THE SALMON FAMILY. 



24a 



larger stones, doubtless to the astonishment and terror of all 

 the troutlets in the brook. , 



Notwithstanding my being so completely " sold" by " Barn- 

 well's" brief but glowing description of the fishing and the 

 "horse-boat," I travelled one afternoon in this delightful 

 conveyance three miles down the brook; but as I did not 

 reach the celebrated pool at the confluence of the two streams, 

 and only found one or two places of any depth, my catch, with 

 the exception of one fish of two pounds, was rather small. 



Without mooting the question of the late Mr. Perley's 

 proficiency in ichthyology, he was, besides being a genial, 

 warm-hearted gentleman, an ardent sportsman. In proof of 

 the latter qualification, I quote his spirited account of taking 

 this fish : — 



" It is to be understood that the whole Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence abounds with White Trout from one to seven pounds 

 in weight. They proceed up the rivers as far as the head 

 of tide in each, but they never ascend into purely fresh 

 water. In the salt water they are caught only with the 

 'Prince Edward's fly,' so called, the body of which is of 

 scarlet with gold tinsel, or of gold tinsel only, with four 

 wings from feathers of the scarlet ibis — the 'curry curry' of 

 South America. 



" In the estuaries of rivers where the water is only brackish, 

 they take the Irish lake-fly with gay colors ; the scarlet ibis 

 seems the most attractive, however, in all cases. In fresh 

 water the Trout are quite different ; they are much longer, 

 very brilliantly colored, with tricolored fins of black, white, 

 and scarlet, and numerous bright spots over the body. When 

 the fish are in good condition, these spots are nearly as large 

 as a silver penny. They rarely exceed three pounds in 

 weight, but are very sporting fish ; they take most of the 

 Irish flies, but the red hackle, in all its varieties, is the 



