SPORTING SKETCHES. 247 



THE OUIANANICHE. 



BY J. L. M 



My first experience of Ouiananiche fishing in 1890 and a copy 

 of verses I wrote down in my note-book as a tribute to my new 

 finny friends : 



You are sailing along 

 Softly singing a song, 

 Whilst admiring the view 

 And the heavenly blue, 

 Deftly casting a fly 

 And hoping soon to spy 



A bright Ouiananiche. 

 It begins to feel dull, 

 When, Oh ! there's a great pull 



And the reel cries swish. 

 Splashing, dashing, flashing 

 Plashing, lashing, mashing 

 Here, there, everywhere ; 

 Leaping into air, 

 Boiling, toiling, moiling, 

 Tackle straining, spoiling, 

 Fighting strong and fair 

 Every trick to dare, 

 Pluckiest of all the fish 

 Is the noble Ouiananiche. 



Air When we were first acquent. 



The first thing this fish does when he is hooked is to shoot up 

 into the air and so he continues on most of the time until he 

 either frees himself or is landed. One fish leaped twelve times 

 before he went into the landing net ; another ten times, and 

 these are fair examples. I do not think that they are more 

 plucky than black bass, nor do they make such runs, but they pull 

 just as hard and leap a great deal more and consequently the 

 sport is more exciting. A number of four pounders were caught 

 this year and one of 5f Ibs., but it is rare to get them over 4 Ibs. 

 and very many do not go over from 1 to 2 Ibs. I think that on the 

 whole they are the most lively fish I ever caught. 



