208 



RECRK A I'lON. 



the following: t. Character ol water as 



to purity, temperature, aeration, etc. 2. 

 Character and extent of vegetation in the 

 stream or lake. 3. Nature, variety and 

 abundance of the food supply. 4. What 

 other species of fishes occur in the same 

 waters and the abundance of each. 5. The 

 water birds and other animals frequenting 

 the region. 6. The contamination of the 

 water by refuse from saw mills, paper 

 mills, mines, or other sources. 



These are only a few of the more im- 

 portant factors; there are doubtless many 

 others more or less potent. The trout of 

 Yellowstone lake furnish a good illustra- 

 tion. Many of the trout of that lake are 

 affected by a parasitic worm which is not 

 ordinarily found in the trout of other 

 waters in that region. This parasite was 

 studied a few years ago by Prof. Linton, 

 who found an intimate and interesting re- 

 lation existing between this condition of 

 the Yellowstone lake trout and the white 

 pelican which frequents that lake. In fact, 

 he found the presence of the parasite in 

 the trout directly due to the white pelican. 

 The relation is as follows: During one 

 stage of its existence this parasite lives in 

 the intestinal tract of the pelican; after a 

 time it is voided and falls in the water. 

 The trout swallows the parasite, or per- 

 haps the parasite may attack the trout. 

 Then the pelican eats the trout and the 

 parasite again attacks the pelican. After 

 a time the parasite is again voided by the 

 pelican and the cycle is complete. 



The warmness and chemical character 

 of the water in some parts of the lake 

 doubtless have something to do with weak- 

 ening the trout and rendering it susceptible 

 to the attacks of the parasite. 



Conditions which are unfavorable to one 

 species of fish may be less so to another; 

 and a parasite which attacks one species 

 may never attack other species. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, the parasites found on any cer- 

 tain species of fish are peculiar to it and 

 are not found on any other species. The 

 same is true of the parasites of most ani- 

 mals. The reason that the pickerel men- 

 tioned by Mr. Newbrough do not get 

 grubby may be that they are immune from 

 the bass grub. Or the relative abundance 

 of the bass and pickerel or their food sup- 

 ply may be the cause. 



Questions like these, however, can be 

 fully and definitely answered only after a 

 careful study of the conditions in the par- 

 ticular stream or lake under consideration. 



TROUT FISHING ON LAKE NEPIGON. 



Clarenceville, P. Q. 

 Editor Recreation: 



The North shore of Lake Superior, and 

 especially the country about the Nepigon 

 river, is a paradise for the trout angler. 



Knthttsiastic as lie may have been before, 

 here his enthusiasm will be increased ten- 

 fold when he realizes the glorious sport to 

 be had in this region. With a pair of hip 

 boots he may wade the river up or down 

 stream, while from either shore or mid- 

 stream he can catch fish until surfeited. 



In June and July flies are a more attrac- 

 tive lure than they are later in the season. 

 It is doubtless a bit of fine heroism to re- 

 fuse to catch a trout with a worm. Still, 

 there are individuals so fascinated with the 

 splendid excitement of landing a 6-pound 

 trout after a thrilling fight that they are 

 even willing to take an Indian's advice 

 and cast with a piece of bacon rather than 

 go home heroic but troutless. 



The Ontario government is strict in the 

 enforcement of laws regarding fishing, but 

 at the same time these laws are extremely 

 generous. No angler may take more than 

 15 pounds of brook trout in a day, and he 

 must return to the stream uninjured any 

 trout less than 5 inches in length. In the 

 early days of September Carp river, which 

 rises in Lake Kayozekeegawaigeenaig, is 

 literally alive with trout weighing 2 to 5 

 pounds. They will tax one's utmost skill 

 to land, and are game to the last gasp. 

 The fish seem to show no diminution 

 and all through the season there is royal 

 sport in the swift flowing Carp. 



The greatest of all trout streams, how- 

 ever, is the noble Nepigon. Here one may 

 land a brook trout weighing 4, 5 or even 

 6 pounds — a fish with the concentrated 

 agility of a score of little trout, and with- 

 out a trace of senility in his aged frame. 



The Nepigon runs from Nepigon lake, 

 a large body of water 500 miles in circum- 

 ference and nearly 300 feet above the level 

 of Lake Superior. The river is only 40 

 miles from lake to lake, as the crow flies. 

 Several small lakes are strung on its cur- 

 rent like beads on a string. Here and 

 there are easy portages, and there is not a 

 spot in its entire length where one cannot 

 find good sport. Fish wardens patrol the 

 river all through the season to see that no 

 one catches more than his lawful allow- 

 ance, and to see, also, that all camps are 

 kept scrupulously clean. The Indian 

 guides and canoemen have a clever way 

 of skinning a large trout, fastening one- 

 half of the skin to a piece of birch bark 

 and placing all in a frame of birch 

 branches, which makes a fine trophy. The 

 trout of Lake Nepigon and the larger 

 streams are lighter in color than those of 

 the forest not at all clear and bright, but 

 of a rich brown or amber hue. 



The Nepigon is reached by the Cana- 

 dian Pacific routes, either rail or part 

 water and part rail, from Montreal, or any 

 Eastern city. 



M. P. Edy. 



