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FISHING ON THE MOON RIVER. 



Bala, on Lake Muskoka, is the starting 

 point for the Moon river trip. Guides who 

 are familiar with every rock in the channel, 

 who know which lively rapids are not safe 

 to shoot, will, for a reasonable sum furnish 

 neat canoes and paddle where you will. 

 You will not, in all probability, see a living 

 soul after once fairly away on the trip. 

 Start early. You will require no advice 

 about returning. If you have never ex- 

 perienced the delight of a canoe trip, then 

 there is a new sensation added to all the 

 wealth of scenery on view wherever the 

 eye turns. If the trip is made in the spring, 

 and sometimes even as late as July, you 

 will see the river drivers logging between 

 Bala and the junction of the Moon and the 

 Muskosh. After passing the Muskosh 

 do not expect to hear the voice of man 

 other than your guide. You are entering 

 a wilderness of woods and rocks. A soli- 

 tary bushranger may call from the shore 

 and ask you if you are going far, and warn 

 you to carefully extinguish fires built at 

 lunch hours; but the probability is that 

 you will not see or hear even him. 



Once in the Moon you will be enthusias- 

 tic over what appears to be a quiet little 

 stream, and will wonder if, indeed, falls 

 and rapids are before you. Ere you have 

 ceased wondering, you have your answer; 

 you hear a roar and in a moment your 

 guide is saying, "We will have to make a 

 short portage here." The carry is neces- 



sitated by the falls, and a dam is con- 

 structed to force more water through the 

 Muskosh, to aid the running of logs to 

 Georgian bay. 



You "carry round and put in" and are 

 off again. Another half mile or so and you 

 approach a rapid too swift and too stony 

 to run. A little farther on what is known 

 as the Island portage is reached. Here 

 great rocks rise in the center of the river, 

 creating rapid currents on either side, the 

 water rushing and foaming over sunken 

 boulders that forbid the safe passage of 

 canoes. 



Your guide may ask before you have 

 covered an additional 20 rods, 



"Care if you get a dipping?" 



Answer him as you like, but if you say 

 " No," he will shoot the next rapid. Give 

 him your assent and have a swift ride 

 down the watery slope. The stream has 

 a treacherous look, tumbling as it does over 

 rocks and making a slight bend, but the 

 strong hands at the paddle will safely carry 

 you through. If fishing be one of the ob- 

 jects of your outing, the canoe will be run 

 upon a bit of marshy land at the foot of 

 the rapids and you will chase a lively 

 breed of frog. In season, this low land is 

 feeding ground for deer. 



Once more in the canoe, you move, 

 quietly along, making many short portages. 

 Each time you step on land you note the 

 density of the woods, the impassable 



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