Year: 1873

10 me that tne pflnclpal question is,
are the trout feeding or not9 If they are
they will take almost anything; if mot,
the most skillful hand may fail of
tempting them to rise. As to salmon,
I think no one will pretend that the
salmon-dies commonly used are like
anything in Nature, and it is difficult
to understand what the keen-eyed sal.
mon takes them for. Until then, we
can put ourselves in the place of
the salmon and sec with his
eyes, we must continue to evolve our
flies from our own consciousness. NY
small experience seems to show me
that in salmon: fly color is the main
thing to be studied.


Ny earliest experience in salmon
fishing was on the Restigouche, o
stream flowing into the Bay of Chaleur.
At first my efforts were followed only
by failures, for the taking of q salmon
requires both knowledge and dexterity.
Finally, however, my perseverance won
for me q decided triumph.


Kingtisher, the leader of our party,
kindly lent me the most skillful of his
Indians to row my canoe, that I might
have better chance of killing o sal
mon, I being the only one of the party
who, up to that time, had not succeeded
in doing so. I found in my book a
casting line of double gut: it was
only two yards long, but thought I
had better trust to it than the single
gut which the fish had been breaking
for me the last two days. I also found
in my book few large snowy salmon
flies tied on the double gut; with these
I started, determined to do or die. I
was on the pool at five a. m., and had
raised two salmon and caught two Jorge
trout, which often took our fys when
we were casting for bigger fish. At
$50 I raised aud hooked a big fish,
which ran out twenty yards of line,
and then stopped. I determined to try
the waiting method this time, and not
lose my fish by too much haste; so I
let him have his own way, only holding
him with tight hand. Joe the Indian,
Isoon saw understood his part of the
business: he kept the canoe close be.
hind the fish, so that should always
have q reserve of line upon my reel.
My salmon made two runs without
showing himself: he pulled hard, and
was evidently a strong fish. He now
tried to work himself across the
river into the heavy current. 1 resisted
this, but to no purpose: I could not
hold him, and I thought he was going
down the little rapid, where I could
not have followed, when he steered
down through the still and deep water,
and went to the bottom near the camp.
There he stayed, sulking, for more
than IN hour, and I could not start
him. The cook came down from his
fire to see the conflict; Joe lighted his
pipe and smoked it out; old Captain
Merrill. who lived on the opposite
bank, came out and hailed me, "Reck
on you've got big one this time,
judge" and still my line pointed to
the bottom of the river, and my hands
grew numb with holding the rod.


They have tied mo to the stake, cannot fly
But, bcar-likc, must fight the course.


Suddenly. up from the depths came the
salmon, and made off at full speed
down the river, making his first leap al
he went, which showed him to be Q
twenty -pounder at least. We followed
him with the canoe. On the west side
ran the main channel, wide and deep


gradually increasing in swiftness till il


became boiling torrent. Into this


my fish plunged, in spite of all my re-
sistance, and all VIC could do was tt


follow. But soon lost sight of him


and control of him; sometimes he was
ahead, and l could feel him; sometimes


he was alongside, and the 1.-Two would
slack and drag on the water, most dan


gerous of positions; sometimes the
canoe went fastest, and the salmon was


behind me. My men handled the


canoe admirably, and brought me


through safe, fish and all; for when W.


emerged into the still pool below, and


was able to reel up, felt him still on


the hook, but unsubdued, for he made


another run of thirty yards, and leaped


twice.


"That's good" said Joe: that will


tire him.


| For the first two hours of the strug


gle the fish had been quiet, and so hat


saved his strength, but now he began


to race up and down the pool trying


for slack line. But Joe followed him


up sharply and kept him we'll in hand


Now the fish began tojigger. and shook


his head SO hard and so long, that ]


thought something must give away


either my line or his spinal column.


After about IN hour of this kind ol


work I callod to Rodman, who was fish.
ing not fur of, and asked him to come
alongside and play with my fish for q few