New-York tribune., 1886-08-01
FISHING AND COOKING
THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF CANADIAN
CANOEING.

the kttle" and get bite to eat before anything
else was thought Of There had been altogether too
much bone labor " in polling up the turbulent Meta
media for his taste. 1t was a disappointment to
him when the conductor OF the freight train called an
declined to stop the train for us op
posite the mouth OF the Assametquashan. This refus-
al compelled Donald and John TO unload the canoe.
tent and outfit at Mllstresm three four miles below
and to face the prospect of polling up through ono OF
the most difficult of the Metapedias 800 rapids which
has borrowed the name OF He'll Gate When the canoe
was loaded and had taken my seat amidsbips on
nile of canv as and blankets Donald made discovery
which completed the eclipse of his broad ruddy conn
tenancc The canoe leaked. After all it might have
been expected When stored up for the winter In
Campbelltsn sswmll the canoe had been APPROPRIATED
by lumberman aud damaged. Donald had been IN
structed to obtain reparation, but iavorte no''o
here as in Mexico is " Manana," "to-morIow, ana
Donald's TO- morrow lasted month Wnen the 'un-
bermau after many evasons. employed manoeA"y
faced Indian to patch up the craft he appears W 0
acknowledged his responsibility for only nall 'he IN
juries AS the Indian was firmly cohvihceu .""' mum
ING but a new canoe or the entire rebuilding OF the
Iii ono ,vo,,d a,swer it is not strange that when we
embarked we found the result OF his scanty patching
unsatisfactory and very wet.7
Dopa,ds remarks about "bone labor " became so
pathec that took my trOut-rod and went ashore 10
. tighten ship" Looking back saw Donalds giant
6gure and Johns sghter frame rising and falling or
rather shutting up and opening like jackknivcs on
end in the jcrky motion of polling. Looking back
again I beheld both men prudently reposing in tho
shade of huge cedar. while wreaths of smoke drted
away into the forest third backward glance
showed Donald harnessed to the canoe by the anchor
rope and clambsrng over the rocks along the river
while john kept the boat off with bis pole. Then
&c tha md heg
nv flies into the few places along shore where it
seemed that an energetic trout might he able to make
beadway against the tumultuous current. The first
cast hooked salmon q salmon fully Eve inches long.
answering to the name of parr vermillion spotted,
agile and beautiful. The parr and the small trout
which followed were carefully returned to tho water
to grow aud loarn wisdom. There are always legends
Of runs of largo trout" and it largely desire to
find such run that had brought about our voyage
But these werc poor little fish, and not until
backset" behind an imments rock was reached that
/ began to have faith Ia the rum On the outer
aide torrent of water white with foam rushed by On
the shore side there a smaller but very AMBITIOUS
downpour Between the two a triangle of wa'cr CON-
paratvely anct save for the eddies promised we'll and
tue promise was realized. The flies fell at the edge
of the white water and drawn outward;
siyery something shone down in the depths and then
with hardly a splash at the surface, there ca no
sudden shock There one scream from the rec
and then silence as nv finger held the line hard ana
the rod underwent quick change from straight line
into senicrcle. 1t is one thing to play hsn IN
dead water 1t is quite another to let him run, when
he is sure to bolt into young Niagara. This will
bring strain to bear that neither the tackle nor the
hold that hook will ordinarily have can Withstand
With the customary Perversity OF game nsn unesr
such circumstances the trout made one dash after
another for the current. He was evidently wen
hooked and il was berefore q question between him
,%ehaS ana ans ,b. t1u but it didn't although the
the rod bent and recovered itself was cause OF open
mouthed wonder to John, WHO just tnen appeared
IN the distance He had never seen seven or egbt
ounce yrod before and his first opinion OF mine was
not vorable But when he bebed the rod" buckn up
IN a manner that showed there was something hesvy
and particularly lively the end Of the line John sat
down and stared, and was obliged to shout myseii
hoarse before he realized II at the landing net was
water lis siIvery sheen showing him fresh from the
sea- | heard John muttering didna think ,on niue
rod could hold fish the like o that" But IL did anu
after its strain lad tired out the trout he was hiteu
founcug and topping in the net lie was NOT one OF
the fathers of flock by any means, but be weeoed
two pounds and half and he was IN rne cohd.tion
for gallant fght twO-pounder and other nsh came
to the net later. Ii was pretty WORK. TINS nauonng
the splendidy active sea trout OIL the edge OF resist
less current. and grieved when Donau oegan 10
make remote references to the "kittle" IL was
necessary to cross the river TO reach our camping
the canoe without being drawn into the jaws oil Hell
Gate. There sti some polling To br donc ana 80
finding an old road along the shore walked mp.
emerging from the forest TO confront priest 10 iohg
llatk gown standing upon the crumhling bridge which
spans the rocky gorge Of the A'samet1uaghan iis
spook. like, uncauny figure to come upon IN this
the Eighteenth Century French of Quebec failed to
harmonic. it evident that the reverend father
was concerned with such earthly interests dish OF
trout for dinner. lie disappeared presently. his
covered blackboard making its vay in some strange
fashion along road so overhung with alders ana
other bushes that could walk therein only with
dhculty. We thought it safe to count upon very
little travel that road and our tent was pitched In
It, at the end Of the bridge But we learned the
f,tln of
Ing. when a French habtan drove his cart INTO the
tent.
tin pail in which water can be boiled and a
suftciency Of black tea to be poured into the boiling
water and allowed To steep and he Is content tie asks
neither cream milk, sugar can he spared,
although much missed, but he demands his tea, and
plenty Of it, three times day. Coffee is never used.
tut a full kitte of will make amends for bone
labor and short ratioDs. Donald fried himself and
the trout together while | spted some OF the smaller
fish Take trout of modest size, impale him upon "a
forked birch twg with or without tiny slice OF pork.
and roast him before the camp fire lie will curl up
pathotIcally he will put on the garb OF mourning
as he is backened by smoke and ashes. but be will
finally surrender himself dainty morsel with the
true widwoOds flavor which the frying pan does not
give. Fat him with potatoes roasted in the ashes
whose scorched jackets give little sign OF their snowy.
mealy contents and you shall feel yourself in close
and grateful communion with nature. You shall feel
no restless desire for exploration, even with so
beautiful a mountain stream AS the Assametquaghan
burtling down through the forest beside you, retng
itself into foam and parting into grest green pools on
either side OF the natural rock per OF the OLD bridge
You shall feel prompting to take rod III hand even
though you know that trout are waiting IN the eddy
ing pools below. 1t is enough TO lie prone. to breathe
TIA. piuy air. aud TO listen TO the Of the rapids
Such placid content as this is consolation for the
anglers disappointments, even tor the one which
presently came to me. For Donald and John having
lighted mighty Asmbeaus melted resin, and applied
birch bark to the best they could. were
anxious test their work. just between the con-
fuence the water from the long named river and
the Metapedia was stretch of ddies where salmon
might luIk. The salmon rod was made ready the
oaroe launched and we dropped to the head Of the
little pool. "Jock Scott .wAs fret cast upon tho
waters quickly returning i'll company with all intrusive
front lew casts more and heavy. steady pull
sent thrill along line and rod. The reel told the
story salmon had riseD hardly disturbing the
water taken the fly and descending in the same
leisnrely and dgDifed fashion to make closer SC
uuaintnnce with Jock Scott at the bottom. 1t by
till, tl,a OH hayi o