PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 



declare all the rivers (with a few exceptions) closed 

 to all comers not duly authorized to fish there by 

 the proper authorities. Then followed the appoint- 

 ment of a commission of fisheries one commis- 

 sioner for each province. These officials are given 

 the general supervision of all the inhibited rivers 

 issuing licenses to those who are permitted to fish 

 with seines in tide-water, and leases to those who 

 wish the rivers for purely angling purposes. The 

 prices paid for licenses for seine-fishing vary with 

 the presumed prolific character of the fishing 

 grounds, from $100 to $500 ; and so of the rivers 

 leased to anglers, varying from $100 to $600. The 

 latter is the annual sum paid by the lessee of the 

 Cascapedia, where I have had my first experience 

 in salmon fishing. The seines are not to obstruct 

 the entire of the channel in any river, and ordina- 

 rily do not cover more than one-tenth of the water 

 surface; so that, while many fish are caught, as is 

 proper, ten times as many find an unobstructed 

 passage to the fresh water, which they instinctively 

 seek, with the regularity of the seasons, to breed. 

 The leases for angling include all of the rivers lying 

 above tide-water, and restrict the lessee to hook and 

 line. Spearing and all other modes of fish-taking 

 (except with the fly) are prohibited under penalties 

 which would be deemed severe were they not indis- 

 pensable to the preservation of the waters from 



