180 SALMOX FISHING IX CANADA. 



" I have killed as heavy salmon in the Esquemain as in 

 any other river in Canada," said the Commissioner. 



" So have I," added the Priest, " except when I once 

 went there after the erection of the water-works, which 

 this gentleman says do not interfere mth the fish, but 

 which I found to present an impassable barrier to their 

 ascending the river, and then I killed only two or three ; 

 but I saw the little urchins from the newly created village 

 stabbing the unfortunate fish with common two-pronged 

 steel table forks, as they leaped upon the apron of the 

 dam in their endeavours to reach the upper pools." 



" ' Tlie best fishing,' proceeds the American, ' is at the 

 foot of the waterfall, which forms a sheet of foam, about 

 one mile above the mouth. My Quebec friend accom- 

 panied me to this place, and though we only threw the fly 

 about six hours, — three in the evening and three in the 

 morning, — yet we killed thirteen salmon without losing a 

 single line, and with the loss of only three flies.' " 



" He to IMoses!" exclaimed the Commissioner : " you and 

 I have fished the river, Bishop, in its best days, before any 

 dam or saw-mill defiled its beautiful waters, and we never 

 did as much as this fellow snjs he did." 



" I mil not deem him completely unworthy of credit on 

 that acco\mt," replied the Priest, " for the fishing in all 

 oiu- Canadian rivers is most uncertain. For example, you 

 and I have often fished the Groodbout, and I do not think 

 either of us have ever killed more than five or sis fish in a 



