LANMAN SALMONID^E OF EASTERN AMERICA. 223 



the most sporting fisliing is from a boat, under easy sail, with a 

 '' mackerel breeze," and oftentimes a heavy '' ground-swell." The fly 

 skips from wave to wave, at the end of thirty yards of line, and tliere 

 should be at least seventy yards more on the reel. It is truly splendid 

 sport, as strong fish will oftentimes make a long run, and give a sharp 

 chase down the wind. 



At Gaysboro' and Crow Harbor, in the Strait of Canso, there is 

 excellent sea-trout fishing at the end of June, as also in the great Bras 

 d'Or Lake, within the island of Cape Breton. The largest sea-trout 

 rarely exceed seven pounds' weight ; these are taken around the Mag- 

 dalen Islands, and in the estuaries of all the rivers of the Labrador 

 coast, from Mingan to the northern end of the Straits of Belle Isle. 



4. — THE SALMON, {Salmo stttar.) 



The noble salmon, which honest Isaac Walton justly calls " the king 

 of fresh-water fish," is so well known in the i^orth American colonies 

 as to need no description. 



As in Western Europe, so in Eastern America, it is generally believed 

 that there is but one species — Saltno salar — the salmon ; and that they 

 are the same in both countries. 



The salmon enters the rivers of Nova Scotia during the latter part of 

 April. Those rivers of New Brunswick which fall into the Bay of Fundy, 

 the salmon enters at the latter part of May, while it seldom enters those 

 falling into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence until the month of June. 



The female salmon first enters the rivers ; the male fish follows about 

 a month later than the female; and lastly, come the grilse, or young 

 salmon, which continue to ascend the rivers during July and August. 



Salmon swim with great rapidity — shoot up the most oblique and 

 glancing rapids with the velocity of an arrow, and frequently leap falls 

 ten and twelve feet in height. It is believed that the utmost limit of 

 perpendicular height which a salmon can attain in leaping is fourteen 

 feet; but their perseverance is remarkable, for, although they may fail, 

 time after time, yet, after remaining quiescent for a few moments to re- 

 cruit their strength, they renew their efforts and generally succeed ; but, 



it is said, they sometimes kill themselves by the violence of those 

 efforts. 



In New Brunswick the salmon seldom deposits its spawn until the 

 middle of October. The fish that have spawned generally return to the 

 sea before the rivers become ice-bound in December, but many remain 

 in the fresh water all winter, and go down to the sea at the breaking up 

 of the ice in spring. 



Before entering the rivers, they live awhile in the brackish water of 

 the tide-ways, as they do also when they descend to the sea, to render 

 the change from one to the other less abrupt, and to rid themselves of 



