OTHEE FISH AND GAME 26S 



ficient for the angler's purposes upon Canadian trout 

 waters. 



As the size of artificial flies is a much - discussed 

 question among anglers, the following remarks on the 

 subject by the late Dr. Lundy, in The Saranac Exiles, 

 will doubtless prove interesting : 



"On a dark day, and in turbid water, I hold, ■with Charles 

 Kingsley, that late lamented prince of angleVs and good fellows, 

 that large flies are the best. The larger the !ly, the larger the fish. 

 When you see a small trout, hardly six inches long, jump far out 

 of water at a great dragon -fly or darning-needle, or catch one of 

 the same size with three young mice in his stomach, or have a rush 

 made, in a turbulent pool below a waterfall, at bass flies, it is use- 

 less to talk about gnats and other small flies. Besides, a small hook 

 will not hold a large, strong fish ; and the mouth of a small trout is 

 large enough to take in a salmon fly itself. In still, clear water 

 small, dark flies have the advantage of not splashing and scaring 

 the flsh. But in rapids, or any troubled water, large flies are the 

 most easily seen and taken." 



My own experience in fishing for ouananiche coin- 

 cides with that given above, so far as the size of flies 

 is concerned, particularly in the spring and autumn 

 months. At such times, and in heavy water, I have 

 always been most successful with large flies. In July 

 and August, on the other hand, the fresh-water salmon, 

 especiall_y in the pools below the various rapids of the 

 Grande Decharge, prefer a much smaller fly. My 

 experience of trout has been that they differ in their 

 habits in different lakes and rivers where all other 

 conditions seem alike. 



I cannot quite agree with Mr. Lundy that " a small 

 hook will not hold a large, strong fish," for I know of 

 an eight -pound ouananiche having been brought to 



