130 ROD & CREEL 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

 THE COLUMBIA VALLEY 



EAST KOOTENAY 



THE Columbia Valley, which is at an altitude of over 2600 

 feet, lies between the Rockies and the Purcell Range (part 

 of the Selkirks) and is the headwaters of the Columbia 

 River, which flows out of Columbia Lake, then through Winder- 

 mere Lake at Athalmer to the north, passing close to Golden 

 and then away up through Kinbasket Lake into the Big Bend 

 country, where it turns and comes direct south, down past Rev- 

 elstoke into the Arrow Lakes and from there on past Trail into 

 the U. S. A. 



The valley is also drained by the Kootenay River, which 

 rises in a number of lakes not many miles south from Leanchoil 

 on the main line of the C. P. R. The river flows south, sep- 

 arated from the Columbia by a subsidiary range of the Rockies 

 but after passing Windermere, the river cuts through towards 

 the Columbia and goes so close that an attempt was once made 

 to join the two rivers by a canal. 



THE UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER 



The Columbia River itself is muddy nearly all the year 

 and has no fishing of any great merit from a sporting point of 

 view. It is full of "Ling," which are caught with bait, prin- 

 cipally at night. They are excellent table fish if properly pre- 

 pared, but that is all that can be said for them. 



Dolly Vardens of fair size can be taken by bait or spin- 

 ning, when the water clears in the fall. Generally in Septem- 

 ber good catches can be made where a creek of any size runs 

 in. 



WINDERMERE LAKE 



This is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of 

 the interior. It is in the dry belt, but seldom has heat severe 

 enough to be unpleasant. The cold in winter is severe but 

 seldom lasts long. There is an hotel at Windermere on the east 

 side of the lake, one of the oldest hotels in the valley, but quite 

 comfortable, and a modern, up-to-date hotel at Invermere on 

 the other side of the lake, where golf can be indulged; in in 

 summer and ice boating in winter. The lake is about ten miles 

 long. 



