JjTsm 15, I8»a. I 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



B17 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.— VIII. 



The Return Trip.— VIII. 



[Concluded from Page 1,92:] 



Thr nest morning, as soon as the delicate illusive gray 

 of dawn appeared in the air, we were all np, had a hastily 

 prepared breakfast, the camp dismantled, everything 

 aboard, and off for Gros Cap, with as cheerful hearts as 

 ever beat under fustian jacket. The gleam of the early 

 morn spread in one golden glow over the sparkling siu-- 

 face and tlie green woods. The sun laughed as it raced 

 o'er hill and vale, river and lake, beautifying every- 

 thing it touched with its crimson-tipped arrows. It was 

 a morning that awakened every living thing. The bees 

 hummed as they souglit the honey of the tiowers: the 

 myriad insects that haunt tlie woods and revel in the 

 sunny stretches, sounded their little clarions; the jay and 

 the chickadee, the white-throat and the warbler, and all 

 the choristers of forest and grove were in tuneful melody 

 .•^ith the splendor so generously abi'oad. 



"The morn is up again, the dewy morn 

 With breath all incense, and with cheek a-bloom, 

 Laughing the clouds away with playful seorn, 

 And living as if earth contatu'd no tomb, 

 And glowing into day." 



Ned had his rod in hand, ever ready to let his flies drop 

 into some inviting spot, while I gave myself up to the 

 beauties of the lovely shoreland, which was constantly 

 developing views "like apples of gold in pictures of sil- 

 ver." The persistent angler finally reached a friendly 

 rock, so ragged, splintered and creviced, that I wa« positive 

 he would arouse a fitting representative of the spangled 

 tribe, but it only sent forth an adolescent delegate that 

 lazily toyed with the iiy and then went back to its retreat, 

 where we hope it will remain and grow in shapely and 

 dappled beauty until it reaches maturity. Again and 

 again dropped the flies as light as thistle-down, but not a 

 mottled knight rose for an investigation of the subtle 

 lures. Finally he was satisfied tha,t nothing woidd here 

 respond to his lightly delivered flies, and then the boys 

 rowed quietly along the weather-beaten rocks in search 

 of other caverns where dwelt the tattooed tribes. 



We quietly went by a grand stretch of waving hills, 

 revealing a wildness and beauty of scenery which awak- 

 ened emotions that struggled in vain for expression. 

 Here the dreamy loveliness of the moving forest con- 

 trasted strangely with the huge walls of granite, so 

 typical of aU that is stubborn, rugged and relentless. 



After half an hour of constant work with the rod, Ned 

 was rewarded with a double strike, both of which he 

 hmig. He was in high feather now, but it was of short 

 duration, for the one struggling at the lower fly soon 

 escaped, and a moment later the other kissed him a fare- 

 well, and then there was a sadly disappointed angler in 

 the boat bewailing his hard luck. Emery smiled at Ned's 

 loss, and doubtless tljought it a retribution for dismissing 

 him from service with tlie landing net when talent was 

 required and applause to be gained. 



We had now reached Goulais Bay, and as it was nine 

 miles across and fom- more to Gros Cap Island, our des- 

 tination, we consulted the oracle of the scuds as to the 

 continuance of the fair weather. He slowly gathered 

 himself together, and then rubbing with his right hand 

 his massive forehead, as well as scratching where the 

 combative organ is supposed to have a habitation, took 

 in the magnificent sjilendor of cloud life above, gazed 

 along the rim of the horizon where his friendly scuds are 

 suxjposed to lie, and after staining a spot of the crystal 

 waters with offensive saliva, and giving an extra hitch to 

 his cross-ribbed pantaloons, said, solemnly: "It looks very 

 mixed; may blow a little, but safe, I think, to chance it." 

 As this was the first forecast whicii he had favorably re- 

 ported diu-ing the trip I took his swarthy hand and shook 

 it with a warmth that threw him compietely off his bal- 

 ance, and set him wondering why white man so friendly. 



Ned having now ceased his eff"orts to arouse a trout, the 

 make-skift of a sad was hoisted, and with the gentle 

 breeze then prevailing headway was very slow indeed. 

 One of the boys, however, attached himself to a pair of 

 oars, which somewhat increased our speed with hopes of 

 reaching the coveted island by noon. Delay mattered 

 but little, as the day was such a luxurious one. Great 

 flakes of golden clouds were lazily sailing to a radi- 

 ant home in the east, the hills afar and the thousand 

 leafy isles that graced the shore, partook of the magic 

 of the morning glow, while the lake, which was stnred 

 by the low wind that sighed across it, v^ aa in a lustre of 

 silver so bright that its reflectiveness imjtrinted itself upon 

 the broad and discolored sail as if to also beautify it. 

 Gently we glided along in ail tliis brilliant refulgence, 

 like dreams of delight on an enchanted sea. FeeUng its 

 soothing influence, we gave ourselves u\) to its voluptuous- 

 ness. 



'■And I wrapped me about in the sunlight, 



On the marge of a dimpling stream, 

 And there in a tangle of lilies 



I wove me a wonderful dream; 

 And a song from my dreamland went floating 



Far up where the angels must be, 

 But deep in its under vibrations 



I heai'd the sweet song of the sea." 



It was indeed slow progress over that rimpling lake, 



for nothing but zephyr breezes and the warm glow of the 

 Sim prevailed. When about half way across it became so 

 rmpleasantly warm that we began to think of the scorch 

 and the stujjor of tropic lands, and courted the shady side 

 of the flapping canvas. It was next to a calm, and anthe 

 dUapidated old rag could not straighten in such a wind 

 an additional man was put to the oars and then we made 

 better time. 



After about two hours and a half of hard work with 

 the polished blades we were over our Hellespont, and then 

 ran along a stern and dismal-looking shore of lofty 

 crags, narrow breaches, overhanging crests and crumbling 

 rocks, the vvliole resii'inbling the frowning front of a dis- 

 mantled fortress, with towei-s and turrets, bastions and 

 lamparts, archways and buttresses in one mingled mass 

 ■of shattered nuns, over which grew hchens, mosses and 

 ferns, with here and there a tiny wild flower springing 

 into the warm rays of the sim from her slender store- 

 house of sod, the crevice. Here, if you have an eye for 

 •color, you see long lines of gray and green and purple, 

 which the sparkhng glow of the sun's glistening silver so 

 richly enhanced; infrequently they thicken below and 

 )}reak above in flashes of delicate amber iipon the edges o£ 



these massive and ragged walls that have for ages battled 

 with turbulent seas, crushing ice and destructive frosts. 

 Over all this the majesty of the clouds is incessant; some- 

 times they are of terror and boding storm, and again of 

 magnificent sweep and etherial beauty. They were now 

 in their glory and trooped the sky like bands of happy 

 lovers, and their shadows foUowed them over the moun- 

 tain top and through ravines, darkening the landscape for 

 a moment till sunshine could again conquer the scene, 

 and then repeating the beautiful movement above and 

 below till they had faded away like the brilliant impres- 

 sions of a dream. The soft, balmy feeling in the atmos- 

 phere corresponded with the tenderness of the green foli- 

 age, o'er which the sunshine danced in imx)ish play. 

 Anon, as we quietly moved along these ragged walls of 

 grandeur were greeted with rippling rills running o'er the 

 ifaces of these scarred and weather-stained rocks, that 

 dropped into the lake with the most soothing of lullaby 

 notes. 



Peter, who was always prompt in dining, now flashed 

 his silver timepiece upon us, and then imparted the 

 cheerfid information tliat it was precisely 12 o'clock, 

 and at once began looking around for some little cove, 

 with a beach that would permit of landing and serving 

 the meal. After going about half a mile, we foimd a lot 

 of tumble-down granite promiscuously scattered at the 

 foot of a cliff, which gave us the room desired, and so we 

 landed, and the work for pleasing tlie appetite commenced. 

 Ned, who had a weakness for hot cakes and maple sj'rup, 

 one of our standard breakfast dishes, insisted that they be 

 served, despite the horrors of imities or the terrors that 

 ndght overcome our chef. We had them and plenty of 

 them, and hugely enjoyed them without even as much as 

 a tremor reminding us of the inversion of culinary order. 

 Not only that, but Louis Miron, one of Ned's old boatmen, 

 who was passing by us in a Mackinac, was called ashore 

 and invited to the feast of hot cakes and syrup, which he 

 and his helper dined on tdl they were filled to repletion. 

 Ned and he, after the repast, got down to the relation of 

 trout tales, while I hugged the shady side of a high cliff 

 a few feet away, and listened to the romances, edging a 

 word in now and then merely as an interrogation. Miron, 

 during the pow-wow, stated that a couple of anglers 

 stopped over night, a few days ago, at the mouth of the 

 Montreal River and caught the next morning at the first 

 rapids about half a mile up a dozen fine brook trout, a 

 place where you rarely get one, and where anglers seldom 

 fisli. The river for many years has yielded no satisfactory 

 retiu'us, and I simply make the statement above as an 

 exemplification of trout turning up in unexpected places, 

 and that it is always best to practically illustrate before 

 passing judgment or passing by a stream in bad repute 

 with anglers. Miron was off long before us, and as the 

 rising breeze was just beginning to vibrate the foliage, he 

 caught it with his broad and clean white sail, and slipped 

 over the gentle ripples with a velvet smoothness to the 

 accompaniment of a tinkling symphony as pleasing as the 

 music of the wandering brook that comes from "haunts 

 of coot and hern." 



As we intended fishing along the shore this side of Gros 

 Cap, 1 put my rod together and prepared for the pleasant 

 pastime, but counted no trout in advance, though I assure 

 you my heart was full of ardent hope. 



About 2 o'clock we left the Uttle rocky cove, with a 

 slight breeze that seemed to shake out the fragrance of 

 the forest. It was fully a mile ahead before we would 

 reach the waters that we expected woifld yield us a few 

 of the handsome victims, and as the boys were indift'erent 

 about hoisting the makeshift, they pulled quite lazily and 

 carelessly, giving us a "fihe' opportunity to feast our eyes 

 upon the beetling cliffs and the huge rocks at the base, 

 many of which seemed to have human forms, and one 

 might imagine them great giants rising from the shore to 

 beckon you on to sweet repose or painful wakefulness. 

 We gave ourselves entirely up to the fancies that were 

 awakened, and felt as if we w^ere floating on the Vesuvian 

 bay, the sport of the wind; the freedom of the lake match- 

 ing the freedom of the mountain outlook; the spirit as 

 light and glad as were the airy nothings in the sky that 

 gave it wing and made it tlieir confidant, "the whole 

 world moving to the rhythmical harmony that was borne 

 inttj the sUence of the soul as the message of Nature to 

 man." 



Around some towermg and frowning crags just ahead, 

 which stood out in rocky raggedness, were the waters in 

 which we must display our skill to secure the quarry. At 

 once I took position at the bow, the post assigned to me, 

 and there I worked myself up to great expectations. Ned, 

 who, of course, remained in the stern, was also in fervent 

 glovr and doubtless counting his catch in the prospective. 

 Arriving at the flinty point we at last swung by it, and 

 then my flies were sent in search of S. fontinalis. Nothing 

 came of the fii'st dropping of tlie feathers, nor of the 

 second and the third, and not till full ten minutes after 

 the maiden cast did I receive a rise, and then, much to 

 my disappointment, missed it. Once more the artistic 

 lures, went out on a captivatmg mission, and this time a 

 tigerish trout was impaled as a fast companion of the 

 "royal coachman," and not liking the over-ardent com- 

 pany, made a terrible struggle for a separation Avith the 

 courage of a true knight errant. His strength and strategy 

 availed naught, and then he was carefully given over to 

 the artistic mercies of the guardian of the net, who laid 

 him tenderly away on the shad}^ side of the boat. He 

 was not above a pound and a half in weight, but such a 

 ravishing beauty that he must have idled many hours 

 under the gorgeous sunsets, for he had undoubtedly stolen 

 the lustre of tiieir hues. Ned was at it, shovel and tongs, 

 with his rod and flies, but they fell to no purpose, as it 

 was evident tlie census of this place was only coimted in 

 units. A'onder, where the sliadow of a passing cloud 

 shows the scarred side of a declivitous rock, must assuredly 

 repose some Apollo Belvidere of the icy deep. We reach 

 it in a moment or two, and Ned, in expectancy, lets his 

 flies fail gently upon the surface, and then there is a sdvery 

 gleam, a violent splash, and a wolfish snap, and another 

 dandy, inlaid with opal and violet and dashes of orange 

 and amethyst, is singing his death-song with a bravery so 

 characteristic of this noble tribe. The victorious angler, 

 glowing with the excitement of the strife, renewed his 

 vigilance with an industry that kept his flies falling hke 

 snowflakes upon the long dark lines. It was in vain, 

 however, for these studded, striated and veined kziights 

 of the reef were either surprisingly limited in the waters 

 that should teem with them, or were not seeking to toy 

 with SLU'face illusions. 



Reaching a ledge of rocks touched with a grace that 



softened the impression of age and subHmity, that we 

 fondly hoped would give us some diversion, were, sad to 

 relate, disappointed, as the flies fell fruitlessly. It is 

 advance again, and 1:his time we strike a recessed crag, 

 so green, scraggy and saA^age, and Avithin so damp and 

 o'ergrown with moss, that you would think the sunlight 

 never played upon the stdlen and ragged frontispiece, 

 which awe sufficiently to overshadoAV all sense of pleasure 

 that one so earnestly desires in scenery where so oft he 

 Itugers. Down into the deep trans^lucent Avaters are ante- 

 chambers so spacious that you feel assured some shapely 

 beauties of the golden garter abide therein, and that the 

 fall of a dainty tid-bit upon the dome of their dAvelling 

 would arouse to a sense of investigation. Thus impressed 

 we showered the tempting feathers and tinsel bright 

 upon this fascinating formation Avith fervent hope in 

 every cast, nntil we had about run through our entire 

 catalogue of artistic lures. "There," said Ned, pointing 

 Avith*iis index finger, "is eAddence of a sparse settlement, 

 if not complete desertion." FoUowing the direction of 

 his significant finger, I saw two or three crawfish moving 

 along the surface of a honey-combed rock. This bold 

 and open display of these crustaceous crawlers satisfied 

 me that the game was further away, and, per order, the 

 music of the dropping blades was once more heard. 



We try a moimtain wall just ahead, rooted, massive 

 and majestic, that could tell the thrilling story of a thou- 

 sand stormy winters, and which seemed to say to the 

 Prince of the powers of the air, as Shelley makes thd 

 Titan demi-god say to Jupiter — 



"Let alternate frost and fire 

 Eat into me, and be thine ire 

 Lightning, and cutting hail, and legioned forms 

 Of furies, driving by upon the wounding storms." 



No one answers here to the pull of the string, and con- 

 cluding all absent in the palatial subway, we still press on 

 and reach a Ioav range of hills SAvelling with the verdure 

 of the forest, and every curve of grace suggesting fairies 

 and frolicsome fays, and yet no fontinalis Avotdd break 

 through the sapphired deep to even glance at the fascinat- 

 ing flies so richly and deftly wrought: 



"Alasl alas: no music of the silver spool, 

 No tinted trout with lures to fool." 



A caressing wind, manifesting an increasing desire, 

 carries us at random beyond these iUusive haunts, until 

 Ave come to a chevaux de frise of charred timber and 

 gigantic ramparts of rock in golden and silver light, and 

 once more strive to snatch a prize of beauty from this 

 wild solitude of grand fascination. It proves a dismal 

 faflure, and then on reaching an opening where rich 

 opaline tints are flashing and birds filling the air witli 

 sweetness, the lures again court the Avaters, and still no 

 scarlet Hebe arises to gladden us with emotions of delight. 

 We now begin to feel as if the rainbow of promise is de- 

 parting, and that all these magnificent homes in the deep 

 are a mere ignus fahms to the knight of the rod. Gros 

 Cap was just ahead, draped in a gorgeous tunic "whose 

 warp seemed to be aerial sapphire o'ershot with threads 

 of gold," and 



"Standing alone twixt the earth and the heavens." 



Here was our last chance, and if that failed we would 

 indeed be in the very abyss of despair, and doubtless 

 sound a retreat that Avordd SAveep us on to the raging 

 rapids below where solitude is unknown. The little island 

 shows a frowning front where many a mottled warrior 

 has fallen to the skill of the angler, and long before Ave 

 reach its seductive lairs Avhich lie all around it, our flies 

 are covering every inch of water in hopes of finding some 

 of the golden and scarlet-draped in their sportive revels. 

 The ambitious desire went not amiss, for I caught one 

 spangled knight and lost a black fly on another and a 

 weighty saA^age that must have been a redoutable athlete 

 in his race, for he took not only the fly, but part of the 

 leader, without the least particle of mannerism. It was 

 simply a vicious snap, a sudden jerk, and that was the 

 end, quick and decisiA^e. The fly was replaced and the 

 work of alluring commenced afresh, but only one more 

 feeble rise Avas the result after a half hour's hard and 

 earnest work. 



The breeze had noAA^ risen .sufficiently to make luxurious 

 sailing, and as Ned suggested it AA^as best to take a wind 

 Avhen you have it, it meant home and a termination of 

 the delightful trip. I acquiesced, and then that old 

 checkerboard of a sail Avas hoisted for the last time and 

 Ave were off for the "Soo" with the sun sinking AvestvA'ard 

 lower and lower, till it glowed in a globe of flame, from 

 the edge of Avhich the perfume of the invigorating balsam 

 saluted our senses with hill after hill of green A^erdure 

 arising before you strike the river and the low ridges. 

 Like the tOAver of a stronghold the lighthouse now greets 

 you, soon the sense of loneliness dei^arts, the rosy lights 

 disappear, shadows fall around, and ere the entire drapery 

 of night is drawn Ave are at the "Soo" with only the 

 bright recollection of hapf)}^ days spent in the pursuit of 

 the gamiest flsh, whose ravishing charms of graceful 

 symmetry and matchless beauty haA^e been the theme of 

 poet and painter in every land where the gentle art is ac- 

 knoAvledged as the contemplative man's recreation. 



Cincinnati, OhiO; Alex. StareUCK. 



Black Bass at Clayton. 



Clayton, N. June 9. — The black bass fishing is fair 

 at present. The bass have not yet coiiie up on the rocks, 

 but are still on the "white bottoms" and in the Aveeds. 

 The season Is about ten days to two weeks late. Nothing- 

 can be done with flies at present, but there is promise that 

 the fly-fishing \vi\i be good in a couple of Aveeks. We 

 were so fortunate as to secm-e the services of a most cap- 

 ital guide (said to be the best here), Stephen Layere. He 

 is an exceUent boatman and good cook; knows all the ' 

 best spots and is untuing in his efforts to find the fish. As 

 a natural restflt our boat has been the most uniformly 

 successful of any; and on five evenings out of the last ten 

 days we found on returning home that we haA^e brought 

 in not only the most fish, but the heaviest as well. On 

 one occasion Ave had eight Aveighing 201bs. , and on an- 

 other twenty weighing 401bs. During the last ten days 

 our best catches have been 38, 33, 31, 28, 20; total for the 

 ten days 214, for the three rods. The largest fish caught 

 Avas a 4-pounder, but several 3f , 21 and 3-pounders have 

 been secured. Any fisherman or Avoman who would not 

 be comfortable at this house (the Hubbard) Avould be 

 hard to suit. Everything is done for one's comfort, and 

 the table is excellent, I trust the above details will be 

 interesting to you, William Bunkjek. 



