258 SALMON FISHING 



show that there has been no falling-ofF in their 

 catches in the last ten years. When the coast and 

 estuary nets are taken up at the end of the open 

 season, the stock of salmon in the fluvial rivers is 

 increased a hundredfold by the up-running schools, 

 and of late years these schools have also been ascend- 

 ing the smaller rivers formerly frequented by trout 

 only. It is true that some of the salmon-angling 

 rivers have fallen off because of log obstructions, 

 laxity of guardianship, or other artificial cause; 

 but this has been compensated for by increased 

 catches in others, where the conditions have been 

 more favourable, and the value of the Government 

 salmon-river leases never was so great as now. 



RESTIGOUCHE RIVER. Besides the Restigouche 

 Salmon Club, numerous clubs exist on these waters, 

 and, so far as can be ascertained, the sport continues 

 to be excellent. The season of 1896 ten years ago 

 is stated to have been the greatest angling year ever 

 known on the Restigouche River, while 1902 was 

 nearly equal to that abnormal year, and the past 

 season, 1905, almost reached as high a point, notwith- 

 standing the fact that the fish were two weeks later 

 than usual in ascending the river. The Officer states 

 that if the conditions had been as favourable as in 

 1896 a much larger score than that of either that 

 year or 1902 must have resulted, as the Guardians 

 and others are unanimous in reporting that they 

 never saw so many salmon in the river as last year. 



METAPEDIA RIVER. This river has about held its 

 own during the last ten years in the face of 



