New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-30
WHERE TO CATCH SALMON.
AND THE COST or CATCHING THEM.

h~o soou me need no Advertisements. 1neir H-rlb
Us known to the epcure. their gaminess has become
proverb with the sportsman. And yet many
fisherman and epicurs can be found who cannot
place the river Restgouche accurately. tell the
BEST route to The fishing grounds nor the ways of
obtaining fishing. For the NEWCOMERS who are
members OF the Rest 1ouche Salmon Club ways
anu means are of small account But there is n
very large class of outdoor men" whose summer
campaign is more or less influenced by prudential
considerations. They may be keen fishermen. but
tDey VIII be slow to start a long journey into
l'ttleknown region on an uncertainty. 1t may be
their chief piscatorial ambition to land a salmon,
but salmon fishing Is understood to mean the in
vestment of 1900 more in an outfit and the pay
ment of from 1900 to s 900 for the lease of salmon
water during the season Notwithstanding the
increase Of fishermen the chances for extravaganza
in outft and the high prices paid for the best
privileges there still opportunities for the
prudent man to kill few salmon in the Provinces.
provided that he Is acquainted with ways and
means
Inc salmon rivers of Nova Scotia have suffered
severely from everlasting. Those Of Labrador
are not easily accessible the best taken up and
Laprador fishing is necessarily expensive. To the
best of nv knowledge there is little chance for
outsiders on the rivers Of Quebec There remains
New-Brnnswick. which has finer and larger salmon
rivers than any other province, and which seems to
me the best choice. These rivers ara preserved"
fairly well and they can be reached with COM
parative ease. They are visited by crowds of fish
ermen, but salmon river without fishermen
cannot be found south Of the streams which flow
into Hudson's Bay; and doubtless the scream of
the reel has already been heard throughout that
wilderness The man who will be contented with
killing few fish. for each of which ne sh ouId be
deyoutly thankful. NAV come to New Brunswick.
The journey from Boston to st. John requires
twenty-five hours II by water. fifteen hours If by
rail- and the Government railroad, the Inter
colonial carries the traveller from st. John to the
river Restgouche in about nine hours crossing
other rivers, the Mramchi and Nepisguit. on the
way. The journey is therefore not long. and the
expense from Boston to the gouche she uld be
between Sl5 and $50.
As to the Outfit the man who Is gnided by pru-
Dental considerations must deny himself imported
English rods like the Martin Kelly which cost from
500 upward according to the mounting. There is
nothing better TIM good American split bamboo
rod, but the usual price is $50 although a New
York dealer offers one this season for $50 The
merits Of split bamboo are familiar, but even its
friends acknowledge that rod of this material
requires very careful handling, and If broken can
seldom be satisfactorily repaired except by the
maker. wooden rcd is cheaper and can be
mended in camp IL is my strong opinion that
outfit can be purchased for less money in the
Provinces than in " the States" 1 have referred
the point to prominent New-YOrk dealer. who
naturally enough disagrees with me- The rods of
the St John dealers usually of greenheart, the
ia yorte material throughout the Provinces. When
carefully chosen. straight grained and well
seasoned. grcenheart makes an excellent rod,
although heavier. of course, than split bamboo.
These rods cost about S12 or SO. The Newly
dea er alluded TO has put upon the market this year
a rod sixteen feet long consisting of an ash butt
and ereenheart second joint and tip which seems
10 be well made and W II balanced and is sold for
So q price possibly intended to meet the prices in
the Provinces. Whether this rod can be obtained
else here do not know but the fact reinlins that
the st. John rods as low IN price as our cheap
est and they have been tested by hundred, Of fish
ormen They are usually spliced instead of
fcruled but feruled rods may he had. One soon
accustoms himself to the slight extra bother OF
spliced rods, add il care be Sc to odd break
ing OH the sharp points Of the jDlnts spices viii be
found to present some advantages IN the way of
strength over ferules. salmon AMI front rods are
made of ash and Lakewood rs well ~ greenheart,
the front rods which are usually IN Two long JOUts.
costing from ~ 70 II. Any rod should be ties Ell
rs carefully as possible IN the shop. but think
that the greenheart salmon rods of the Provinces
will prove satisfactory. hundred yar'l reel the
smallest which can be used, Will cost from - up
ward ID 1t. John. In New-Nork Il nickel-plated
Ieei costs : = and one OF brass ard rubber o. y
line OF "nanrlIed BRAIDED six costs from . or
10 II cents yard in Ncw-lOrk. In a
small New Brunswick town, where prices might be
assumed To be higher than IN city, have bought
a salmon line of this kind for cents yard. The
best salmon firs ABOUT the same in either place.
costing 90 cents apiece. say g a dozen. gut
salmon leader nine feet long ranges from - cents
To 81 80 in New-YOrk and from - cents to 81 30
IN the Provinces. Add dollar for a gaf hook
which can be fastened to any stout pole and the
entire ontat ought to come between $40 and $50
il purchased in St John. Prices are probably the
same in Montreal. Quebec or Halifax.
Now that the aspiring II prudent angler IS IN
New Brunswck and fully equipped. there arises
the important question OF how TO obtain any fish
inr Perhaps il would he better TO say that this !
nurston has arisen eraI months before for 1t is
often well to settle this matter before leaving /
New-YOrk or Boston. one very good plan is TO |
advertise in the ST. John, Halifax or Quebec news
papers stating the amount that Will be pald Tor |
fishing privilege. The advertisement should be
inserted some time in the winter or IN March, and
il III he likely to bring satisfactory answer. IL
n seasons lease is des red II Is usually necessary to
do this or to address the SurveyOrieneral of New
brunswick at the Crown Land Office in st. John. |
In the winter early spring there is held at this
office an auction sale of fishing rights on parts or
various streams in front of ungranted Crown land
A notice of such sale sent me month or two !
the upset prices OF two Or three rights as
$50 This year 10 IS said that speculative COM !
pany has taken ND most. If not all, OF the Crown
water in the Province OF Quebec. although there
has usually been a little unclaimed water toward |
the unper part OF the rivers
Unless lease is secured before the season opens,
either by advertising by sending bid TO a |
Crown auction. it will be found an awkward |
matter to secure privilege for season. On the /
RestIgouche and Metapedia seasons rental OF /
sin gle pool ranges from SO to \ 30 II is practi
cally impossible to obtain any long stretch OF
water and even single pools are very scarce
But there Is a third way which many fishermen |
will prefer aud that is to buy the right of fishing by
the day or week from some of the natives. For n I
time the Government claimed exclusive control OF /
the fishing rights. The farmer was not allowed to /
kill salmon in the river flowing through his |
farm But six or eight years ago this clam was
81. Il fin n
the owners of the banks control the water: A man
owning land on side owns the water half way |
across the river, and some OF these farmers must
clear more from their water than from their land.
At first rentals reasonable enough, but as
fishing privileges came INTO greater demand prices
have been raised except in cases where the angler
W. shr..Md enongh 10 lease tor term VI years.