THE STURGEON 181 
the intense cold of the snow-water begets a desire 
for exercise. 
The systems of catching sturgeon in use 
amongst the Indians of the Fraser and Columbia 
rivers are widely different, as indeed are all 
their modes of taking fish. This mainly arises 
from the fact of the Columbia river having nu- 
merous deep falls, that impede the ascent of all 
fish going up to spawn. ‘These falls, as I have 
said, are quite impassable for even the salmon 
until the snow-water floods the river. The 
Fraser, on the other hand, offers no hindrance 
at all until after Fort Hope is passed, and the 
principal Indian fishing-stations are all below 
this point: hence it is that on the Columbia, the 
fish, both salmon and sturgeon, are speared, 
trapped in baskets or weirs, and the sturgeon 
also taken with hook and line; whereas, on the 
Fraser, salmon are principally taken in nets, and 
sturgeon speared. 
I shall first describe the mode adopted by the 
Indians of the Columbia to catch sturgeon with 
hook and line. The best months for fishing 
are February and March, and the time of day 
either early in the morning, or late in the evening. 
The Dalles is a favourite fishing-station. 
The first thing is to prepare the bait. The old 
