82 THROUGH CANADA 



advances, and in the winter, when the weeds are 

 dying off, there is another change in consonance 

 with its environment. 



The maskalonge, like the pike, has its special 

 feeding times, and one may fish for days without 

 getting one of the large specimens, which gorge 

 themselves and lie up until hunger sends them on 

 the warpath again. 



It was August when I fished for them, which is 

 said to be one of the worst months for angling. 

 The current opinion amongst Canadians that the 

 maskalonge shed their teeth that month, is not 

 generally supported by ichthyologists. It is con- 

 tended that the phenomenon has its analogy in the 

 deer shedding its antlers and the snake sloughing 

 its skin. Fish, like grayling, become very soft in 

 the scales when out of season, and are in the habit 

 of casting them, but stiffen up again during the 

 autumn months. Counter arguments might be 

 raised against all this. Very old fish lose their 

 teeth, no doubt, through senile decay, and possibly 

 the discovery of some toothless maskalonge has 

 given currency to the belief. 



Two or three times I thought I had got hold 

 of this tiger of the river, but the vigorous plunge 

 and bold dash was caused by a pike of more than 

 average size. Clearly, the maskalonge declined to 

 be rushed, and we had to bide its time. Meanwhile, 

 ElHck paddled slowly and patiently up-stream. 



