and the Maritime Provinces. '--■> 



to get fishing at any time during the open season when the water happens 

 to be in good ply. Conditions, however, vary on different rivers. 



On October 15, 1895, the Marquis of Zetland killed a fresh-run salmon 

 on the Tay which weighed fifty-six pounds. It was killed on what is known 

 as the " Stanley water," owned by Col. Sandeman. This was the closing 

 day of the season on the Tay, and His Grace must have felt that he made 

 a grand wind-up, for it is rare that so heavy a salmon is killed on a fly. 



The largest fish ever taken on a fly in Canadian waters, so far as 

 recorded, was killed some years ago by Mr. R. G. Dunn, while fishing on the 

 pool known as " The Salmon Hole," on the Grand Cascapedia river, P. Q. 

 It is well known that this famous river, although not a large one, yields 

 very heavy fish. In a good season they have averaged as high as twenty- 

 nine and one-half pounds. Probably no other river in Canada can equal 

 it in this respect. 



The writer had an experience on the Grand Cascapedia several years 

 ago, which will never be forgotten. It was early in July, the water was 

 somewhat low and very clear. Thinking it was a good opportunity to try 

 fishing with finer tackle, on the principle that " the finer you fish, the more 

 rises you will get," a fourteen-feet split-bamboo Leonard rod, weighing 

 twenty ounces, was rigged up with fifty yards of trout line, spliced to the 

 salmon line and reeled into place, there being plenty of room for it, be- 

 cause a salmon reel is seldom entirely filled with line, for reasons well 

 known to all salmon fishermen, and to this a twelve-feet leader of salmon 

 gut, finer than usual, was attached, and a No. 6 fly. This made a fine 

 light cast and one not calculated to frighten the fish in clear water. The 

 next morning it fell to the writer's lot to fish the Rock pool, and, after 

 fishing a few drops without a rise, the critical " lie spot " was reached, 

 where something would happen if any success was to be met with at this 

 time. After making a few casts and having only about fifty feet of line 

 out, a salmon rose to the fly and took it ; the moment the pull was felt the 

 rod was raised and put under strain to set the hook, and the fish was on. 

 As salmon usually do, this one took the first indications of danger some- 

 what coolly, he apparently did not realize just what was the matter at this 

 stage. He swam playfully and leisurely up the river until he came along- 

 side of the canoe, then made a great leap out of the water, as if desirous 

 of seeing what was going on and noting the situation, but he was no sooner 

 reimmersed in his native element than he turned and darted down river at 

 a rate of speed seldom attained by such a fish. The battle royal was 

 begun. The anchor had been taken in and the whir of the reel gave 

 notice that agility was needed and that an exciting contest was at hand. 

 Before any headway could be made by the canoe-men in following the 

 salmon down river, the reel was more than half empty of the line. The 

 strain soon after ceased, the slack was reeled in, and the result was a 



