26 The Atlantic Salmon 



Chain of Rocks to whom I told the story and the 

 location of the fish. He got him the same even- 

 ing with one of the live butterflies. The largest 

 salmon I have ever seen on the Restigouche was 

 taken by a man named Alford, who had risen him 

 one evening two or three times to a Silver Doctor. 

 He then attached to the hook of the same fly a 

 piece of caribou skin with the hair on, and at 

 least two inches long by one wide, and let it float 

 down over the fish. It was taken so greedily that 

 the hook fastened at the very root of the tongue, 

 and as Alford was alone and had no gaff, he 

 beached the salmon, which weighed forty-five 

 pounds. Mr. Locke, in " The Tweed and Don," 

 says, " As an illustration that salmon when in the 

 humour will take anything, a few seasons ago 

 a friend of mine captured two or three fish with 

 the thumb of an old kid glove stuck on a plain 

 hook." This would be a European adaptation of 

 the caribou skin, and to my mind confirms the 

 belief that salmon rise to a fly or to anything else 

 with an intention of eating the object. The 

 intention may change on investigation, as is the 

 case often with people who think they will take 

 something and then alter their views. 



The assumption that because nothing is found 



