216 SALMON PISHING IN CANADA. 



admits of no question ; but whether it is a good stream for 

 the angler's pastime is still an unsolved question, for my 

 belief is that it has never as yet been visited by any man who 

 knew the use of a rod and fly. Mj impression is that this 

 river is usually, by navigators and voyageurs, called by its 

 Indian name Oljetsie, a salmon stream in the same imme- 

 diate neighbourhood — with regard to which I can only 

 give the following extract from the journal of a friend and 

 Inxither fisherman kept during the season of 1853 : — " 12th 

 July. The Canadian fishermen arrived this morning from 

 the Obetsie, having left off fishing for lack of salmon ; they 

 say that the take was most miprofitable this year." * 



* Since the al)OTe was WTitten, I haye receiveJ fi-om my friend Mr. 

 George Clerk — a first-rate angler — a letter, from which I take the following 

 extracts for the information of my readers. 



■' I know the Obetsie riyer, and always thought it to be the same as the 

 .Sheldrake. There is, howeyer, a riyer which I neyer entered, a few miles 

 higher up than the Obetsie, which I haye slightly examined ; its Indian 

 name is marked by me as Mastissimi, and it may be the Sheldrake. There 

 is a large and striking rock at its mouth, aliout half way between the 

 Obetsie and Pancras Cove, wdiere there is good anchorage, plentj' of fresh 

 water, but no fishing except for sea-trout." 



" The Obetsie is distant from the Goodbout about four or fiye leagTies ; 

 its mouth is distinguishable a long way ojf at low water by an immense 

 reef of black rocks extending a considerable distance out, making it very 

 difficult of access for anything drawing more than four or fiye feet of water. 

 At high water these rocks are covered." 



" Once inside the river, the anchorage is good, but I woidd achise no one 

 to attempt the entrance in anything larger than a pilot boat. At the mouth 

 of the river there is no shelter at all, except in one or two coves for small 

 boats." 



" The Obetsie is an early river, and the salmon cease running up it 

 sooner than they do in the Goodbout. I was there on the 13th of .July, 

 whilst the latter river was fuU of fish, but I did not stir a fin iu the 



