Evening star., 1901-08-31


De seen at a time To get one or more of
them out issthe peoblem the angler has to
| solve. The Appliances are few and simple.
wneg aneg consist Of e springy rod OF It. ss"gn =,
isngtn requiring both hands to be Used
IN casting the fiy), reel. containing a
hundred yards or more of fine, strong line.
terminating at the end in a leader of silk
worm gut, to which Is attached single
ny, mounted on double hook. Also, an
Indlan; canoe. and gam. as above IN
aicated Thus provided, the angler takes
MS posltioni his canoe anchored as near
| the middle of the stream as may be, at
the head of the pool. and he casts, and
casts, and <asts his fly, sometimes with
success, and many more times without. 1t
was once my fortune, while on this trip, to
get rise and hook a twelve-pounder the
very hrst cast, whereas on another stream.
several Years ago, / knew an expert angler
TO DO his best for ten consecutive Gays
without getting a single rise. much less
securing fish as a reward for his Skill
ana perseverance. And just why salmon
should rise to fly at all is a mystery that
mas never been solved, and 1T is likely that
II never will be satisfactorily explained. 1t
may be in sport: perhaps in anger; possibly
through curiosity. All that is positively
kno"n In the premises is the TACT that Tor
hours the fish Will pay no attention to the
fure, and then suddenly, without apparent
change OF conditions, it will rise to the sur
lace or the water and seize the gaudy triffe
as a choice morsel it had long keen wait
ing Tor. Certain it seems to be, however,
that the fly is not taken by it from hunger,
or as food, for We are assured alike by
lctayologtsts and by unscientific observers
WHO nave made close study or the nab
its and characteristics of the salmon, that
IL takes into it's stomach no food whatever
from the time it leaves the ocean for its
spawning beds until its return to salt wa
Ter, ana this theory seems to be borne out
Doth by examinations of it's stomach ard
by the enacated condition Of the fish on
ITS way to the sea after depositing It's
spawn or milt
As to success, our party had a fair share,
Tor the length of time given to the sport.
Our total catch was twentythree, varying
IN weight from eight to twenty-siX pounds
each. The magnificent specimen last re-
ferred to tested the skill and endurance
or Mr.. Whitehouse for matter of full
two hours before he could bring 1t within
reach OF the gaff. He was taken in what
club house
That and all the other pools in the vi
ctnity of the club house yielded and prom
lsed further fine sport; but as other mem
pers were coming in and as chances for
good catches thereabouts were diminishing.
In consequence, our trio concluded to go
up to the head waters of the Serpentine
river which with the Cameron forms the
east or left branch of the Tobique. The
Serpentine, by the way, well deserves it's
name Indeed it would seem difficult IL
possible for any snake to twist and writhe
itself into more bends and curves than
does this stream. From it's source to its
mouth 1t must tax the compass a hundred
times or more, and it so abounds In rapids
and cascades. with alternating shoals and
obstructing boulders everywhere, that naVi-
cation. even with an Indian canoe, would
seem to be impossible. But an experienced
Indian guide, with his springy Setting
pole. can really take his light birch bark
boat wherever there is actual moisture
even up the roof of q house, during 4
shower, one would think. He knows every
rock In the way, every little thread Of a
current that promises a channel. and he
| understands exactly what every swirl or
eddy In the water means. Why my guide
didn't break his pole or upset his canoe
half dozen times on the way [ never could
comprehend. I am sure / could have done
one or the other. and possibly both a score
Of times day, if my life were spared long
enough.
Let me say here. by the way. that 1 was
greatly interested in the Indians who con-
stituted the guides of our party while in
the woods They were five in number,
which included the chief Of the tribe to
which they belong, namely. the Tobiques.
Their headquarters or village lies near
where the river that gives them their name
emptes into the ST. John. Here they main
tain their old-time tribal system, bearing.
as near as L could learn much the same
relation to the provincial dominion au-
thorities that our, red men do to our gov
ernment. An English school is maintain
ed in the settlement and generally attend
ed. where the common or rudimentary
intelligence Stems to be creditable, alike to
teachers andi pupils. The members Of the
tribe all speak English fairly well. but in
their intercourse with each other they in
variably use their own original language.
They tell me that they once had written
characters to express it, but only the older
members Of the tribe now familiar with
them, and they have quite gone out of use.
1t was rather pleasant-to hear the CONVEX
sation of our guides, even though you
might not know what is being said about
you. as their voices are low, and in a way
musical. From a visit made to the ReSti-
gouChe region some years ago / came to
know something of the Mcmac tribe, who
act as guides on those waters, some of
them not very far from the head waters of
the Tobique and l asked my guide, Jonn
Soils by name, whether he knew anything
about that tribe or had ever seen any of
them. Often, he said He could tell Mic
mac as far he could see him. but when
they met they were obliged to speak En-
glish. as neither could understand the
others language. This struck me as
rather singular, since the sources of the
two streams divided by a very narrow
ridge or watershed. and one would sup
pose that there might have been consider
able intercourse between the two peoples
especially in later years. But so it seems
to be in other parts of the world as we'll
and even between races that boast the re-
finements and advantages of civiiza ton
/ learned further, on inquiry, that the Of
flee of chief of the Tobiques Is not a hered-
ltdry one, nor GOeS ii depend on the war
like proweSs of the incumbent, was for
merly the case with the aborigines The
chief here is elected every three years, but
Frank. the present head of the tribe told
me that he did not care to be reelected
this fall. as the duties of the position
: though not very numerous or arduous
kept him too closely at home. He would
rather be in the woods than enjoy the
honors and emOuments of office-differing
in this respect from his white brethren.
The trip from the club house to the up-
per pool of the Serpentine is a matter of
something like three days canoeing. owing
to the many and varying difficulties of
equipment an ample supply Of food. with
cooking utensils. tents. blankets, water
proof clothing. long boots, etc, are neces-
sary. For party of three, five men are