Nepigon River Fishing 



This it touches in a depressed ridge of trap- 

 rock crossing its course, and over this it 

 issues with a fall of thirty feet. 



The cataract of Virgin Falls is striking 

 for the grace and flow of its curves, both 

 vertical and cross-sweeping ; for the snowy 

 dazzle flashing out of solid blue, just as it 

 leaves the lip, into a storm of tossing pearls; 

 for the mass of water rushing in across 

 from the western verge, beating half the 

 main flood aside ; and for the lessening 

 surges cresting the blended torrents as they 

 seethe away for half a mile through a 

 broad basin rimmed with green, and pro- 

 portioned in nature's nicest measure to the 

 height of the fall. In this font of fretted 

 ivory and jewelled spray, the river Nepi- 

 gon receives its baptism. 



From its leap out of the lake the river 

 runs nearly due south thirty-two miles, 

 with a fall of three hundred and thirteen 

 feet, to Lake Superior. It pours a full, 

 strong current in many places sixty feet 

 deep and two hundred wide clean up to 

 its shores, without swamp or snag or drift. 

 Roughly estimated, one-third of its course 

 is varied by lakes, and another third broken 

 by rapids. Widening into five great basins 

 and many smaller expanses, it forms a 

 chain of tarns, with long, linking reaches 

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