A TRIP TO THE LA VAL. 79 
ment was led round into the other channel, where, after 
many a struggle and desperate effort to escape, baffled 
only by prudence and care exerted through a long but 
exciting half hour, I landed him by walking into the 
water waist deep, and slipping the net under him. As 
for leading him to shore, my rod, already bent double, 
would not bear the strain. He was a dark-backed, 
yellow-sided river fish, and weighed four pounds and a 
quarter. He was our champion prize, and remained so 
to the end. The water not having been disturbed, I 
made another cast, and was rewarded by another fish 
that weighed four pounds. A brace of beauties, fit to set 
before a king. The second one, however, so fought and 
flounced, and kicked and slapped about in the pool, in 
s]3ite of all my persuasive eflbrts to induce him to leave 
it, that the rest grew suspicious, and refused the most 
seductive baits. My friend looked the least little bit 
envious when I rejoined him, and mentioned his having 
previously taken a sea trout at the Mingan that weighed 
nine pounds. I smiled, of course respectfully. "We 
returned to the lake, having taken in all fifteen fish 
averaging three pounds, and leaving the canoe on the 
beach, wended our way through the woods back to our 
sylvan home, where Pierre received us with a redoubtable 
supper. Insatiable, however, I that evening took eight, 
and next morning three, from our preserve, as we called 
the pool in front of the tent. 
As we intended to return to the lake, and might per- 
haps spear a pickerel, Joe made an egog^ which aj)pears 
to be the Indian name for fish-spear, the Canadians 
having not only adopted the word, but coined from it a 
