192 AMERICAN FISH CULTURE. 



Crooked river. In former times they ranged at the spawn- 

 ing season the whole length of Crooked river, as far, at 

 least, as North Waterford, and great numbers of them 

 were taken at many points ; but they were never known 

 to ascend the river at any other season than fall, farther 

 than the first gentle rapids near its mouth. This is rather 

 singular; for the sea salmon ($. salar) ascends rivers of 

 smaller size than this in June, and passes the summer in 

 them. The grand fishing-place in May was from the 

 junction of Crooked and Songo rivers several miles down. 

 The fish took bait eagerly, and were then in superior con- 

 dition. They left this ground as early as the last of May, 

 but at the outlet they were taken much later. In the lake 

 itself they were only caught in the track of the rafts that 

 came down across the lake into Presumpscot river, and the 

 arrival of the rafts at the outlet was always the signal for 

 good fishing there. In Long Pond they are never caught 

 only when entering the brook, and in the spring only a 

 few small ones are taken there. 



" The size attained by the Sebago salmon is very con- 

 siderable. The average of those taken in the fall is, for 

 the males, 5 pounds ; for the females, a little more than 

 3. A female 25 inches long weighs 5 pounds; a male of 

 the same length weighs 7 pounds. Of two males 29 inches 

 long, one weighed 9 pounds 14 ounces, the other 11 pounds 

 4 ounces. Some extreme weights may be given. One was 

 taken the past season at Edes Falls that dressed 14 J pounds. 

 The largest on .record was caught by Mr. Sawyer, of Ray- 

 mond. Its weight was 17 \ pounds, and is vouched for by 



