SALMON TROUT FISHING 277 



SALMON TROUT FISHING. 



There is but one region on this continent in which this admirable 

 sport can be enjoyed at all ; for, singular to say, the fish is found only 

 in those rivers of New Brunswick which flow eastwardly into the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, and the Bays of Gaspe and Chaleurs. 



As if to make amends, however, for the narrow limits of their geo- 

 graphical range, they absolutely swarm, during their season, in all the 

 rivers which they frequent, traversing the sea bays in enormous schulls, 

 and running up all the rivers to the head of tide water, beyond which 

 they do not ascend on these coasts. Why this should be the case it is not 

 easy to conjecture, since it would appear to indicate a variation in the 

 species from one of the normal habits of the race — that, I mean, which 

 dictates to the parent fish that they must run up into the aerated waters 

 of pure fresh rivers, in order to deposit their ova. 



It may be, though I am not prepared to state that it is, the fact, that 

 the ascent of all these rivers beyond a certain point is rendered im- 

 possible to the fish, by long rapids, or impassable cataracts, and that, 

 perceiving the impossibility of arriving at the place of their proper 

 and natural destination, the fish themselves cease to attempt it, and 

 merely run up from the brackish into the fresh water, in order to enjoy 

 those alternations of temperature and food, in which all this family 

 would appear especially to rejoice. 



In the Scottish and English waters, the Salmon Trout, like the true 

 Salmon, ascend quite to the head waters of the streams which they 

 frequent, and deposit their ova precisely in the same manner as the 

 other of their congeners. Here, it is evident, from Mr. Perley's re- 

 ports to the British Parliament on the Fisheries of the Province, that 

 they do nothing of the kind. 



In the St. Lawrence, I have never heard of their being taken above 

 Montreal, and rarely above Quebec, although there is no obstruction of 



