172 "LA GKANDE DECHAKGE 



this is almost the invariable experience of those who 

 attempt to keep two such sportive beauties upon the 

 string at the same time. We fished here from the 

 narrow ridges upon the face of the steep cliffs below 

 for upwards of an hour ; and, after taking away with 

 us some dozen fish from one and a half to three and 

 a half pounds apiece, to assist in making supper and 

 next morning's breakfast for ourselves and our guides, 

 we started shortly before five o'clock over the mountain 

 portage, a mile in length, across the southwest corner of 

 the island. It was a magnificent panorama that burst 

 upon our vision from the highest point of the island, 

 whence commenced our abrupt descent to the south 

 shore. Nearly six hundred feet below us was the broad 

 expanse of rapids, bounded on the farther side by 

 Alma Island. We fished with varying success along 

 the rocky shore and got a few three-pound fish, sub- 

 sequently taking to our canoes and experiencing a 

 pretty w T ild and risky-looking crossing of the rapids 

 at the foot of the island, which was the more surprising 

 to us that we had anticipated here nothing nearly 

 so exciting. Were the attractions of Isle Maligne, 

 both as a camping and fishing ground, more widely 

 known, it would doubtless be annually thronged by 

 anglers and lovers of nature, notwithstanding the 

 difficulties attending a landing upon or departure from 

 its shores. After Alma it is the largest island of the 

 Discharge, being some two miles in length and over 

 half a mile in width. In one of its pools we lost the 

 largest ouananiche I have ever seen at the end of a 

 line. Savard had carried my rod over a ridge of rocks 

 and made a cast before handing it over to me. I had 



