RIVER FISHING. 459 



apt to tarnish them. On the coast of British Columbia 

 the most splendid salmon and cod fishing is in the 

 present day, as we understood, obtained in the Straits 

 in autumn with spoon baits the most approved pattern 

 being a large brass spoon, three and a half inches by 

 one and a half, trailed after the boat either with a 

 strong rod or by a hand-line. * 



River and lake fishing in its highest excellence is 

 generally only to be had in wild countries ; for just as 

 game becomes scarce and wild in a country which is 

 constantly shot over, so fish in the same way become 

 diminished in numbers, at all events harder to catch 

 in waters continually fished in. In many of the Nor- 

 wegian rivers for instance, so celebrated for their 

 salmon fishing only a generation ago, the sport has 

 fallen off so greatly of late years, owing to set nets, 

 and other enemies of destruction, that many of the 

 leaseholders are giving up their fisheries in disgust. 

 There can be no doubt that in this instance the dete- 

 rioration of the fisheries is due to the destruction of 

 the fish. Upon the vast continent of America however 

 (though even there fishing is not what it used to be) 

 first-rate sport can still be obtained. The fishing in 

 many noble streams, however, has been destroyed by 

 saw mills, the sawdust being in many many cases 

 wantonly cast into the water, in defiance of the Ame- 

 rican laws, f thereby poisoning or driving away the fish. 



Salmon fishing in America is, however, now greatly 

 run after, much as it is in Europe, and though grand 

 sport may still be had in New Brunswick and Canada, 

 nearly all good rivers, readily accessible from the 



* Forest and Stream (American sporting paper) of November I, 1888. 

 f See Report of the U.S. Fish Commission. 



