The sun., 1916-12-17
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON
RECORD BROOK TROUT
Story Of DR.. J.W. Cooks IL 1-2
POunder-Other Big Fish
Taken in Canada.

Concerning the largest brook trout
on record. l4is pounds, taken by DR.. j.
w. Cook Of Fort william with a live
minnow IN the Nipison. discussed in a
column article in THE SUNDAY SrN OF
December 10. Edwin W. Sanborn writes
these additional facts IN n letter 70 THE
Sur dated yesterday:
THE SuS already has the photographs
which I forwarded OF the Ash and OF the
mounted skin. should say hat the EVIL
dence OF at least twenty-five witnesses
might be put on record as to weight ana
measurements. The population OF Fort
william Is about $4,000. most OF whom
were among those present. l should he
glad u furnish enough addresses TO
start such nm inquiry.
I have not been retained by the execu-
tors OF this fish. n don't caro- a ding
doodle what II was except as every
angler Is interested In fine specimens OF
the Jewel OF the waters. wouldn't In
terfere with anybody's religion. but ! see
no reason for putting a sacramento
stop order on the weight of trout at
II SIS pounds. Am in favor OF letting
'em grow as big as they please. As eN-
pressed IN former letter. the photographs
look the part Of Salvelinus fontinalls.
Since the early days OF big trout In
the Rangelcy waters tho horizon OF
trout seekers has widened. The trout
country OF the future lies in the north
ern wilderness Of the provinces Of QUE
bee and Ontario up 10 the latitude OF
James's Bay.
The middle part OF this zone IL &C.
cupied by the great clay belt which
makes tho waters muddy. West OF the
clay belt and north OF the new trans
continental railways there Is n big
region OF big trout, particularly in the
basin OF the Ogok! River. which al be
reached through the rivers flowing down
Into Lake Niplgon. There Is II sim
greater trout country IN northeastern
Quebec In tho wilderness around the
headwaters Of the three rivers flowing
INTO Lake st. John from the north. and
reaching above the watershed as far as
Lake Mistassini.
Thu main waterways OF this region
are known to trappers and prospectors.
but fortunately they care little for trout.
! had heard extraordinary stories OF
monstrous trout picked up casually by
those who had explored this wilderness
and have regarded their stories more
c~haritably since ] IA a look In myself
two years g
When up there on September /. 1914,
! happened on u convocation OF the
supernatural soakers, and with n five
and n half ounce rod and one Parma
cheenee Belle fly ooh ten specified trout
weighing seventy-hNc pounds. which
have been mountcd on their original
lines. These trout were accustomed 10
living In quick water and had the game
qualities and graceful lines OF the thor
oughbred trout. Their colors beat any
thing on this or any other planet.
Goode says OF his Rangeley record
trout: Its length WA thirty inches"
This was precisely the length Of one Of
the seventy-nve pound bunch of which
! send you photograph. There were two
others OF the same size. but In these
days ] wouldn't think of entering such
peewees for the trout classic.
On the way out | saw u rudely pre-
served trout OF the same sort that meas
ured ~thirty-two inches. Same effect as
when a p~rospector after "A hard trip
coming out with samples of silver ~
shown a gold nugget from tho vein on
which he had camped. I believe the
Page trout was mounted and Is still In
existence. IT would be interesting 10
bring the Page and Cook specimens to-
sethcr and let them continue the dis
cussion.
Nature never fails to save n place
somewhere for the element OF beauty.
Even In the sand swept desert there Ia
beauty In the sky. Up In the sombre
spruce wilderness of the north there isn't
my sky nothing but a solemn process
sion OF storm driven clouds. Once In a
while the clouds break long enough for
the glimpse Of a rainbow. There are
trout bigger tina were ever caught at
the end OF tho rainbow.