STURGEON-SPEARING. 183 
bait is towed along ; it nears the sturgeon’s nose, 
and, being far too tempting to be refused, the 
great pendulous lips close upon it; but ere it 
reaches the gullet, a sharp twitch of the line 
buries the hook in the tenacious gristle. At once 
discovering he has been miserably done, anger 
and obstinate resistance are in the ascendant ; 
so he comes to the surface with a rush and a 
splash. 
The paddler now exerts all his skill to keep 
a slack line, for the hooked fish would otherwise 
inevitably upset the canoe; the bowman, with 
the line in one hand and a spear poised in the 
other, quietly bides his time; then he hurls the 
spear into the sturgeon’s armour-clad back; down 
darts the fish, but soon returns to the surface, 
when in goes another spear, and so on again and 
again, until, towed ashore, it is dragged out of 
the water with a powerful gaffhook. Large 
numbers besides such as are thus speared are 
netted in passing through the narrow rock- 
channels. 
On the Fraser river sturgeon-spearing is the 
most exciting sport imaginable. Hooking, play- 
ing, and landing a noble salmon is an achieve- 
ment every fisherman is truly proud of; but I 
unhesitatingly assert that to spear and land a 
