1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 173 



present conditions a very small fraction of the available water area can 

 be fished at all, and this, no doubt, may in some measure account for 

 the diminishing success of anglers in recent years, for where certain 

 localities are thrashed day after day throughout the season by a variety 

 of anglers, and no other places are open to the trout, it is but natural 

 that the fish should avoid these spots and seek quieter retreats. It would 

 seem, therefore, most advantageous that some effort should be made to 

 clear places here and there along both banks of the river at reasonable 

 distances apart in order to open up the extent of river which can be 

 fished. 



A limit of catch of 30 speckled trout of 10 lbs. weight of this fish to 

 one angler in one day is in force in the reserve as throughout the 

 Province. It would seem that the guides, some of whom are indisposed 

 to work to such a degree that they willingly take advantage of any excuse 

 to avoid it, in certain instances impose on the visitors to the extent of 

 forcing them to abandon sport for the day when 10 lbs. weight of fish of 

 any variety has been caught. No regulation to this effect is in force, or 

 in the least necessary, so that it would appear that steps should be taken 

 to apprise each visitor of the true facts of the case. In regard to the 

 limitation as to speckled trout it may be observed that the fish landed at 

 the present time in the Nipigon Eiver run probably on an average about 

 two pounds, while much larger fish are to be taken and are still caught 

 comparatively frequently each year. It is apparent, therefore, that if 

 the angler is fortunate the period of his sport is likely to be very brief, 

 and in view of the charge made to the angler for the privilege of angling, 

 this would appear, perhaps, to constitute a hardship. In another sec- 

 tion of this report the question of returning uninjured fish to the water 

 has been discussed, and it has been shown that it is feasible to do so in 

 the case of fish lightly hooked in the membrane of the mouth, provided 

 due precautions are taken in the matter of handling. No angler could 

 desire, or should be allowed to kill, more than ten pounds weight of 

 trout in one day, but it would seem that in view of the exceptional size 

 of the trout in the Nipigon River the angler might be allowed some 

 measure of privilege in the matter of returning uninjured speckled trout 

 to the water and so prolonging his legal period of sport. Fly fishing 

 is the method of angling least likely to injure the trout which are hooked, 

 and if the privilege were granted to those employing this method, doubt- 

 less it would prove generally satisfactory to the visitors and at the 

 same time would be calculated not to materially injure the fisheries. 



An interesting point arises in the question as to whether rangers in 

 this reserve are entitled to angle for speckled trout. The public is 

 charged a comparatively high fee for the privilege and the rangers them- 

 selves are paid an excellent wage at the expense of the public. Under 

 the circumstances previously noted, where the ranger had, apparently, 

 notliing much else to do than angle in order to pass away the time, it is 

 plain that, if he were any sort of a fisherman, he would soon become 



