SEA-TROUT FISHING 37 



seen to be inferior in size and attain less magnificent proportions, 

 although it must be admitted that in strength and courage these 

 are in no wise inferior, or in any properties which go to the make-up 

 of a noble game fish. 



Careless of their classification on the library shelf, however, 

 early in July shoals of silver-sided trout press in from the sea toward 

 the mouths of all the great rivers flowing over the ancient gneiss 

 and granite rocks of the interior of the great Labrador peninsula, 

 rushing down the sides of her shaggy mountains into the cold Arctic 

 tide ; advancing also into the myriad streams which seek the 

 channel of the majestic St. Lawrence, the noble rivers of New 

 Brunswick, and the short but picturesque streams of Prince Edward 

 Island and Nova Scotia. 



Perhaps the best sea-trout rivers of the Dominion are two 

 beautiful little streams running into the Bay of Chaleur, the Nou- 

 velle and the Escuminac. No satisfactory explanation can be 

 given of the remarkable fact that no salmon are ever known to 

 ascend either of them. It is impossible to picture a more ideal 

 specimen of a sea-trout river than the Escuminac. Here you see 

 a succession of deep still pools overhung by steep shady banks 

 with gentle rapids above and long shelving tails, where the big 

 fish love to sport and feed. In both rivers are found a peculiarly 

 large and fine breed of sea-trout smart bold rising fish which take 

 freely and play with wonderful agility. In their general character- 

 istics they approach the salmon more nearly than any other Canadian 

 sea-trout. They choose the same stations at the tails of the pools, 

 and rise at the fly and play when hooked very like the salmon. The 

 water in both these rivers coming from the Shick Shock Mountains 

 is gin-clear, so that a pool fifteen feet deep looks as if the bottom 

 were merely glazed with a thin sheet of plate-glass. One can watch 

 every fish in the pool, and see him leave his lair to dash at the fly 

 like a falcon at its quarry. Most fishermen prefer not to see their 

 game, notwithstanding a weighty authority has declared 



The pleasantest angling is to see the fish 

 Cut with her golden oars the silver stream. 



It is very exasperating to fish over a six- or seven-pound fish in 

 full view taking not the least heed of your skilful attempts at his 

 capture. I have seen as many as a dozen trout collected together 

 in the Escuminac behind a rock, and have caught them all one 

 after the other. After an interval of an hour or so I have seen as 

 many more come to the same resting place and all take the fly in 

 turn. There is, no doubt, not as much amusement about this to 

 most anglers as there is in taking out of deep dark waters a fish 



