SALMON FISHING MADE EASY 



Practical Information for the Inexperienced 

 BY JOHN O'DONNELL 



IT IS the sensation of a 

 lifetime to be at one end 

 of a salmon-line with a 

 twenty-pound salmon at 

 the other. True, it has 

 drawbacks. One has to 

 go a good way off, and 

 spend some hard-earned 

 cash, and lose some days from occupation at 

 home, and, then, too, it leaves a bit of blase 

 listlessness for other fishing. But these must 

 not be overrated and should not deter you 

 if you love fishing that is fishing, if you de- 

 light in beautiful country and North Pole 

 air, in quiet days and golden-pink aurora 

 nights ; if you like to have red blood in your 

 veins and tan in your face. 



Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland, looks 

 for all the world like parts of Ireland — the 

 boggy soil, the gray rocks, the white houses 

 and the lowering, cold skies — and, landed 

 there, you almost begin to "smell salmon." 

 But you must take train up-country a piece. 

 Don't be afraid; the train won't upset, 

 though it often seems about to. It is hard 

 to convey your breakfast to its destined 

 port; very hard to drink your coffee. De- 

 spite the extraordinary scenery and fairly 

 good train service, you are glad to reach 

 your station and very much relieved to see 

 your guide there to meet you. 



How pure and cool the air is ! How still, 

 as the train's whistle echoes back from the 

 next station I 



"How aic t ne fish, Jim?" 

 "Well, sir, they's coming in now." 

 ' ' Any caught yet ? " 



"Yes, sir; last night I seen Joe, and he 

 had a broken rod to mend for his gentleman. 

 The water's been a little cold up to this." 

 "And where are we to fit out, Jim ?" 



"Right here, at D 's, sir." 



To me, next to the delights of fishing and 

 the camp-fire aftermath, is the pleasure of 

 "fitting out" and the foreglance. How 

 many are you? How long are you to stay 



out ? How much fish will you surely catch ? 

 Are you going to hunt, too ? Can you come 

 back for a second supply? Are you going 

 by boat all the way ? And is the water easy ? 

 Think of all this and then buy your flour 

 and pork and bacon and molasses and eggs 

 and sugar and tea and salt and beans and 

 dried fruit and cheese. If you wish, canned 

 vegetables and fruits are nice; so are the 

 cans in camp. And then the kettles and 

 plates, and knives and spoons, etc., etc. 



So a day in June last found me fitting out 

 in Newfoundland. After two days I had 

 made all ready. Two guides, one cook, and 

 then my friend arrived and at last we got 

 off up the river. And a glorious cool day it 

 was. 



"How are the pools, Jim?" 



"Well, sir, Mr. and Mrs. H are 



leaving X Pool very soon. That's a 



good one and we must try to be there to 

 get it." 



Sure enough! Kind Providence had 

 brought us just in time. 



"You are coming at a likely season. 

 It has been too cold so far, but I think you 

 will have it right, now. We got only four in 

 three weeks." 



That was a cheering word from those just 

 returning home. How brown and strong 

 they looked 1 how white and flabby we! 

 Jim pulled a heavy oar on his new dory, 

 and Clem and Dinny followed close, and 

 another hour brought us past the camps of 

 Mr. D and Mr. W to our destina- 

 tion. We quickly set up tent and took pos- 

 session. What a feeling of relief, for we had 

 two fair pools and a third poor one to fish. 



Next day, in a stiff wind and cold weather, 

 I hooked what Jim pronounced and I be- 

 lieve was a trout. I was fishing in mid- 

 stream, and by the time I got ashore for the 

 fight the fish, unseen, was gone. My jaw 

 fell. The second day I got one rise but he 

 did not take my fly. 



The third day I took off my heavy linen 



