20 FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



separated from the coast by Chatham Strait, which, be- 

 ginning at the southward as a continuation of Puget 

 Sound reaches to above 60 north at Chilkhat ; it is 

 from three to ten miles wide, deep and steep, too, 

 throughout, bordered on the coast side by high, heavily 

 timbered, snow-clad mountains, and on the other by 

 high wooded islands. On both sides, many of the ravines 

 are occupied by immense glaciers, from which flow icy 

 streams,' the birthplace of salmon. 



Running nearly east and west there are several straits 

 and sounds connecting Chatham Strait with the Pacific 

 Ocean, of which Peril Strait, Icy Strait, and Cross 

 Sound, are the principal. These, too, are bordered, as 

 is Chatham Straits, and are the homes of glaciers and 

 glacial streams. 



Many of these streams I have personally fished, and 

 among those under my command were several with kin- 

 dred tastes, and I became possessed of the results of 

 their experience. 



I have read all that I could find of works on 

 Alaska, and since my return have naturally conversed 

 much with every one whom I have met who had also an 

 Alaskan episode in his life, and have collected testimony 

 on the point at issue. One and all affirm that my ex- 

 perience has been theirs, and the most strenuous efforts 

 with well selected flies have failed to record a single 

 capture of trout or salmon. The first bit of evidence I 

 collected is worth recording. When the news that the 

 Yankees had purchased Alaska, and thus become own- 



