SALMON FISHING IN EASTERN CANADA. 
95 
open air, including a stray bat or two, and then the door is closed and 
you are able to re-enter a room fairly clear of insects but smoky. 
There are practically no dangerous reptiles in these parts, and with 
due care one need not be unduly worried by the flies. 
I feel that I have already devoted far too much space to the subject 
I have dealt with, so do not therefore propose to do more than give a 
a few of my own experiences during my recent trip to the Bonaventure. 
We were a very jolly party of 4 (2 naval and 2 military officers), 
and we divided the entire fishery into two parts, the upper and lower, 
two going to the upper camp on Monday morning and returning on 
Wednesday; the other two taking their turn at the upper camp 
Thursday to Saturday afternoon. Then we always had a reunion at 
the lower camp, which were the head-quarters, every Wednesday 
evening and Saturday evening and the whole of Sunday. 
The usual routine is to get up between 6 and 7 ; bathe in the river 
(which is icy cold and does not encourage one to linger longer than is 
absolutely necessary), then breakfast and start off each in his own 
canoe about 8.30. 
Each half of the river was further subdivided into upper and lower 
pools which were fished alternately, lots being drawn to settle who 
had the lower water on the first day. 
It often happened that owing to a fresh run of fish, to heavy rain or 
other causes, one pool became much better than another so that the 
only means of giving each a fair chance was by lot. At about 12 to 1 
you generally land for lunch and give the men nearly an hour to cook 
and digest their frugal meal. As we started at 8.30 and did not get 
home often till after 7, we could well afford this brief rest during the 
day, and were thankful for it. Constant casting with a heavy rod, 
often with a strong wind, becomes a bit monotonous, unless the sport 
is fast and furious, which I am bound to say it frequently is. 
After a long day of this kind, one greatly enjoys the unconventional 
dinner with one’s mate at about eight o’clock, when we fight over again 
the battles of the day and generally write up the camp journal and fill 
in the record of the day’s work. The camp journal is always more or 
less interesting and amusing, and does not leave the hut, so that a ready 
comparison of sport in different years can always be made. 
The best days’ sport I had, was on one day when I got 3 fish out of 
one very rapid pool (the river was high). The first I got was 20 lb. 
After a run he took up a position in mid-stream and nothing I could do 
would move him for long; he always came back to this place. The 
stream was very strong ; I had an 18 foot rod bent to the utmost extent 
that I dared without breaking the triple gut cast, and there he kept me 
for an hour and a half. I was standing on the bank, I heaved rocks at 
him without success and at last, at the risk of disturbing the pool and 
contrary to the advice of my Indian, I got into the canoe and went in 
pursuit. He at once swerved and rushed for the rapid water, where I 
followed. The men managed the canoe splendidly and I was obliged to 
sit in the bottom and was kept spinning round and round like a tee- 
Porsonal 
reminia- 
canoes 
of sport, etc. 
