172 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



Frencli-Canadiaus or others from other portions of the Province for the 

 purpose, the tourist would not be left to run the risk of being paddled 

 through dangerous waters by Indians or half-breeds under the influence 

 of liquor for a period of time after leaving the starting point, or else 

 unversed in the locality and unskilled in the management of a canoe; 

 unpleasant and dangerous experiences, in fact, such as were actually 

 encountered by this Commission when visiting this reserve. Possibly 

 the opening up of the country through the advent of new railways into 

 the region will tend of itself to improve this state of affairs, for it can- 

 not be doubted that many of the rivers flowing into Lake Nipigon will 

 in due course furnish sport to many anglers and thus not only should 

 fresh competition arise in the matter of outfitting visitors, but the 

 expense, also, to the visitors should diminish, seeing that many other 

 of the rivers of the district will in all probability afford sport equal, or 

 nearly so, to that obtainable on the Nipigon River itself, and will be more 

 accessible and more easily fished, so that visiting anglers will select these 

 to go to rather than the Nipigon River unless the outfitting charges for 

 the latter materially decrease. 



The comparatively high license charged for the privilege of fishing 

 the River Nipigon would appear to warrant the expectation on the part 

 of visitors that everything will have been arranged for their comfort. 

 The conditions on the river, however, fall far short of what could reason- 

 ably be anticipated in this direction, although it is to be noted that the 

 visit of the Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, who appreciated this 

 fact to the full, resulted in the immediate institution of measures which 

 will to a great extent remedy this state of affairs, if properly carried 

 into effect. There can be no question that in so valuable a tourist centre 

 as this portages should be kept clear and in good order, landing places 

 provided and made easy and convenient for ladies as for men, numerous 

 camping sites prepared in convenient localities and kept clean, and in 

 general everything made as pleasant to the visitor as possible. A con- 

 siderable staff of rangers is maintained on the river and would be more 

 suitably employed in attending to these matters under the direction of 

 the superintendent than in lounging in the log huts provided for their 

 use more than half the day, and spending the balance in angling, gos- 

 siping with the Indian guides, and other similarly useless occupations, 

 as appears to have been the custom prior, at least, to the visit of the 

 Minister, last summer. In addition to these improvements undoubtedly 

 a great deal could be accomplished in the matter of improving angling 

 facilities along the banks. Too frequently it is the case that only one 

 side of the river for long stretches is fished at all for the reason that 

 only on one side is there a convenient pathway, and further, even where 

 paths are available, for long distances it is impossible to fish in any 

 manner whatsoever owing to the density of the overhanging vegetation, 

 although in numerous instances pools, channels, rapids and other invit- 

 ing and likely spots for sport have to be missed on this account. Under 



