m 



nadiai\ Sportsman and NyvTUHyvu 



N... 5. 



MONTREAL, MAY 1 ith, 1881. 



Vol.. I. 



THE GRAND RO MAINE. 



Tli is beautiful river enters the seaaboul nine 

 miles east 11I' Mingan. It is considered one oj 

 the best for angling. The salmon aregenerally 

 oi large etee, said to lie of extraordinary 

 Strength, and give excellent sport ; indeed, one 

 cannot easily doubt, this statement when be 

 visits the place and views the magnificent kills, 

 just above the angling pools, and opposite the 

 can 1 j >ing-ground. He may naturally ask does 

 salmon leap this mighty torrent of water ? No, 

 dear Sir, although the salmon of this river are 

 remarkable for their size and beautiful form, 

 they cannot reach the spawning-grounds by 

 attempting to leap such a perpendicular fall of 

 water. Nature has provided another entrance 

 for the fish, a short distance east of the falls. 

 It is therefore evident that the habits of salmon 

 are similar to the sea trout, which are known to 

 remain for many days feeding in the estuary, 

 gradually becoming accustomed to the river 

 water before they finally depart for the pur- 

 pose of propagation. In like manner, salmon 

 leaving the salt water make for the pools at 

 the base of the Romaine falls, where they 

 remain a short time making vain efforts to 

 go farther, but finding a barrier they again 

 turn seaward discovering the east entrance 

 where they enter and reach, (after maijy diffi- 

 culties) their spawning-grounds. While we 

 were at Mingan in 1868, the mistake of salmon 

 missing their native river, was illustrated by 

 the fact that the Romaine form of fish was 

 caught in nets placed near the Mingan. It 

 must be remembered that although there is no 

 structural difference in Salmo salar, there is an 

 evident change in the exterior form of the fish 

 which is remarkable and moreover applicable 

 to the river to which the salmon belongs, and 

 the man who net-fished the Mingan at that 

 time, could, with confidence say, " Mr. Couper, 



this Balm on which I have jusl taken from my 

 nei bus made a mi-take, ii hae passed it- 

 river." Capt. LeMarquand, please explain. 

 ■■ Sou see, sir, thai the shape of the fish i- 

 totally different from Mingan salmon; it- form 

 is deeper; it is more bulky, and the head - 

 shaped like any salmon entering tin- Mingan. 

 This we have ascertained through Ion.' experi- 

 ence; we can pick out every fish that n 

 this mistake." In LovelVs Qazftten, the Romaine 

 is described as a large river ot Quebec; falls 



into the north shore of the Gull of St. Lawrence. 

 It extends north and south many hundred 

 miles, and lias some fine falls. One hundred 

 miles from its mouth, there is a natural bi 

 and three hundred miles farther magnificent 

 falls, said to be equal to those of Niag 

 We have had the pleasure ot entering the 

 Romaine in a canoe, as far as the pool at the 

 base ot the fall on the north-wesl branch, about 

 ten miles inland, where this portion of the 

 river becomes narrow, descending from primi- 

 tive rocky gulches, showing evidence ot the 

 difficulty salmon has to contend with in reach- 

 ing the spring tributaries which make the river 

 proper. If the water happens to be low, the 

 fish must remain in the pools until rain occurs 

 further north to add to the bulk of the stream. 

 Should this not take place, many fish which 

 have reached thus far must of necessity return 

 to salt water before winter sets in. In our 

 opinion the Fishery Department should take 

 away this obstacle to salmon passage on the 

 Romaine. It would cost little to make proper 

 and permanent lish-leaps through these almost 

 perpendicular falls, besides it would make the 

 river more valuable, and increase the number 

 of salmon. Several North-Shore St. Lawrence 

 rivers are similarly situated. For instance, the 

 Mingan ; it also could be improved by making 

 a more easy passage tor salmon over its rocky 

 fall of water. 



