236 A SPORTING PARADISE 



the grand old forests ; within the sheltered bays 

 the loons laughed undisturbed, and the wild 

 birds splashed in the marshy edges or upon 

 the sandy shores with none to make them 

 afraid. 



" We were out for maskinonge, and took no 

 account of either black bass or pickerel. It seems 

 strange to talk of shaking off black bass and 

 making disrespectful remarks about these gamy 

 gentry when they insisted on taking the hook, 

 but they were so plentiful as to be really 

 troublesome. 



u When an angler goes forth to catch the 

 maskinonge it is necessary to be careful lest the 

 maskinonge should catch him. The native 

 method of taking the maskinonge in the primeval 

 waters of Canada is by a small clothes-line, hauled 

 in by main strength when the fish bites, but we 

 proposed to troll, as should an angler, with the 

 rod. Ours were split bamboo rods 9^ ft. long, 

 quadruplex reel, and braided line, 2 ft. of medium- 

 sized copper wire, a No. 4 spoon with double 

 hooks, and finally a good gaff. 



" Our guide, as we started over to Crane Lake 

 the first morning, indulged in sundry smiles, and 

 remarked that we should break our rods, so that, 



