43 2 Salmon -Fishing. 



eled rapidly down the gorge, and before one of the men could bring a 

 rubber coat from the house, a few hundred yards distant, the rain was 

 pouring upon us. The rapidity with which heavy showers follow 

 down the gorges and course of the streams at Gaspe is somewhat 

 startling to a new-comer. Of course, the fish must at all hazards be 

 killed ;. and, of course, this particular fish was not in half the hurry 

 to come in out of the water that we were, but tried our patience in 

 many ways, sometimes taking us in the canoe where we couldn't 

 wade, and sometimes through quite deep water where we did not 

 wish to take the canoe and disturb the pool. It was thirty-five min- 

 utes before faithful old William had him quiet at the bottom of the 

 canoe. He, as well as all our men, preferred to get us into a canoe 

 before gaffing, when practicable, for they then felt much more sure 

 of the fish. The Gaspe-built canoes are very long, and if the angler 

 passes one of the men and steps to the extreme end, he can with per- 

 fect ease swing the fish to the gaffer at the other end, always taking 

 great care not to reel in his line beyond its junction with the leader. 

 If he does this and the gaffer misses, or the tired fish gets up life 

 enough for a short spurt, then the knot sticks in the tip ring, and 

 good-bye to fish and tip. It is with some reluctance that we differ 

 with so good an authority as Norris, in his " American Anglers' 

 Book," but we prefer canoe gaffing. We were all thoroughly soaked 

 with rain, and I was additionally uncomfortable from having gone 

 over the tops of my rubber wading stockings in water, which at two 

 p. m. was only 42 Fahrenheit. As there were but three hours more 

 of this the last day of our permit, we could not afford to lose a moment. 

 As soon as the sun came out, I hooked a second fish, and worked 

 away busily until in the three pools I had killed five, when I stopped, 

 wearied as well as satisfied with salmon-fishing, resisting our man's 

 most urgent entreaties to " kill another, and make it a half dozen." I 

 have never made a large score or killed a very large fish, but this work 

 of three hours and a half was quite satisfactory, and is here given : 



1 Fish of 22 lbs., Fairy Fly. 



1 " " 22 " " " 



1 " " 24 " Jock Scott Fly. 



1 " " 21^" Silver Doctor Fly. 



1 " " 23 " Silver Gray " 



5 \\z l z . Average, 22^ lbs. 



