Y8 A TRIP TO THE LA VAL. 
muddy, while the residue of the shore and bottom is firm 
white sand. The lake looked, in its broad expanse with 
the sun dancing on its rippled surface, lovely to us 
whose eyes had for a time been confined to a narrow 
gorge or the blue sky above. 
Hastily launching the canoe, we descended the outlet, 
where the water poured over huge bowlders covered with 
a long, w^eedy grass, the seeds of which had been washed 
from the lake. Walton was standing in the bow of the 
canoe, and shouted with delight, and waved his paddle 
enthusiastically in air as salmon after salmon fiashed up 
through the water, and shot by, rapid as light. The 
sioht made our nerves tingle, but it was useless to try 
for them ; the water was too clear, and they were dark 
and long run from the sea. At one point he frantically 
shouted to stop, and hastily explained that he had seen 
five salmon and numerous large trout in one deep hole. 
In vain, however, did we cast our flies, they had been 
frio-htened, and probably rushed down the stream, for we 
could not stir a fin. Descending a short distance fur- 
ther, we halted for dinner, after which, taking advantage 
of a resting spell, I waded back to the same spot. 
The pool lay close beside a little island covered with 
alders, and by crawling cautiously I kept out of sight, 
and reaching the head of the island, cast carefully and 
lightly round it into the pool. The line went out straight 
the full length, the fiy fell like a snow-flake on the 
water, there was an angry rush, a mighty splash, a quick 
taughtening of the line, and an enormous fish was 
fastened to my frail tackle. In his astonishment he 
fortunately darted up stream, and by skillful manage- 
