The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-07-26
Fishing in the st. Lawrence.
National Repository for July.l

The regulation way to get up days
fishing here is to hire a fisherman and
his skiff for the day-price for man and
boat, three dollars; though you can hire
boats alone by the day, week or season.
The skiffs are all of the famous Clayton
model which took and deserved, the
Centennial first prize as the best row.
boats in the world for rivers, as they I'M
doubtedly are, both in model and con-
struction. They are very long and
sharp, round-bottom, double enders,
with a good deal of sheer at bow and
stern, in fact genuine Indian canoe,
adapted in form and material for heav
Ter burthep, ard for oars rather than
paddles. They row with out-rigger oar
locks, and make great speed, especially
with four oars. They are elegantly built
of oiled hard woods and cedar, with
nickel-plated hardware, and furnished
with two high-backed, legless, cane-seat
chairs, cushioned, turning on the
thwarts in the stern-sheets, designed for
two passengers and the skipper, who is
captain, crew, fisherman, when desired,
and cook to the party. Sometimes
third passenger is carried in the fore.
The fisherman has all the lines, spoon
hooks, ETC., necessary for trolling pike
the most common fishing. Some have
also tackle for still fishing, etc. He
furnishes also the necessary co fee pots
and frying pans for setting up the din
ner His guests must bring their own
provisions and table set, and these lunch
baskets are generally something well
worth getting into, at the right time of
day. And now all aboard" and we
are off. If we are a gentleman and lady,
the lady is seated at the stern, the gen.
tleman next forward, and facing her,
to assist her in fishing and to watch
both lines In pike trolling here stout
ash rods, made in a single piece, about
eight feet in length, are used; and these
are set in supports, and stand out one
from each side of the skiff thus spread
ing the lines to prevent fouling the
hooks. 1t seems a lazy way to fish, and
many prefer to hold the rods in the
Land in order to feel the heavy strike
Of the game. But the old fisherman
Will tell you that the regular oscillatory
motion of the spoonhooks, under the
impulse of the oars, best initiates the
movements of living bait, and that the
solid strike of the rod lying in the sup
port is surest to hook the fish firmly.
Fly-fishing for bass has been neglected
here for several years past, though for
merly it was much in vogue. DIR. Be-
thune and his sportsmen friends of lDr-
mer years preferred this, and rightly, to
any other form of fishing on the river;
and there are some famous stories linger-
ing here yet c. ncerning their exploits
with fly and reel rod. Mr.. Charles S.
Brooks, of New York, a member of the
Bethune Club, bass-fshing here, took
five bass at cast for three successive
cast, and four at the fourth cast, max
ing nineteen fine fish in four successive
casts. My authority for the statement
is that well known patron saint of the
st. Lawrence River, after Bethune,
" Parson' George Rockwell, who was
for twenty-four years the first perma-
nent pastor of DIR. Bethunes Mission
Church of the Thousand Isles," at
Alexandria Bay.