The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-26
THE FISH OF THE NORTH.
now AND WHERE TO CATCH THB
sTHOSG AND Wary oUANASICHB.
The FishinR Near Lake 81. Jobn-1he Out
at Of Flies and tsckIe-Tbe Route aud
the Expenses-Wherc Not to Go.

The tarpon was the next to the last
discovery The ouananiche is the last.
II we put behind us tales Of giant sea
bass and other prodigics which have
come from the Pacific coast. But the
picturesque vivacity OF American imag-
ination has already given the ouanan-
dche something OF the character Of sun
myth. He-for decline to make so noble
FISH mere "it"-has been described IN
the language of the excitable Frencnman
whom / met one stormy night years ago
OF a steamer OF the Gaspe coaSt-:t
Frenchman with passion Tor re sport
which impeiled him into fervid utteranceS
regarding the demon FISH of the North,
"a fish acrobat equally at home IN hidaIr
or In the depths, creature OF fabulous
strength and endurance. not to be par
fled by cataracts or torrents and ap-
parently like leviathan. contemptuOus
Of books. IL is of this fish that am ask
ed 10 write, hut j confess that the sim
pie truth gives much support to my
French acQuantances's view. For the
ouananiche is marvel OF agility and en-
durance. a phenomenon among game flsh.
i sought him In his northern wilds after
experiences with Rangely Lake trout,
and the salmon of rivers like the Resu-
gOuche and Metapedia, trout in the
Rockies and black bass elsewhere. and
a certain scepticism preceded the first
experience but persisted with IT, Pound
for pound the ouananiche offers more to
the angler than any fish that swlms.
But what is the ouananichef The sim
plest answer is-a little salmon which
does not go down TO the sea, or at least
not for a long stay,but has its home IN
Lake st. John. the Grande Decharge or
the Saguenay. and the great rivers which
flow into the lake. The common name
which is pronounced as If spelled win
anishe" Is probably an Indian corrup-
ton of the French salmon, with the adj
M In Il mir
identified many years ago. and where II
ETY. Sebago. and II is so called from Sc
bago Lake In Maine where the fish was
The scientific name SALINE salar, vari-
attains most generous dimensions. This
variety is commonly known as the land
locked salmon. and these salmon are
found in many waters. But the ouanan-
iche Is case of special development.
Living in the strong water of the great
rivers 10 the north. and seeking its food
at the foot of great cataracts and in al
most irresistible RAPIDS IL develops a
spread OF tail and fins and a muscular
rover which makes II the Joy of anglers.
OF late years one hears the name GUAM
aniche applied to the landlocked salmon.
with which Adirondack lakes and other
waters have been stocked, but no one
who has hooked and landed ouananiche
in its northern home will be ready to
acknowledge that the fish bred In placid
quality of sport. The head and shape Of
the ouananiche are Ike those Of a salmon
save that the former has a slenderer
body and larger tai and dorsal fin.
When fresh run. the fish is slvery like
salmon. Later the colOring grows
rusty. the back darker, the lower sides
Ordinarily the back shows a dark green
ami purple marking and the gills are
bronze and purple with dark spots. In
some pools as at one of the falls OF the
Ashuapmouchouan the fish are darker
than elsewhere-a variation familiar to
trout fishermen. Yet after all is said !
the ouAnaniche remains to a certain ex-
tent mystery. So far as the Saguenay |
is concerned ii is possible for them to go |
10 salt water and many of them do 20 !
down with the spring floods and they
have been caught In the st. Lawrence. !
But these seem TO be exceptions. Wheth-
er any OF these fish return is doubtful. |
but some good authorities believe that |
they do. IL so. they reverse the habit of
throughout the winter. They appear in
Lake st. John in the spring, and are
caught along the shores and little later
ut the mouths of the rivers. But the
time OF the fly fisherman begins in late
June and July, when the fish descend in
20 the pools below the Grande Decharge
ana also. probably ascend the rivers.
Whsther they reenter the lake TO spawn
In The autumn or not is uncertain, but IL
seems probable that some spawn in the /
DeGharge and others In rivers and small !
er lakes to the north, and IL is probable /
also that many OF these fish do not come /
down the rivers at all. There are many |
Nexed questions regarding the habits Of /
the ouananiche. but there Is none regard /
ing his phenomenal agility and provinces /
when he feels the sting OF the hook.
There rs a possibility that the ouanan- |
iche may be found in the upper reaches /
OF north shore rivers flowing from dis |
tant lakes. but for practical purposes one |
who burns TO match his skin against a /
ouananiche must confne himself to the |
LIKE ST. John county. He will leave I.
Quebec at $50 on the Lake st. John Rail- /
way. travel all day through picturesque /
wilderness, sometimes called"the Cana /
clan Adirondack" where most OF he I.
trout-hshing is leased by clubs, and he
VIII arrive at the broad, sea-like expanse /
OF Lake ST, John and the Hotel Rober-
val about six Let me warn any asDir- |
Ing angler 10 div"st himself of the free |
ard easy ideas regarding fishing which !
are held by many of our countrymen. In /
Canada almost all the fishing is val /