5 o8 



RECREATION 



Jim sneaked down to the water's edge 

 again, and my fish made a last little run, but 

 yielded soon to the strain. He weighed 12^ 

 pounds and was a male fish, this last ex- 

 plaining his exceptionally vigorous fight. 

 We had had supper, so we rowed across the 

 river to the knoll on which we were camped 

 and told tales and gazed at the glorious, 

 fantastical Northern Lights, which put out 

 most of the small stars, though the new 

 moon could be seen perfectly well, "holding 

 the old moon in her arms." 



The next day I took nothing, the river 

 getting lower and lower. July eighth I got 

 out my six-ounce trout-rod and rigged up 

 for grilse. At 6 a.m., on a single-hook 

 silver doctor trout-fly, I struck, and in due 

 time landed a 6J-pound salmon, and at 

 9 a.m. a 35-pound grilse, on the same fly; 

 also two small trout. 



Sunday afternoon, the ninth, again on a 

 silver doctor, I landed three grilse, aggre- 

 gating 8J pounds. Monday morning was 

 warm and foggy, with a very gentle west 

 wind, and from 9 |a.m. till 12.30 I landed 

 one trout, 2 J pounds, three grilse, 3, 3 J and 

 4! pounds respectively, and one salmon, 

 14 pounds. The trout took a Jock 

 Scott; the salmon a small double-hook 

 silver doctor; and all were on my 6-ounce 

 rod, though I was fortunate in having a 

 shore that let me accompany the salmon 

 down-stream, for the distance from where 

 I struck him to where Jim gaffed him was 

 400 yards. Twenty-seven pounds of game 

 fish taken in three and a-half hours on a 

 6-ounce rod is not so bad, is it ? 



The following day I took nothing, but the 

 next, before breakfast, still with my 6-ounce 

 rod, I took one grilse, and one salmon 

 weighing 11 J pounds, on a silver gray, the 

 Wind being high and the sky bright. At 

 half -past eleven I got a grilse, and the water 

 had now grown so warm that I really en- 

 joyed a delightful swim in a deep, glassy 

 pool. 



The day after this was cool again, and so 

 we went for an expedition of discovery. 

 The train up the river was only three and 

 a-half hours late, so our chances for fishing 

 that day were poor; still a good ten-mile 

 walk is healthful, and the odd rock forma- 

 tions, the black firs, the deep, green pools, 

 the frothing rapids, the quiet "steadies," 



the mournful moosebirds, the loon's wild 

 cry, all made the day a pleasant change, 

 and you may be sure we were glad to see 

 the camp-fire again and smell Clem's savory 

 supper. 



Thus far for the man who knows — who 

 has caught salmon. Now for him who has 

 not reached that height of glory. 



If you are satisfied with the big pike of 

 the Muskokas that makes a few dashes and 

 is then picked up by the eyes and is hardly 

 fit to eat, unless by a ravenously hungry 

 hunter; if you think your small-mouthed 

 black bass of the Belgrade Lakes enough 

 for you — and I admit they are reliable sport 

 and toothsome food; if you want nothing 

 beside the speckled trout that haunt the 

 springy bottoms of Lake Edward; if your 

 acme is the ouananiche — and lithe and 

 thoroughbred he is — of the Grande De- 

 charge; if you want to kill and then throw 

 away the fierce, useless tarpon of the Gulf, 

 I have only to say, "Every man to his 

 liking," especially as it is for sport and 

 recreation and injures no one. But let me 

 add that I have enjoyed all these, except 

 the tarpon, and since I caught salmon I 

 have caught nothing else; such a delight- 

 ful combination of game and food is the 

 salmon that I fancy no other fish equals it. 



"But the salmon waters are all owned by 

 clubs and private men." 



Not at all — the whole of Newfoundland is 

 any man's, so far as salmon are concerned. 

 And you can get there from New York in a 

 little over two days by rail, or more pleas- 

 antly in three days by water. 



"But salmon tackle costs a mint!" 



If you so choose. But you can catch fish 

 on another kind. Would you care to know 

 what my very modest outfit costs me? Of 

 course, I have had my old 7x7 A tent for 

 years, and another inside tent of cheese- 

 * cloth, the same size and shape as the outer 

 canvas tent, and held in place by a hook and 

 ring at each ground corner and gable, and 

 with no opening whatsoever but a big three- 

 foot hole in front, fastening with a draw- 

 string. This insures you against all flies 

 by day and mosquitoes by night, and is 

 worth its weight in silver; indeed one could 

 hardly stand the insects without it. Mine is 

 made of blue cheesecloth, though I should 

 prefer green, and cost $3.50. We pay each 



