THE STURGEON 181 



the intense cold of the snow-water begets a desire 

 for exercise. 



The systems of catching sturgeon in use 

 amongst the Indians of the Fraser and Columbia 

 rivers are widely different, as indeed are all 

 their modes of taking fish. This mainly arises 

 from the fact of the Columbia river having nu- 

 merous deep falls, that impede the ascent of all 

 fish going up to spawn. These falls, as I have 

 said, are quite impassable for even the salmon 

 until the snow-water floods the river. The 

 Fraser, on the other hand, offers no hindrance 

 at all until after Fort Hope is passed, and the 

 principal Indian fishing-stations are all below 

 this point: hence it is that on the Columbia, the 

 fish, both salmon and sturgeon, are speared, 

 trapped in baskets or weirs, and the sturgeon 

 also taken with hook and line ; whereas, on the 

 Fraser, salmon are principally taken in nets, and 

 sturgeon speared. 



I shall first describe the mode adopted by the 

 Indians of the Columbia to catch sturgeon with 

 hook and line. The best months for fishing 

 are February and March, and the time of day 

 either early in the morning, or late in the evening. 

 The Dalles is a favourite fishing-station. 



The first thing is to prepare the bait. The old 



