SALMON RIVERS. 647 



I again visited the Nipissiguit last summer (1864), with J. D. 

 Sergeant, Esq., of Philadelphia. On arriving at Bathurst, we found 

 the river very low ; the snow having melted gradually, and no heavy 

 rains, which are usual in May, having fallen, there had been no 

 spring freshet to induce the Salmon to go up, or to bring the timber 

 down ; while the river was full of logs which had lodged against the 

 rocks at many of the pools, or grounded on the shallows. Under 

 these discouraging circumstances, we spent over three weeks at Bath- 

 urst and in our camp at Rough Waters, waiting for a rise. To while 

 away the time, we went lobstering, at the mouth of the harbor, and 

 visited the fisheries and grindstone quarries along the bay shore, and 

 photographed many of the beautiful views along the river. The 

 stations at Papineau and Grand Falls were occupied for a few weeks 

 in the meantime by parties who met with little or no success. 



On the 13th of July, hearing that the occupants of the Grand 

 Falls were about leaving, we started for that station, hoping that some 

 fish had found their way up, notwithstanding the low water and the 

 timber in the river. We found no sport going up, or at the Grand 

 Falls, until the 16th, when the first run of Grisle appeared, and 

 greatly outnumbered the Salmon. 



Our catch of Salmon, as will be seen from the score on the next 

 page, was small ; the Grilse being in the same pools frequently get- 

 ting the start of their elders when they showed a disposition to take 

 the fly; this fact was observed by our canoemen, occupying a more 

 elevated position than the angler. We had some excellent sport in 

 taking these active young fish, notwithstanding ; for in some of the 

 pools where the bank sloped so as to enable us to run them down 

 stream, we took them on our eight-ounce trout-rods. Our first essay 

 amongst them with our light tackle was one day when returning from 

 the mouth of Gilmore's Brook, where we had been Trout-fishing. 

 Stopping at the " Grilse Pool," on the side opposite to that little 

 stream, we placed both canoes alongside, and I being in the lower, 

 made the first cast, hooked my Grilse, and stepping out of the canoe, 

 fought him down the pebbly bank, as he made desperate runs and 

 leaps. Getting him well in hand, and somewhat subdued, my men 



