288 GRAYLTNCx. — NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 



Branch and North Branch, and another stretch of six miles 

 from a point two miles below North Branch to Ball's 

 Bridge, near Big Creek, being su]>stantially all, in the fifty 

 miles. I learned very little of the river beyond Big Creek 

 — that being the most distant point ordinarily visited. 



MxiHsfee. Tiic up[>er waters of the Manistee, where the 

 grayling of that stream are now chietly tV)und, are easily 

 reached by a .good road from Grayling, of eight miles. 

 The tishing extends with decreasing excellence, down lo 

 Ihc rail-road, near Walton. The ^Manistee emiities into 

 Lake Michigan. 



Cheboygan. This river runs northward. Its upper 

 waters are reached from Gaylord (a rail road town, twenty- 

 eight miles north of Grayling) hy a drive of from ten to 

 twenty-live miles. It has not been much fished, and its 

 grayling are reported to be larger and more abundant than 

 in any other stream in ^Michigan. 



Pigeon Rlrer, another nortliern stream, is highl_y spoken 

 of. but I obtained no definite information aliout it. 



For a trip, linuted in time and easy to make, the Au Sable 

 ;iiid Manistee rivers oft'er the best inducements to the fisher- 

 man; l)ut, doubtless, there is finer sport as well as harder 

 work on the Cliebo3'gan. All these streams were originally 

 extremely ditficult of passage, on account of the "sweep- 

 ers " and snags. Since the grayling has come to favorable 

 notice some of the rivers have been" cut out " and rendered 

 easy of descent, notabl}' the Au Sable and the Manistee. The 

 Joi'dan has ceased to be a grayling stream, — the popular 



