94 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



Port Arthur and Fort William, the citizens believe in the future of their 

 cities; they believe, also, in the timber, mineral, agricultural and other 

 potentialities of their districts ; and they realize not only that to expand 

 their cities and exploit these inherent advantages it is necessary to 

 attract capital, but that one of the surest means of inducing the more 

 wealthy classes to visit the districts is to offer them prospects of really 

 good angling. At Kenora, as before noted in this report, a strong move- 

 ment is on foot to bar all commercial fishing in Lake of the Woods and 

 other waters within a radius of 50 miles of the town, and to stock these 

 waters with black bass and other sporting fishes, while at Fort William 

 and Port Arthur the keenest interest is evinced in the question of re- 

 stocking the rivers and lakes of the surrounding country which have 

 unfortunately become depleted. 



It would seem, therefore, that in the Province to-day a realization 

 of the economic role of the sporting fishes in regard to the development 

 of a tourist traffic has not only taken root, but commenced to spread its 

 shoots, and that it would require but steady effort in the direction of 

 popular education over a comparatively short period of years to effect a 

 general recognition of its vast importance. For the Government to 

 undertake such education would plainly be advantageous to the whole 

 Province. 



The Sporting Fishes. 



Angling as a sport or pastime has for many generations claimed 

 thousands as its devotees throughout the world, and many and various 

 are the classes of fish Avhich are enshrined in the beautiful literature to 

 which this subject has given birth, in almost every tongue of the civilized 

 world. The pleasure of being out in the open air; the natural beauty 

 and fascination of the scenery or the peacefulness and solitude of the 

 surroundings, and, in some cases, the hardships and difficulties to be 

 encountered, together with the skill required for success, the excitement 

 of the struggle and the joy of victory, have all contributed their quota 

 to the popularity of this sport, and it is not too much to say that there 

 is no land in the world where it is more generally appreciated than on 

 this continent. 



There are those who, armed with delicate and expensive equipment, 

 have brought their skill to the point of a veritable art, and will only 

 pursue such fishes as will give them a prolonged and vigorous struggle 

 under conditions which will afford their art full play. Those there are, 

 again, who prefer to have their angling under the easiest possible con- 

 ditions, and still others who, whether their tackle be inexpensive or 

 costly, care rather for the amount of the catch than for the skill required 

 to effect it, setting more store on some measure, at least, of success than 

 on either the gameness or variety of the fishes captured. Strictly speak- 

 ing, in so far at least as this continent is concerned, it is doubtful 



