A CANADIAN RIVER 131 



my Cascapedia days, which, after running 

 out the greater part of my line, leaped into 

 the air and then parted company. If ever 

 I saw a 50-pounder it was that fish. I re- 

 member another which played me for an in- 

 terminable time in the thin water below the 

 Ledge Pool. I could do nothing with him ; 

 he lay like a log in mid-stream and refused 

 obstinately to come near us. At last we 

 poled our way out to him and got quite close, 

 but the hold parted at the last moment. 

 The fish was so tired that Noel very nearly 

 had him with the gaff after I had lost him. 

 But there is one tragedy in particular of 

 which the details are unforgettable. One 

 day in 1884 I was fishing at Lazy Bogan 

 just below the camp. Towards dusk I got 

 fast in what was evidently a very strong fish. 

 I had noticed that fish hooked late in the 

 evening always showed an uncontrollable 

 desire to run violently down-stream. This 

 fish was no exception to the rule. I hung 

 hard on to him, but he took us down and ever 

 down until we found ourselves at a point 



