86 The Ottawa Naturalist. [fune 



tracting- these birds to other waters. It is said to be the o^overn- 

 ment's intention to introduced black g-ame and capercailzie from 

 Europe, and prairie fowl from our own western plains. 



FISH, and fishing. 



The disciples of good old Izaac Walton will find in the streams 

 and lakes of the Algonquin Park an abundance of trout, pike, 

 pickeral, and, in certain localities, white-fish and herring. Eels 

 of larg-e size are plentiful in the Opeongo branc h of the Mada waska. 

 Strange to say, both black and rock bass are missing. With the 

 view of introducing- these excellent and gamy fish, General Manager 

 Chamberlin, of the Canada Atlantic Railway, offered special 

 facilities for their transportation from other lakes in the Parry 

 Sound District to those of the Park. As a rule, brook trout, con- 

 sidered by many as the " King of fishes," are looked for in rushing 

 mountain torrent or the shining silver brook, but while the waters 

 of most of the brooks in the reservation are dark, it seems to suit 

 the taste and requirements of this loveliest and gamiest of fishes. 

 Mr. George B. Hayes, Prison Commissioner of the State of New 

 York, claims to have fished nearly all the streams of North 

 America, but says that for game qualities as well as beauty of 

 color and form, the brook trout of the Algonquin Park excel all 

 others. Perhaps the biggest of these speckled beauties are caught 

 in the Petawawa river, where they range on an average from half 

 a pound to four and a half pounds in weight, almost, if not quite, 

 equal in size to those of the famous Nepigon. Most of the brook 

 trout are of a superior quality of flesh, being- firm, and ranging in 

 color from a rich cream to the brightest salmon tint, while the skin 

 exhibits its glorious rainbow hues. In most of the lakes the salmon 

 trout, commonly called grey or lake trout, abounds. To catch 

 them, spoon or bait is used, as they seldom rise to the fly. To 

 fish within the Park limits, it is necessary to get a permit from the 

 Superintendent, and, even then, the use of rod and line and trowl- 

 ing line only are permitted. Moreover, the angler is only allowed 

 to take such fish as he requires for his own use, within the Park, 

 and is forbidden to carry away or wantonly destroy any piscatorial 

 spoils. It is not likely that the waters within the reservation will 

 ever be choked with the sawdust which has proved so fatal else- 



