which started up stream instead of down,
as soon as hooked, and could not be
| checked