86 
SALMON FISHING IN EASTERN CANADA. 
Rivers of 
Canada. 
Rivers 
emptying in¬ 
to the 
Western 
Coast. 
Salmon 
eanning in 
West. 
Runs of 
salmon on 
W. rivers. 
The rivers of Canada, both in the east and west, teem with salmon, 
but there is a very great difference in the nature of the fish, and in 
the means to be adopted for catching them. 
In this article, I propose only to consider the rivers which flow into 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but a few preliminary words on the western 
rivers may not come amiss. 
The salmon in the Fraser river and in the rivers which drain into 
the Pacific, though in extraordinary numbers, will not rise to the fly. 
They can, I believe, be obtained by trolling with a spoon or minnow. 
The Canadian Pacific Railway runs for miles alongside of the 
magnificent Fraser river, and it is a common sight to see the Indians 
seated on the rocks overhanging a small waterfall, scooping the salmon 
out in large landing nets as they are congregated for the purpose of 
ascending the fall and for pushing on after the manner of salmon as 
high up the river as they can get to their spawning ground. They go 
thus hundreds of miles up the river, their numbers being gradually 
thinned out as they proceed, but nevertheless leaving a sufficient 
number to breed a countless swarm of offspring to repeat the operation 
in succeedingyears. 
The salmon canning trade in the N.W. is one of the most important 
of the Canadian industries, there being 17 canneries on the Fraser 
river alone. In the year 1893 (which was not considered a good one), 
the revenue from some 315,000 cases of canned salmon amounted to 
nearly £500,000. There are three chief “ runs ” of salmon up these 
rivers in the season, 
(1). The “ Tyhee” or spring salmon, which is the best and most like 
a Scotch salmon; they run between November and March and go to an 
immense size. 
(2) . The “Sock-eye,” darker in flesh, but not running up to much 
over 14 lb. weight. They come up in July and August as a rule and 
in enormous numbers and constitute the main bulk of the canned 
salmon which one finds. 
(3) . The Cohoe,” which runs in autumn and is much the same 
in quality as the above. But what little experience I have had in 
partaking of these salmon on the spot, leads me to consider them far 
inferior to the fish one gets at home, or in the East of Canada. 
It is quite a common thing at Victoria and Vancouver to see people 
out in boats just in the tidal water “harling” for salmon with a rod 
and spoon bait, or with a line held in the hand. 
This sport is, however, very inferior to that which can be obtained 
on the East of Canada and of which I am now going to speak. 
•• ersinEast The sa ^ mou r i vers i n this part of the country are too numerous to 
1 Canada, mention ; all nearly are good, though all are liable to have their bad 
(see map). seasongt j s a curious thing that one river may be bad in one 
particular season, whilst its next door neighbour seems as good as 
ever. 
The principal salmon rivers are rented, often at very high figures and 
many of them by clubs of American gentlemen who, being endowed 
