216 SALMON FISHING IN CANADA. 



admits of no question ; but whether it is a good stream for 

 the angler's pastime is still an unsolved question, for my 

 belief is that it has never as yet been visited by any man who 

 knew the use of a rod and fly. My impression is that this 

 river is usually, by navigators and voyageurs, called by its 

 Indian name Obetsie, a salmon stream in the same imme- 

 diate neighbourhood with regard to which I can only 

 give the following extract from the journal of a friend and 

 brother fisherman kept during the season of 1853 : " 12th 

 July. The Canadian fishermen arrived this morning from 

 the Obetsie, having left off fishing for lack of salmon ; they 

 say that the take was most unprofitable this year." * 



* Since the above was written, I have received from my friend Mr. 

 George Clerk a first-rate angler a letter, from which I take the following 

 extracts for the information of my readers, 



" I know the Obetsie river, and always thought it to be the same as the 

 Sheldrake. There is, however, a river which I never entered, a few miles 

 higher up than the Obetsie, which I have slightly examined ; its Indian 

 name is marked by me as Mastissimi, and it may be the Sheldrake. There 

 is a large and striking rock at its mouth, about half way between the 

 Obetsie and Pancras Cove, where there is good anchorage, plenty of fresh 

 water, but no fishing except for sea-trout." 



s< The Obetsie is distant from the Goodbout about four or five leagues ; 

 its mouth is distinguishable a long way off at low water by an immense 

 reef of black rocks extending a considerable distance out, making it very 

 difficult of access for anything drawing more than four or five feet of water. 

 At high water these rocks are covered." 



" Once inside the river, the anchorage is good, but I would advise no one 

 to attempt the entrance in anything larger than a pilot boat. At the mouth 

 of the river there is no shelter at all, except in one or two coves for small 

 boats." 



" The Obetsie is an early river, and the salmon cease running up it 

 sooner than they do in the Goodbout. I was there on the 13th of July, 

 whilst the latter river was full of fish, but I did not stir a fin in the 



