SALMON FISHING AT CAMPBELL RIVER 151 



especially about the time of the full moon. 

 The natives fish with hand-lines, with heavy- 

 lead and small silver or copper spoons, the 

 lead being about twenty feet away from the 

 spoon. It is most interesting to watch the 

 Indians standing in dugout canoes handling 

 the fish, gently playing it, and finally club- 

 bing it on the head, when, the fish, having 

 fought its battle, has succumbed. It is said 

 that these fish return to the river to spawn 

 after having left it four years before, and 

 that, after spawning, they all perish. This 

 seems hard to believe — hard to believe that 

 a fish can grow to the size and acquire the 

 strength that these fish do in so short a time ; 

 for I saw one giant, taken on a hand-line, 

 that weighed 72 pounds at the cannery some 

 hours after it was taken, and I killed a fish 

 myself that weighed 60 pounds. 



These fish came from the north, and are 

 found off Kitmat, some four hundred miles 

 north of Campbell River, early in May, but 

 do not appear at the latter place before 

 August 1. 



