Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-17
THE RECORD ATLANTIC SALMON
Archibald MitchelPs Story of His 40 12 Pound Catch The Restigouche-Fish Measured 48 12 Inches With Girth of 25 Inches-The Heaviest That the Norwich Angler Ever Caught r

To the current issue of Field and Stream, Archibald Mitchell contributes his own story of how he caught the heaviest fish that ever fell to his rod, the champion Atlantic salmon of the 1912 season, a 40 1-2 pounder, for which cup by the publication. The big fel- low was caught last summer on MT. MitchelPs fishing preserve on the Restigouche river, New Brunswick.
 Story of the Catch.
 The story of the catch is given as follows You have asked for an ac- count of the taking of the prize win ming fish. Well, here 1t is; it is not very long story.
 l began fishing this year on Mon 1 day, June 10, and had met with good success up to June 27 having up to | the aggregate 1901 pounds. On June 28 it was my luck to fish as my wa i ter for the day the High Rock and 1 Florence pools. I commenced pretty well up the river, where the current was strong, and found the fishing slow | that morning. Finally I got down to | the Florence pool, where the late Billy | Florence put a mark with brown paint l on a rock opposite to locate where 1 he usually met with the best success, l which is in line with what is known as "the boir' in this well known pool. l Up to this time I had not seen any | indications of fish.
 After anchoring at this place l | passed the rod to my head boatman, | David Wheeler, and said. Fish out | this drop for me- I frequently do this nowadays; in my earlier fishing | like most men, I had more youthful | enthusiasm, and wanted to hook and | kill every fish myself, but have long | since gotten over that. On or about the fourth cast a fish rose, took the fly on a short line and was hooked. David passed me the rod immediately. | It seemed to realize it's danger at once and suddenly became alarmed. | Jumped Six Feet.
 It made vertical leap, bringing | from David Wheeler the exclamation,
 That salmon made the highest leap | I ever saw a fish make!"-and we both agreed it must have jumped as high as six feet.
 After returning to the water it started across the river with almost lightning speed and took out about I New Brunswick shore!" groaned David
 said, Get away, you; it is trying
 to climb to the top of Squaw noun
 taini" as it made another high and
 savage leap.
 | I then reeled in, and after getting khim within comfortable fighting dis
 tance of the canoe the fish started of 1 again, down stream this time.
 He's now headed for Matapedia;
 if he takes US down there we will no
 be able to get back in time for lunch,
 remarked David philosophically.
 What do I care; lunch is of nc
 way, and most people dig their graves
 with their teeth,' I growled, attend
 ing strictly to the fish.
 Brought to the Surface.
 After this run was over I reeled il
 line as rapidly as possible and soo1
 got him in hand once more, but h,
 then made another run and took ou
 lot of line. By this time he wal
 getting pretty well exhausted ant
 when about 150 feet from the cano,
 and straight across the river, I agail
 reeled in, and by putting on a heav!
 strain upwards, succeeded in gettin,
 the fish to the surface of the water which could not have been accom- 1 plished so quickly if it's strengtl hadn't been spent from the brillian fight it made in an attempt to clea itself from the hook. It lay still ol
 the top of the water, showing it's dor
 sal fin and about third of the uppe
 half of it's tail.
 At this time I began fully to realiz : that this was the fish had for year
 dreamed of killing-a record breaker
 for me. In it's first rushes 1t was diff , ficult to determine the size of the fish 2 having often been deceived on thi
 point. but as it lay quietly on top 0
 the water, exhausted after it's shor z l but lively fight. it was plain to be see I that it was far above the average sizt
 Ready for the Calf.
 I then said to my men, with m 1 nerves still tingling with the excite ment of the contest, Hurry up, boy.
 the fish is ready for the gaff now, l we could only reach hinl-paddle fo all you are worthi" and l kept reelin :. ] in, taking up line as fast as the cano moved toward the fish, still keepin
 up heavy strain and lifting the ifs l upwards so as to hold the quarry o Il the top of the water.
 We got within reach of the tire fish, approaching him from a little be l
 to him without his seeing us or tn ; canoe. David gaffed him quickly, g E only an expert can. While we did nc e happen to time this fish, David and
 both agree that from the moment [. rose to the fly until it was gaffe was not over 10 minutes.
 Q Record for Guides Canoe. h After David had used the priest
 and put the fish to rest, he declare,
 This is the biggest salmon ever land e ed in my canoe, and I have been e guide on this river continuously ft f over 30 years"
 q When we returned to camp W B. weighed the fish and the scales regis
 tered 40 1-2 pounds; it measured
 length AS 1-2 inches, girth 25 inche
 It was the heaviest fish that ever fe ' to my rod and it put up one of tI . liveliest battles that I have ever ha ID with salmon. The fight, though shor
 was exceedingly brilliant, and tE - chances are that it will be a Ion n time before have another such expel 4 fence, if ever,
 On An 1s Ounce Rod. In taking this fish I used a Dalze rod, IA feet, weighing IS ounces. Rec Edward Vom Hofe, line 40-yard Kint fisher, tapered No. 5, spliced to o1 hundred yards Cuttyhunk, Nine fo salmon leader and a Mitchell fly, N ?, tied by Forrest.
 Fished the River for 20 Years. In connection with the story of u big catch, Mr. Mitchell tells of fishir on the Restigouche for 20 years al in 1902 he was fortunate in purcha ing, jointly with friend, the Rum, mede lodge water and farm, about fol hundred aches, of John Dawson,
 Yorkshire Englishman, who was Il v owner of the property at that tim