The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-09-05
LANDLOCkED SALMON.
Splendid Sport to BE Fonnd in Lakes and
Streams of Maine.

taking the bait or fly, and savage fight
ing when hooked, the Canadian species
has no advantage of the landlocked
salmon of Maine. The reason so many
anglers in the past have complained OF
the lack of gamy qualities in the fish is
that they have sought and captured
them in still water. Every frequenter
of the Roberval region knows that
onananchie taken in the quiet Lac
Jeune or Lakes Pemoka, Plonger, or
Brochet, are as tame as any salted cod
fish when compared with the furious
fish that hide and feed in the foam-em-
broidered eddies of the Grand Dis
charge.
1t is the living and struggling for ex-
istence in mad swirling current that
bring out the devilish agility and pow
erful energies of any race of fish. So,
if the Maine fishermen wish to find the
| landloclled salmon in perfection, let
! them seek him in no calm, stagnant
ponds or pools. One of the very best
| spots to fish, if one does not mind trav-
| cling rough country to reach it, IS
| Sebac lake. in Piscataquis county, Me.
1t is lovely sheet of water, thirteen
miles long by about four and half
wide, fed by two spring brooks, the
Wilson and the Ship pond. 1t is sur
rounded by densely wooded ridges, and
its water is as cold as ice. The old
time custom has been to fish in the
deep, quiet coves of the lake, but the
| place to find fun is in the swift water
| inlet AS soon as the ice is broken and
goes out, the sport begins, and contin-
ues all through June. After that the
fish take to the pools and deep spots in
the two brooks and are sluggish and
disinclined to bite.
Three or four pounds is the average
weight of these beautiful fish, though
occasional prizes tip the beam at seven
and eight. When the salmon are first
rum" i. e., come up out of the deep
places in the spring, they are an ex-
tremely dark greenish color. Shortly
after their play in the rapids has be-
gun, their sides and bellies take on a
silvery white tone, and the black shad-
ings show sharply. They have then
become fighters. All the winters S
sloth has been shaken off, and the
landlccked salmon are ready to give
battle to all comers.
They hunt and feed on the smelts,
which are very numerous and plump,
and so respond better to the efforts of
the bait caster than to those of the fly
fisherman. At the very mouths of the
brooks, however, and above, in the
basins below the high falls, the fish
J run and jump for fly during this
month. The killing bait are the young
! smelts, or, failing them, small sinners
of not more than three inches in
: length. Use light but strong tackle,
about such as you would carry for
black bass. A light salmon, single
strand, nine-foot leader, and No.
sproat hook, without swivel or sinker,
is a good rig.
Though some of the old guides al
s ways hook the minnow through both
lips, it is easily demonstrated that the
bait lives longer if only hooked
through the upper lip. The once pop
ular hooking in the back under the
dorsal fin has been entirely discarded.
With your boat or canoe securely an
chored in the swiftest current, let out
|
hundred and fifty feet, and let the
v eddies carry the bait as they will Dc
y not, however, have too much slack, for
when the salmon seizes the bait you
must be able to strike. There are
. many rock points from which the
|" angler can take good fish without any
4 boat, but it is more difficult to bring
' the fish to net.
The fly fisherman will find the dark
. Montreal and the professor the taking
u feathers here for June fishing. He will
y find, too, that the fish in the lake pre-
~ fer bait, and his best sport will be ha'
g along the rivers. The Ship Pom
stream contains some very pretty rift
Ii and runs, and abounds in small bu
g gamy fish. Both fly and bait fisher
4. will admit after fair trial that this
- as game a fish (taken under prope
- IL conditions and at right season) a
they have ever hooked.
III 1t is not so hard to reach this fine ol
9, 9, lake as it was a few years ago. On
- - can take train to Dover, and froi
"a there take drive of six miles t
70 Blethen's, on Sebec lake, and then b
- steamboat up the lake. There is al
10 other slightly longer route by way {
W. Abbott Village by stage. The hot
% on the lake is small one and onl
W plain, coarse food may be had. Or
' dollar a day is the rate charged.
guide and a boat will cost two dolla
day, and they are hard to get in tt
er fishing season, for the demand far e
ceeds the supply. If no other schen
is feasible, one can join one of the sc
Lr. eral sporting camps along the nor
no shore There is no warm wealth
at ever known there, and the night
even through July and August, are q
bt- tually cold. One needs warm ST
for the early morning fishing, which
r a the best of the day, for at sunrise a
N. shortly after, the biggest salmon d
feeding.
Unheard.
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