The morning times., 1896-06-21
One Enthusiastic Novice Tells of His First Exper-
ence in Killing the -Gamey Salmon.
An EXCITING TWO HOURS FIGHT WITH 4 FISH
But 1t Weighed Twenty y-seven Pounds and There
Was Reason For the Struggle.
AN OUTING DESCRIBED BY ONE WHO ENJOYED IT
tCopyright, 1860

Although summon Hsnng, EeyOnu al
Question, affords the very acne of ang
hing sport, that it is not more frequently
written about is not TO be wondered ut
Salmon rivers are comparatively few
the total number OF rods that the com
biDed waters will accommodate scarcely
exceeds two OF three hundred and TIE con;
sequence is that very lew persons have
an opportunity TO kill salrroa.
The only drawback pertaining to ang
ling for this king of fish is tie una
ycidabic expense. If .Cne can find iiveI
10 lease, he must pay an annual rental
soihttlIacs amounting TO many tEousand
dollars. The COST OF transportation TO and
fIomth river is1slily a large item, 70 wl.ici
must be added the cost of building camps
oi hiring guardians 10 prevent roaciiing
of provisions and guiacs. and last. but
not least OF the necessary tackle.
The salmon h;s. many peculiaritics 1t
is, properly speaking, Il salt water iisE,
the sea eng KS home fer about ten mont is
OF tic year. The otter months are spent
N fresh water rivers, which IL 3scends
las order to spawn. In tie sea its al idng
place has Fever teen discovered. Salmon
arc never c;iurht in the ccean and not hing
Is known OF item ffom the time they leave
tie fresh water after spawning until they
rcturD the following year. a furtber pecu-
af.ef year TO Tie same river in which Trey
were hatc.Ie1. Ttis las teeB demonstrated
by tagging soii-c OF tie fish VIXEN taken
aad returning them uninjured to the water;
nufniers of itcse Lave been aEain caught
i'll tie same stream in succeeding years.
SILL another curious fact is that each river
furnishes an average size of fish peculiar
10 Itself. No reason for This is known
TIE tine Tor salmon to leave the sea
Is about June /, but in spa wing rivers tar
from the SCI the time ma be two or three
weeks later. Tbey ordinarily leave the
rivers dEiing Au.7Us;. ti:Es limiting tie tish-
ing season TO six or eight weeks. As Il rule,
the rivers chosen are long, shallow. and full
OF rapids. The fish always lie in very swift
water. and prefer roofs having large rocks
iii the bottom. With tie opening OF the
sea son the salmon enters the rivers with
every flood tide, at once seeking the Eear-
est pools. They always remain quiet by
day. and at night ascend from lcol TO
pool.
TIE ny is the only sportsman like way
of catching salmou- They are so taken
in American and Canadian waters, ex-
cept in the Fraser and Columbia Rivers,
wnere the spoon is the only successful
lure. In the rivers of Great Britain and
Norway il is different. In many OF these
the fly will not be taken, and success is
attained only by the Use of q tn:all spin
ner, which is cast and drawn in the
same manner, as Il fly. That salmon
feed. and feed well in the sea, there can
be no question, as they always enter the
rivers in prime condition; but it is q con-
cedei fact that they do not eat while in
fresh water They are very greasy. oily
fish, and thick layers of fat are founc
plcntifuliy distributed through tie flesh. II
this that fhpy Stth.izf xrllfia
Ing. 4 salmon always returns TO the sea
many pounds lighter than on leaving it, a
decrease that greatly exceeds the loss OF
weight due to spawning.
1t is Il strange fac that there are few
that do not rstGrn to the sea. but remain
in the rivers during the entire year. No
explanation of this has never been given.
Such fish are called keits, and are FREE
que1tly cauEIt during the season: bit they
are returned II the water as the law di-
reefs, aud are not considered palatable.
They are very black, and exhibit little of
the silyery Whtcncss of the fish that
come from the sea. The young salmon,
up to eight pounds in weight, is termed a
grilse. These are occa casionally taken dur
ing the seasnn, and game fighting young
stcrs they are.
As salmon do not cat while in fresh
water. why do they take the anglers lily
SO Feiuliy. Inns is dnOtter OF tne uE-
explained peculiarities of the fish.
As the salmon increase in size and
weight. their flesh does not become coarse
and tough. as is the case with all other
fish. The steaks are fried or broiled. and
large pieces boiled: and the richness OF
flavor exceeds that of any other fish,
The salmon, when caught, has a beau
tiful siivery whiteness on the sides and
belly: the back is dark in color, almost
black.
After many years of craving and ambi-
tion to angle for salmon. the desired op-
portunity was at last presented. Aninvi-
tation came from one of the most noted
salmon anglers in Montreal. the owner
IF what is reputed to be the finest private
salmon reserve in Canada, and was eagerly
accepted.
The preserve mentioned was the beautiful
Ste. Anne des Monts. situated some 100
niles below Quebec upon the st. Lawrence,
near the giIlf. where 1t enters the great
iver from the south after winding jour |
icy through virgin forests and picturesque
1t affords twenty-six salmon
,ools in a distance of from twenty-five to |
hirfy miles. The stream is very rapid. av- |
.rages from fifty TO seventy-fire feet wide. |
md consists in greater part Of succession |
II rapids. The boats used for fishing are |
ermed canoes, but they are twenty-four |
Get long. very wide and quiteflat bottomed !
They are of wood. cinker built. Being very |
turdy, they Permit the occupant to stand |
Up and cast without danger of upsetting |
The numerous rapids prohibit rowing or
adding; the method of locomotion. there
ore, is by polling. The poles are steel point
"a, about eight feet long: n further adj
antag is the firmness with which canoe
an be held by them while one is casting or
laying a fish. Each boat has two canoe
1en who are very expert; and prove of
reat assistance to the novice.
Two other enthusiastic fishermen were
iso invited to the preserve at this time. |
'hese gentlemen had the advantage of a |
'ng and varied experience with salmon,
over twenty-five or thirty years. |
Upon Hsembarking from the steamer We
lade ourselves comfortable at the house
the guardian. situated atthe little village
Ste. Anne des Monts. located at the
louth of the river on which we were to
sh. Here our luggage was unpacked and
reparafions made for n trip early on the
borrow.
NowI was to receive my first initiatory
ep In salmon fishing. My rod vas I6 I-2
.et long, and weighed Ia pounds: IL was
'ound Joint. two-baDded. Castle ConneII
lake. of green heart. This was a decided |
novation for me, after many years devoted