36 SALMONID^. 



stream ; or at least we will pay our respects to his comrades, 

 for we perceive that the "run" has fairly commenced. 

 Should there be a heavy rain to-night to raise the river, we 

 can promise fine sport. There is nothing like a freshet to 

 help the salmon on their way. It lifts them over the ine- 

 qualities of the bottom, and makes their rugged path smooth. 

 It lessens the difficulties of the falls, and conceals their move- 

 ments from inquisitive' enemies. On a bright day like this, 

 with a medium stage of water, it requires some caution and 

 wary approach to insure the angler success. 



Let us follow up the stream a mile or two. The river is 

 narrower here, and more broken into alternate pools and 

 rapids ; the pools are black as ink, and the rapids run shal- 

 low. Pebbly bars, strewn with boulders, make out from the 

 hither shore, and force the greater volume of water into the 

 contracted channel which the current has worn under yon 

 precipitous bank. It runs like a mill-race there. Ha ! did 

 you see that salmon shoot up those rapids? No! look — 

 there's another ! Ah ! I perceive your eye is unaccustomed 

 to the water. One of those Indians we saw down stream 

 could almost count the fish as they run by. Let us walk up 

 to yonder pool ; it is not deep, and we may see some big fel- 

 lows resting above the chute. Cautiously, my friend ! our 

 salmon has learned to be sly. There ! do you see those three 

 lying there in the middle of the pool, drawn up in line equi- 

 distant from each other, heads up stream, with the middle 

 one a little in advance of the others ? Whew ! oflf they go 

 like a flash, and half way up the next rapid by this time. 

 Did you ever see such velocity ? They say a salmon travels 

 thirty miles a day when ascending a river; but if he always 

 makes as good time as that just now, he ought to do it in an 

 hour. 



En avant ! Above here the river widens into a noble 

 pool which forms a little bay on this side. We used to camp 

 on the bank there, and the grass has covered the old site with 

 a beautiful sward. By Jove ! there's a canoe — under those 



