THE UPPER MISTASSINI. 



27 



quest of ouananiche. The stream is prob- 

 ably 800 yards in width, with a small island 

 near the right bank that divides it into 2 

 falls. The left, or main fall, has a vertical 

 drop of 35 feet, while the smaller channel to 

 the right is broken and slanting, forming a 

 natural fishway to the river above. Our 

 camp was made in the usual place, on the 

 island dividing the falls. While the men 

 were busy with the tents, I prepared my 

 tackle, consisting of a 10 ounce lancewood 

 fly-rod, a quadruple multiplying reel, with 

 200 feet of enamelled line and a cast of a 

 Silver Doctor, dropper, and Brown hackle, 

 stretcher. I made my way to the foot of 

 the smaller fall and cast in an eddy — that I 

 knew from previous experience was usually 

 good for one or 2 ouananiche. Much to 

 my delight, the brown hackle disappeared 

 at once and the heavy strain that came in 

 response to my strike told me I had no 

 small game to contend with. But soon my 

 exultation began to fade and finally turned 

 to disgust as the mottled sides of a 10 

 pound pike (Esox lucius) revealed them- 

 selves. My father, casting a short distance 

 from me, was soon fast to 2 medium sized 

 ouananiche, and after ridding myself of my 

 obnoxious victim, I assisted him to land 

 them. His verdict was, 



" Enough for supper, shall we stop?" 



To which I agreed; and reeling up, we 

 went to camp and revelled in the luxury of 

 mosquito oil and smoke. The mosquito 

 and the black-fly are the curse of the Cana- 

 dian bush, in early summer; but the sports- 

 man can live and even enjoy himself if he 

 has a tight tent and plenty of " medicine." 

 My experience has been very bad with 

 most of the manufactured fly-repellants, so 

 I use equal parts of oil of tar, oil penny- 

 royal, and pure vaseline, scented with cit- 

 ronella. This is thoroughly effectual and 

 pleasant to use. 



Father has been in love with the fifth fall 

 ever since our first visit, in '92, and to 

 please him we remained there 3 days be- 

 fore pushing on up the river. He suc- 

 ceeded in keeping the table supplied with 

 ouananiche, while my wife and I amused 

 ourselves by trolling for the large wall- 

 eyes pike, or dore (Stizostedion vitreum), 

 which I prefer to the ouananiche, for the 

 table. 



The portage around the fifth fall and the 

 rapid above, uses up the best part of a mile 

 and is quite rough. Then there is a 

 stretch of calm water; then a narrow, 

 rough rapid that must be portaged. Only 

 a short distance above come 4 cascades, in 

 quick succession, and as many short port- 

 ages. 



Lunch was made at the sixth oortage at 

 the foot of what is called the " short dead- 

 water," some 12 miles in length and in 

 places quite 2 miles wide. We camped at 

 the eighth fall, on a sandy beach. This is a 

 peculiar cataract, being fully a half mile 



wide and resembling a series of broad 

 steps. The river descends at this point 

 about 60 feet in 500 yards. 



Here we made a stay of 2 days, for the 

 purpose of making paddles and poles, soon 

 to be used in the ascent of the heavy rapid 

 above the tenth fall. These poles are from 

 12 to 15 feet long, of black spruce, and 

 fitted into steel points, to prevent slipping 

 on the recks. While at this camp we took 

 many ouananiche, releasing all those not 

 needed for food. My father also took a 2A 

 pound pike. A small creek, swarming with 

 minnows, was close by our camp and a few 

 dips of the landing net always secured an 

 abundance of live bait, much relished by 

 pike and dore, while one or 2 ouananiche 

 were caught with them. 



Above this portage, which is half a mile 

 long and very steep, are 2 good sized falls, 

 and one heavy rapid that necessitates the 

 first use of the poles. Imagine yourself in 

 an 18 foot birch canoe, heavily laden, with 

 2 brawny voyageurs standing erect in bow 

 and stern, straining every muscle in the ef- 

 fort to pass a dangerous rock in the centre 

 of a river as large as the Missouri at Kan- 

 sas City, pouring its violent floods about 

 the frail fabric and lashing itself into spray 

 against the bowlders — seemingly doing its 

 best to ingulf you, as if displeased at the 

 temerity of man in attempting to conquer 

 it. No wonder the canoemen use the best 

 of wood, and carefully test their poles! 

 The dreadful consequences of breaking one 

 can be too easily foreseen. 



Sometimes the current exceeds the 

 strength of the men; and after a motionless 

 moment, that seems hours, the canoe grad- 

 ually creeps backward, an inch at a time, 

 regardless of the efforts of the men. This 

 is the moment of greatest danger. In an 

 instant the poles are thrown inboard — fre- 

 quently striking the sportsman's head — ■ 

 and, under the stroke of paddles, the canoe 

 whirls rapidly around and descends with al- 

 most lightning speed to the nearest eddy, 

 where breath is taken before again making 

 the attempt. Imagine all this, if you can, 

 with huge rocky cliffs and mountains in 

 the background, clad in the sombre green 

 of spruce and fir, with no sign of life among 

 them! Then you may have a faint idea of 

 the difficulties of the ascent of the upper 

 Mistassini. 



About an hour's paddle from this rapid 

 the mouth of the Wassiemiska river is 

 reached. This is a short stream, having 2 

 branches, one rising in Lake au Jeaune 

 (commonly called Lac a Jim), and the 

 other in Lake Otter, otherwise known as 

 Netsegami. some 50 miles from its conflu- 

 ence with the Mistassini. Though so short, 

 it is a rapid river, having- no less than 30 

 falls and cascades in the Netsegami branch. 



Through this stream lies the favorite 

 route for sportsmen who ascend the Ashu- 

 apmouchouan river (pronounced Sam- 



