and the Maritime Provinces. 133 



CHAPTER V. 



A GLORIOUS MORNING. SALMON IN FRESH-WATER LAKES REFUSE THE 



FLY. A TIP ON COFFEE. BLACK DUCKS AND THEIR HABITS. 



Shooting over decoys. — A handsome pair of trout. — "Loon, 



HE GREAT FISH KILLER." FRESH-WATER DUCKS. THE HABITS OF 



THE SUMMER OR WOOD DUCK. THE BALDPATE OR AMERICAN WID- 

 GEON. — All about teals. — Pintails and shovellers. — The 

 Judge has hard luck. — Canvas backs and red heads. — All 

 about scoters, coots, and other fish- eating ducks. — the hand- 

 some golden eye, or whistler. the canada goose and brant. 



— Salmon playing each other. — Congratulations and a liba- 

 tion. — Long struggles with salmon. — Great abundance of 

 salmon in the Hudson straits ; the uncertainty in fly-fishing 



one of its great charms. all about the striped bass. 



The squeteague. — The bluefish. — Tautog fishing. — The 

 black sea bass. fresh-water game fish. 



S usual, I was the first of our party astir in the 

 morning, and what a glorious sunrise it was that 

 greeted my vision as I stepped outside the tent ! 

 The heavy storm had saturated the earth, and 

 the raindrops on the foliage of the trees sparkled 

 like brilliant gems in the rays of the God of Day. 

 The atmosphere was redolent with the balmy 

 odors which always follow a rain storm in the 

 forest, the foliage of both living and dead trees 

 exhaling a perfume indescribably sweet and 

 delicious. 

 The guides, who were soon aroused, quickly started a fire, while I 

 went to the falls for the purpose of ascertaining how much the water had 

 increased in the stream. The lake had risen several inches and the flow 

 of water down the falls was correspondingly swelled ; in fact, it was now a 

 smooth, unbroken incline, wildly rushing, of course, but sufficiently unbroken 

 to permit the ascent of salmon should they make the attempt. * 



The pool below the falls was so high that but little of the shore was 

 visible, and for a few days, at least, our fishing would, apparently, have to 

 be done from canoes. 



*The statement has been recently recorded that salmon "have been 

 seen to ascend the falls of the Mingan river, P. Q., by leaping as high as 

 fifteen feet from break to break in the falls." — E. A. S. 



