88 
SALMON PISHING IN EASTERN CANADA. 
Lines 
Casts 
Flies 
Sea Trout 
save the fish a good deal, as often the fish may have to be kept some 
time (in the ice house or in the river) before sending away and the 
gaff: hole is bound to be a weak spot. However, some of the 
canoes would find it rather awkward to take a large net, unless it was 
made on some collapsible principle. 
As regards lines, you should have two good large winches to- suit 
your rods, and interchangeable and a fairly heavy waterproof line (not 
sticky) to suit bright water on each. One hundred yards is sufficient, 
but it would be no harm to have another 30 yards of a much thinner 
line whipped on at the inside end 1 . 
The casting lines should be really good and of selected single gut, 
about three yards long. Twisted or double gut does not answer. 
It is practically useless to take trolling tackle for the east of Canada, 
as the fish do not seem to care for the minnow. 
Flies. Though there are certain flies which seem to do better in 
these rivers than any others, still it is as well to take any that you 
have. Flies on double hooks seem to be preferred, but I question 
whether a man who had only double hooks would do any better than 
one with only single hooks, other conditions being equal. 
The best flies in question are (1) the f Jock Scott '; (2) the f Black 
Dose'; (3) the f Black Fairy'; (4) the f Silver Doctor'; (5) the 
( Dusty Miller.' The f Butcher,' f Thunder and Lightning,' f Claret 
Jay,' may all be tried as a change, but it is a bad look out if you cannot 
get a fish to rise to the first four I have mentioned. 
The size, of course, depends on the water, but I believe in small flies 
and as a general rule a fly of about an inch and an eighth would be 
quite large enough. A tin cast box with some felt kept damp in it is 
useful. The sun is very hot and it is a bad plan to wind the cast on 
the butt as is sometimes done. They should be kept damp. 
Most of the rivers are full of sea trout, which run up to a good size. 
In my river I know of oue taken, which weighed 5J lb. I got one of 
3| lbs. They take in the more rapid parts of the river, and though 
very welcome when cooked, are sometimes not welcomed when larger 
game is one's aim. 
Practically they will take any fly. I carried a trout landing net for 
the purpose of getting them into the canoe, as otherwise they have to 
be pulled in and often fall off. "When taking freely they will pull a 
good salmon fly to pieces in a very short while. A very common size 
to take these trout is 2 lb. and for anyone who would give up a days' 
salmon fishing, a grand days' sport might be got with a light trout rod. 
But it is more than can be expected from frail human nature that any¬ 
one could give up his chance of a salmon, so long as there is a chance. 
1 Always run out tlie wet part of your line directly you get home, to dry it. It is the only way 
to preserve it. One of our party lost a fine fish on his first day, almost directly he got started, by 
having a rotten line, which he had borrowed and had not tested and had the mortification of seeing 
the fish (the first he had ever hooked) go off with a brand new casting line and fly worth, probably, 
six or seven shillings altogether and a quantity of his wheel line with it { 
