SALMON RIVERS. 405 



in St. Anne's, averaging nearly 20 Ibs. The Magdalen is 

 the next salmon river on the coast, it is leased up to the 

 year 1881, at $20 per annum. This river, like many 

 others, had been fished out, but, under better manage- 

 ment, is improving. 



Emptying into the beautiful basin of Gaspe there are 

 three perfect little gems of rivers. They have the ad- 

 vantage of being very accessible, two or three steamers 

 a week in summer, calling in at Gaspe. Unlike the big 

 rivers in the Bay of Chaleur, one has not to go far up 

 these streams for sport; indeed I have had excellent 

 sport in the York river from the hotel at Gaspe. With 

 better hotel accommodation Gaspe would be a charming 

 summer retreat for the tourist. There is no heat in 

 summer, the air is very bracing, and the scenery pretty. 

 The St. John is the best salmon river of the three ; it 

 is a charming stream to fish, and salmon run large; 

 it is reserved for the use of the Governor-General and his 

 friends. The Dartmouth is another charming stream ; 

 2 or 3 miles from the mouth there is a beautiful pool 

 at the foot of some falls, where I have killed big sea 

 trout and salmon till my arms were tired. Recently these 

 falls have been blasted to let the fish higher up the river. 

 This river is leased up to the year 1882, at the yearly 

 rent of $100, but I believe that the lessees allow casual 

 anglers to fish at a small payment per diem. 



The York river is leased up to 1883, for $75 per annum. 

 Fish do not run quite so large as in the St. John, but 

 there are plenty of them, and they take the fly very freely. 

 These three small rivers show what the fishing would be 

 in the many hundred little rivers that flow into the river 



