ANGLING FOR OUANANICHE 71 



its side, and the former made a number of further 

 " dabs " for the ouananiche, which, though intended to 

 take it into the net head first, came so near to smash- 

 ing the line that he was promptly, and, I fear, some- 

 what angrily, ordered to lay down the net altogether. 

 My friends in their canoes and upon the opposite shore, 

 attracted by the noisy talk for it was necessary to 

 order " B'tiste " pretty loudly before he could be in- 

 duced to withdraw from the struggle called over to 

 me to take the net myself. I should have done so, 

 too, had not something else happened in much less time 

 than it takes to describe it. No sooner had my guide 

 thrown down the net than he had rushed into the water 

 behind my fish, though it reached above the top of 

 his long-legged boots. One forward movement upon 

 the already played-out ouananiche, and a couple of 

 rapid kicks had done the rest. The fish had been lit- 

 erally kicked out of its native element, and " B'tiste " 

 was holding it up proudly with both hands, amid the 

 perfect yells of laughter that came from the onlook- 

 ers, as much as to say, " The end justifies the means," 

 and " He laughs best who laughs last." " B'tiste's " 

 method of landing ouananiche is so unusual that I am 

 glad to have been able to give the names of those who- 

 witnessed it. 



In one season, when the spring fishing for ouana- 

 niche was good about the mouths of the Metabet- 

 chouan and Ouiatchouan as early as the second week 

 of May, splendid sport was had at Ouellet's by Mr. 

 George E. Hart, of Waterbury, Conn., Mr. Durand, 

 of Newark, N. J., and party. This fishing ceases al- 

 most as soon as the spring floods terminate and the- 



