LAKE SUPERIOR. 63 



voracious fish, that he will bite at a white rag 

 attached to the bare hook. 



Once struck, however, and he surrenders without 

 an effort, appearing even to swim gently forward, 

 which conduct, although natural in a man under 

 similar circumstances, is not expected in a fish. So 

 slight is his resistance that it is difficult at times to 

 tell whether he is on the line or not ; and although, 

 of course, on approaching close to the boat he flounces 

 and struggles a little before he can be gaffed, he 

 affords the sportsman no excitement whatever. He 

 may also be taken in deep water with a long line 

 and sinker, with the lake-herring for bait, and is thus 

 during the fall captured of enormous size. 



He is found occasionally to weigh seventy pounds, 

 and perhaps more ; a handsome fish to look at, he is 

 also excellent to eat, and with the peculiar confor- 

 mation of the trout, he combines its elegance and 

 the rich redness of flesh of the true salmon. He is 

 rarely taken by trolling to exceed ten pounds in 

 weight, and on the north shore more frequently of 

 five or six ; but of that size is an invaluable addition 

 to the fisherman's larder. He may be either boiled 

 or broiled, and makes a capital foundation for a 

 chowder. He must by no means be confounded 

 with the siskawit, which is only taken in the upper 

 part of the lake, rarely exceeds seven pounds, and is 

 so fat as almost to dissolve in the frying-pan — at 

 least we were thus informed by our guides, for we 

 took none ourselves. 



The best time to take them is in calm weather, 



