INLAND TROUT FISHING. 



667 



pursued most unrelentingly at all times. There is no season of respite 

 from the cunning artifices of the mercenary poacher, or the more skilful 

 manoeuvres of the followers of the gentle Walton. 



Thousands and thousands of pounds of these fish are taken from the 

 lakes through holes cut in the ice during the long winters of this bleak 

 clime, and shipped to distant cities, where they command a high price. 

 Under this encouragement of wholesale poaching, it is not unreasonable 

 to predict the entire extinction, in a few years, of the Trout in these 

 prolific waters, as is already the case in numerous other streams and 

 lakes, in more thickly-settled localities. 



The largest Trout, however, are not usually taken in abundance during 

 the winter with still bait, but some good-sized ones are captured, as may 

 be seen from the following memorandum, taken from the camp journal 

 of a Boston party, who spent several days fishing on these lakes during 

 the latter part of December, 1864. 



This party were poorly supplied with bait, and at times entirely out of 

 it. The catch of fish may very fairly be said to be the results of five days' 

 fishing : — 



1 Trout weighed 



1 " " 



5 " 



1 



4 



6 

 16 



Total catch 237 Trout, weighing 264J lbs. 



The cold at times during this excursion was intense, the thermometer 

 ranging from 15° above to 30° below zero. This party of hardy sportsmen, 

 nothing daunted by the chilling temperature of an Arctic winter, con- 

 tinued their daily routine of visits to the numerous holes cut in the ice on 

 various portions of the Lake. 



" The fertile earth, at Nature's voice, 

 Unlocks her precious store, 

 And mount and vale and plain rejoice 

 To greet the genial hour. 



"The purling stream, no longer bound 

 In Winter's icy chain, 

 Sparkles beneath the sunny ray, 

 And freely flows again." 



David Paul Brown. 



