May 9, 1896.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
879 
ON THE METAPEDIA. 
Second Day. 
Up at 5 o'clock of a lovely warm morning. The pool 
here looks well. There is a long heavy rapid well broken 
by rooks at its bead and another rapid divides it from a 
pool called Jim's Pool at the lower end. The water where 
the rapid enters is about 10ft., very gradually shoaling for 
50 or 60yd8. At low water fish lie at the upper end of 
nearly all pools. If the water is high to fair fish fancy 
the lower end. If the water is very high it is of no use to 
look in the pools so called for fish. They then take their 
rest when they do rest in some slack water spot behind a 
point or eddy. Aa breakfast was named for 8 A. M. I 
thought I would try the pool for an hour. I did bo very 
faithfully, with no result except a rascal of a 21b. trout. 
I had poled to the landing where I started from. At the 
far side a huge rock stood above the water, having a cur- 
rent betwixt it and shore. I turned to go ashore when I 
heard a break over at the rock. Having plenty of time I 
laid out for another trout, and slipping on a good-sized 
Nicholson fly (to save my others) anchored a few yards 
above the rock. I tried casting from both sides, drawing 
the fly into the eddy, always a good place for a trout, but 
could get no rise. Becoming careless I threw into the 
eddy to clear it; I switched the fly into the outside cur- 
rent. It had scarcely struck the water when a grilse 
sprang clear out after it, a nice one, plump 51lbs. , the 
heaviest I ever took or even saw in the Restigouche. I 
soon had him ashore and took him to the house in time to 
try his edible qualities for breakfast. I then started down 
stream for the Jimmy pool. This pool is some 200yds. 
long, a heavy rapid coming into it, with a* quarter mile of 
rapid below it. At its upper end stands a heavy high 
ledge running half way across the stream. Around this 
ledge the river runs moderately easy and forms the fish 
lay at low water; at higher water the fish lie altogether 
at its lower end. To know just where the fish lie at dif- 
ferent stages of water can only be gained by practical ex- 
perience. If you know it, it saves the angler many hours' 
weary casting. 
I dropped anchor well to one Bide, 60ft. above the rock. 
I had just got some 40ft. of line out when a smolt took 
the hook. I tried to shake the fish off, but did not suc- 
ceed. I took the line in my hand, putting my rod in its 
socket, drawing the little fellow rapidly toward me. 
"When within 5ft. a trout struck him viciously, coming at 
the little fellow on top of the water. At once I quit 
drawing line, let the big fellow gobble him and turn 
down with his prize. Not for long though; my turn 
came, and when I snubbed him I found he was fast. 
Now this trout was more trouble than enough. I did 
not want to play him in the salmon lay; I did not want 
to go to shore; I had no landing net, and did not want 
to lose him. As the water was only some 4ft. deep at my 
anchorage, and a bath would not injure me, I stepped 
out, drew him as close as possible to the shore, taking 
him off down stream out of the salmon lay, gave him a 
few minutes' butt, and drew him out, He was a fine fel- 
low, plump 3 Hbs., and had the little salmon smolt nearly 
out of sight. He was a male well advanced, large, black 
head, vermilion red fins, well developed milt, three- 
quarters grown. I again got into my canoe and tried 
hard for a rise, but did not succeed. 
The next pool, a quarter mile below me, was called 
Three Islands. This famous pool, at the lower end of 
the small islands from which it derives its name, is 
formed by a very short turn of the river, a heavy rapid 
J running into it at right angles, striking the opposite 
rocky bank and causing a strong series of eddies to run 
back on the other side, along which is a fine gravel 
beach. The pool is short, probably not over 100yds. , 25ft. 
deep at its upper end, gradually shoaling to 8 and 10ft. at 
its lower end, falling into a fine smooth rapid and which 
continues more or leBs rapid and shoal for a mile. An 
angler not acquainted with the fish lay would suppose 
the upper end of this pool should help his Bcore; but not 
much, unlesB it is trout he is after. Something is wrong. 
You must take the lower end at any Btage of water, and 
just where the lower rapid begins to draw off the dead 
water of the pool, often well down in the quick water. 
It was now getting late in the day, but the weather had 
changed and a nice cold northwest wind was blowing, 
with passing clouds. I took one side of the pool, easily 
casting to its center. After one drop down a fish came 
well, but did not touch. As the fly was gradually swim- 
ming around in the current I had hopes of him following, 
and just as the line straightened he again came at the 
small dose and made no mistake; after a few seconds' hesi- 
tation he started for down stream, and before I had my 
rod in place and anchor up he must have had 100yds. of 
line and was still going, and it gave me all I could do to 
paddle the canoe fast enough to keep up with him. 
He kept this gait up for a full half mile. I was sure 
he was foul hooked, but he was solid in the tongue. At 
last he called a halt in the eddy of a rock, and here got 
some slack line on me in spite of all I could do with so 
much line out. The barrel of the reel took it in slowly. 
I shall have one with a much larger diameter another 
year. I was now below the fish, and as the current was 
very strong dare not give him the weight of the canoe, 
therefore had to drop anchor, with its cable in one hand 
and the other on the reel handle, giving him all the butt 
possible. He soon found the pressure was too much for 
him, took partly across the river and down again. I up 
anchor, letting the canoe go with the current, and soon 
found he was getting spasmodic, with a little turn up and 
a little run down, having the weight of the canoe to hold 
nearly all the time. Finally I found he would lead, and 
on a dry beach a few hundred yardB below me I landed 
him high and dry, totally played out. He was a nice 
male of 231bs., a little off color, in good condition. 
I was now a mile below ttie pool and where I had left 
my tent and that indispensable kettle. However, I soon 
got there and had the tent up while the kettle was boil- 
ing, and I had cold lunch and hot tea, promising myself 
head and shoulders of something for dinner. I went 
down to the pool on the opposite side without much hopes, 
and anchoring I was overlooking line, leader and fly, 
when a fish rose within 30ft. of me, at a point of rock 
directly below. I said, "Ha, that looks well, we must try 
to get more closely acquainted." I was considering as to 
the utility of a fresh fly when another fish showed him- 
self directly opposite, nearly in the center of the river. I 
postponed the new fly and went for the first fish that rose. 
After a cast or two I reached his lay, but could not get a 
move out of him. After a few casts I concluded to change 
the fly. I just thought, well, I'll offer it for once to the 
outside chap, lengthening out a few yards so I was sure 
to reach. I almost think the fish had it before it fairly 
touched the water. It is not often the anglef has this 
satisfaction. When he does, I think the fish must be near 
the surface. I was once casting a long line for a re-rise 
on a fish which had showed; on the back cast my fly 
touched the water; I could feel it do so just as I made the 
forward motion, when behold the tip broke, and the line 
came about my ears without leader or fly. Three or four 
seconds after a salmon came out of the water with a big 
plunge, and my man declared he saw the leader hanging 
from his mouth. No doubt my hook went home that 
time. 
The fish which struck laid quiet for a little. This 
takes place often if the line is not held too hard ; I do not 
think the fish realizes there is anything wrong until the 
pressure takes place, although it may be quite close to 
shore. Not knowing how the fish would act, I dare not 
leave the canoe. Finally I had to put on the screws, and 
off he went away up the pool. I was glad of this, for if 
I could once get him into the eddies he would soon give 
up. . When halfway up, the length of line beginning to 
tell, he came out of water handsomely. I was now pad- 
dling after him, he taking the line as he wanted, until he 
got up to the strong water at the head. I now went 
ashore on the smooth beach, he hung in that Btrong water 
for a few minutes, took a turn down, and before he ran 
50yds. struck one of the eddies, and running up that de- 
cided his fate. In five minutes more he was ashore. 
This was also a 141b. male fish, a little dark, probably a 
month in the river. 
I was now in a quandary whether I should again try for 
the fish that had risen or go to the pool above, where I 
had killed the trout. I was sure there were salmon there. 
Finally up I went. This is an easy pool to kill in, with 
nice, easy current. When fish lie at the top they are sure 
to run down, and up when they lie at the lower end. It 
is about 60yds. wide and 200 long, and fish lie in one spot 
30 or 40ft. in length. I left my canoe below the fish lay, 
casting upward, so if I could hook a fish from shore I 
could lead him down without danger of ruffing the pool. 
Before I got halfway up the fish lay a fish quietly took 
the hook under water. I at once put on strong pressure; 
he followed me down quite a bit, and I almost thought it 
could not be a salmon; but he soon rebelled, going off 
across the river. Halfway over he came out to see what 
was wrong; took another few yards of line, and again 
came out, coming right back to where I stood, the deep- 
est water being on my side, and again was out of water 
not 15ft. away. Those runs and leaps having started his 
wind, I saw he was not large, so dealt with him accord- 
ingly, giving him butt for all the leader was worth; and 
it was good for 151bs., while a 3lb. pull would double up 
my 14ft. rod. In less than ten minutes of a mean give- 
and-take fight I drew the fish into a little bay on the 
shore having some Sin. of water. This was only a 12lb. 
female, but a bright, clean-run fish. 
I now crossed to the opposite side, going up to the rock 
at its upper end, around which a good current ran, form- 
ing quite an eddy. Touching my canoe on the rock to be 
handy if needed, I stepped out and commenced casting, 
putting on a new doBe. I threw well above me, short at 
first and lengthening out. I had got some 45ft. of line 
out without a sign when a fish rose just as the fly touched 
the edge of the eddy; but it did not touch the fly. I 
imagined the fish had followed the fly around until it 
straightened out. I tried for him several times, but it was 
no go. I then put on a small fairy. No better. I next 
tried a Jock- Scott with the same result. It was now sun- 
down and I wanted that fish; I lit my pipe and consid- 
ered. I made two choices, the doBe he had risen to or the 
doctor, so I reserved the dose for the last, putting on the 
physician. On reaching the same spot he rose before the 
fly came quite to the edge of the eddy, and went to bot- 
tom at once. Not knowing his intentions, I stood pre- 
pared to follow if possible, unless he ran through the 
heavy rapid just above; even then I would have done my 
best to follow. At once up he came, the line hissing 
through the rapid water running around the rock on 
which I stood, "and going some 30yds. up to where the 
white water was tumbling over the rocks, when out he 
came his whole length and turned completely over. I 
breathed more freely when I found I still had the fish. 
He then tried for bottom, a pretty dangerous trick in the 
rocky bottom, where he now was. About a minute suf- 
ficed for him; he could not stand the pressure nor face the 
music. Down he came, passing me with a rush and with 
slack line. I sprang for my canoe and dropped my rod 
in its place with the reel, singing "Haste to the Wed- 
ding." I did haste with the paddle, easing the reel some. 
Nearly halfway down the pool up he came again with 
a plash, and then went to bottom. I recovered line as 
fast as the canoe came down on him and passed him, in- 
stantly giving him the butt. Instead of going upstream, 
which 1 fully expected, he passed me like a flash within 
6ft. down and away. There was no remedy; I could not 
check him without risk, so I had again to paddle. He 
now made a long run to quite the lower end of the pool, 
sulking again behind a very large boulder, a f avof ite spot 
at a good stage of water, the location of which no doubt 
he knew. I was soon there, pursuing the same tactics and 
trying my best to force him upstream, but he wouldn't. 
He was bound for the sea or the lower pool, nearly a quar- 
ter of a mile, and all the way heavy rapid, but not very 
shoal. I now fully expected to lose that fish. I confess 
I would have given a V for a good canoeman for fifteen 
minutes. I knew the fish could not run the distance 
without stopping, and he did stop three times, keeping in 
the center of the river while I was closer to the bank. 
When he went, so did I, holding the canoe by the pole; 
when he turned up for a moment to get his wind I waited 
until he took another run. At last we reached the pool, 
and whether he was tired of the rapids or from what 
cause I don't know, but I tightened up on him in the eddy, 
out of which I would not let him go. We must have 
been fighting and running for at least fifteen minutes and 
it took ten more before I got the gaff in him. I dreaded 
his siza to draw him out and would take no riBk, particu- 
larly as it was now very dusky. This fish was a female 
with ova half ripe and weighed 29ilbs. I can assure you 
I did not feel like trying the white fly to-night. The edge 
had gone off the rod and settled in my stomach. I got 
the head and shoulders from my 12lb. fish and into the 
frying pan as soon as possible. Didn't I enjoy that meal? 
and when I lit my pipe I felt equal to forgiving my worst 
enemy. 
Next morning I was up ahead of old Sol, just a little 
stiff, but it wore off after a drop out of the kettle. This 
was my last day on the river. The morning was fine, 
with wind still westerly. As I had some three more 
pools on my Way down, I concluded to try for 
the fish I knew lay here, and did not much care to 
pole up the heavy water to the upper pool. About 8 
in the morning I rolled up my blanket, dropping down 
to my former station. Having on the dose, I tried my 
best, but in vain; could not get a sign. Moving a couple 
of canoe lengths further down, my luck was no better; 
again moving down, the current being now very strong, 
it was no better. I decided to go on down. Looking 
over my goods, I found I had missed putting the gaff 
aboard where I had used it the night previous. Going 
back and obtaining it, on turning round I saw the 
back of a fish just where I had anchored my canoe when 
I began fishing. I at once saw I had been too low down 
for that fish. I now anchored opposite, about 50ft. from 
where I saw the break, and ran out the line,- casting down 
stream when I had length to reach him. It went gently 
over his lair; it seemed hardly to touch the water when 
he had it solid, showing half his body with the rise. 
A. way he went down stream through the rapid, getting 
into the shoaler bouldery rapid, following the deepest 
water he could find, heading up to get his wind, thus 
getting Borne slack at times, at other times more butt than 
was prudent, when all at once the strain went of and 
the hook came home with the point gone. I judged the 
hook may have struck the jawbone, or it may have been 
faulty. 
Well, I did not cry over it; I never made a practice of 
doing that; but paddled down to McKeil's Pool, put on 
another, and went at it. This pool is very wide and of 
fair length. The water was too low for it. I did not raise 
a salmon, but got a nice 41bs. grilse. Trout and smolt 
were both very troublesome in it. Fished an hour, then 
ran down three miles to the Prentice Pool. In quite a 
short time, with only one drop, I struck a nice fish. The 
river here is at least 70yds. wide, and of good depth and 
bottom. I got him so close I had to get up anchor for 
fear of fouling. I had this fish so close before I got to 
shore that I might have gaffed him, but'if I lost him he 
would not count. I never did gaff one when alone in a 
canoe. To hold and gaff both and no one to steady the 
canoe is quite a feat. 
It being now 11 A. M., with that kettle to boil and 
seventeen miles to reach home, I had to bid farewell to 
Salmo » iler until about May 24, 1896. As the wind was 
from tue west and my course was east, I stood up a sap- 
ling for a mast, my pole for a yard, and I was just four 
hours running that seventeen miles, having current for 
eleven and a falling tide for six miles. My total for the 
two and a half days was seven salmon, average 20£lbs. ; 
two grilse, and two large trout along with some smaller 
ones. I enjoyed this trip above any fishing I ever did — 
far ahead of the Patapedia Pool, where, in 1876, Mr. Cur- 
tis, of Boston, and myself killed and landed fifteen fish in 
four hours and a quarter; gaff 3d every fish from the canoe, 
and never lost or inissei one or broke a leader. If I never 
cast another fly, the memory of that august trip will for- 
ever remain with I, Mow at. 
Setaago Landlocked Salmon. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Kindly allow me to correct one of Special's items, in 
your issue of May 2, in regard to high line at Sebago 
Lake, etc. C. F. Jordan, of Portland, caught on Tuesday 
and Wednesday, April 21 and 22, seven fish weighing 
34lbs. Fortunately his last fish was the biggest, weighing 
9flbs., so that he did not violate the 251b. limit law in 
miking this fine catch. Billy Field also got four, one 
weighing 91bs., another 7ilbs. ; the writer took one weigh- 
ing 9ilb8. twenty-four hours after he was caught, and E. 
W. Rounds, of East Baldwin, Me., caught several fish, 
one weighing 6 Jibs, and another 5^-lbs., which he hooked 
in the side while trolling and had a circus with. I think 
these records will show that Mr. Woodbury being "high 
line" must have been confined to his own boat. Mr. East- 
man and Dr. Brock, both of Portland, beat the record 
quoted, fishing the 21st and 22d. 
The largest fish I have known of being caught so far was 
one weighing ll^lbs., taken by George Fitch, of East Se- 
bago; but probably the well-known Line Darnels has 
caught the largest number up to date. He has a camp on 
the shore of the lake, where he spends the summer. It 
would take up too much valuable space to mention all the 
good catches, so I will close. The Drummer. 
The Castalia Brown Trout Record. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The other day at the upper Castalia Club waters John 
Zollinger, of Sandusky, cook, on a No. 4 Parmachene Belle, 
a brown trout which showed a recorded weight of lOlbs. 
and 4oz. This is the heaviest fish ever taken from these 
waters, and after being exhibited in this city the monster 
was turned over to Mr. John W. Oswald, who has pre- 
served its proportions in a plaster cast. Dating from the 
introduction of the brown trout into Castalia waters this 
fish cannot be more than 7 years of age, and its size 
would indicate that it is fully capable of destroying twice 
its weight of brook trout every year. It is an open Be- 
cret that the Castalia people are very anxious to rid the 
Btream of these brutes and that they regard them as utter- 
ly unfit for brook trout waters. If the experience at 
Castalia is worth anything whatever as a guide, no man 
who has any regard for Salmo fontinalis will hazard his 
welfare by introducing this overgrown cannibal into 
brook trout streams. It is infinitely easier to get them in 
than to get them out again. Jay Beebe,, 
Toledo, O., May 2. 
Maine Ice. 
Indian Rock, Rangeley, April 30.— I heard a yellowleg 
for the first time this season to-day. Ice quite strong on 
the lakes. Plenty of snow in the woods. Deer begm to 
show themselves in the fields. C. T. Richardson. 
Adirondack's. 
Canton, N. Y., April 27.— Some of the Stillwater Club 
were up to camp last Saturday, but found snow and no 
fishing. R, 
