April 5, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
439 
pee, is well stocked with bears. I have seen 
innumerable fresh bear signs around the mouth 
of the Beaver and Susan rivers. 
To the sportsman looking for both angling 
and hunting, I would suggest as quite available 
and easily reached the Nascaupee and Crooked 
River region. The lower Crooked River is too 
swift to ascend with a canoe, but higher up it 
may be entered by a portage route from the 
Nascaupee. 
Turning into the bay which I have men¬ 
tioned on the north side and some five miles 
from the upper end of Grand Lake, the wide 
mouth of the Nascaupee will be discovered. 
Just above its mouth on the right hand bank 
is an unoccupied trapper’s cabin. Ascend the 
Nascaupee—which is a large river and cannot 
be mistaken—some twelve miles, to a point 
where a shallow river enters from the left. 
This is the Red River. A mile or so above the 
junction heavj^ rapids occur in the Nascaupee. 
Nearly opposite the Red River and on the 
east bank of the Nascaupee, is a small tilt, or 
cabin, used by trappers in the winter. A little 
way above this an Indian portage trail turns to 
the eastward, and over a high hill to a small 
lake. Here look out for caribou, for stragglers 
are certain to be encountered from this on. 
The trail continues eastward through a 
series of six or seven small lakes, and is gen- 
eralli' well defined. With one exception it will 
be found to leave the lakes nearly opposite the 
point where it enters. This exception is a long, 
narrow lake where it leaves about halfway down 
the lake and just before the second island is 
reached. 
This trail will presently lead you into the 
Crooked River. While small trout are plenti¬ 
ful in the lakes on the portage trail, here in the 
Crooked River the first really large trout are 
found. At the point where the trail enters it 
the river runs with a swift current, one rapid 
is ascended a little above, and a little way above 
the rapid a branch enters from the right. You 
are to keep to the left-hand branch, however, 
and quickly you find the river divided into two 
streams, with the left-hand stream pouring down 
over the rocks in a heavy rapid, or low fall. 
At the foot of this rapid lurk really big trout 
and ouananiche. I have caught beauties of both 
species here, the trout running up to six pounds 
—and there is no end to them—the ouananiche 
larger. 
No fly has ever been cast in this stream 
by any but myself and my party, when here in 
1905, and no other white men than ourselves 
have ever crossed the portage trail or seen the 
country contiguous to the Crooked River. 
Good angling continues as the river is as¬ 
cended. The portage around the rapids is to 
the left of the left-hand branch. A day or two 
up stream will carry you into Lake Nipisich, 
an entrancing sheet of water. I did no trolling 
on Lake Nipisich, but there is little doubt that 
it contains lake trout. It is well worth a visit. 
In all probability ducks and geese will be found 
here. 
No Labrador native except the Indian has 
ever s.een Lake Nipisich. With the assistance 
of good packers it should be reached in eight 
or ten days’ travel from Northwest River. By 
caching along the way necessary supplies for 
the return trip to the Nascaupee, and travel¬ 
ing light, even less time would be consumed. 
unless halts are made for the purpose of hunt¬ 
ing and fishing. 
Caribou are certain to be encountered be¬ 
tween the Nascaupee and Lake Nipisich. There 
is an excellent chance of meeting bear. No¬ 
where in the world is there better angling. 
Therefore I recommend this section to the 
sportsman. 
Another good caribou region, at same sea¬ 
sons, lies back of Davis Inlet, to the north¬ 
ward from Hamilton Inlet. The caribou are 
likely to be far back into the country, however, 
until near the close of steamer navigation, and 
I do not recommend the sportsman to go so 
far north unless he is prepared to remain during 
the winter. 
For Laborador trout use Nos. 8. 10 and 12 
hooks. No. 8 will be the size mainly used. I 
have had my luck with the duller hued flies, 
the brown-hackle, though in Labrador trout are 
not very particular. When conditions arc not 
good for fly-fishing use a siielled hook, a .22 
bullet or shot for sinker, and the belly fin of 
a trout for bait. They will invariably respond 
to this lure. 
Salmon begin running in the Sandwich Bay 
rivers about the first week in July, and are 
found in the neighborhood of Hamilton Inlet 
about the loth to isth of July. The salmon out¬ 
fit should contain a good assortment of flies, 
for salmon in these higher latitudes on the 
Labrador need much coaxing. 
The sportsman who goes to Labrador will 
be no novice, and will require little advice as 
to outfit, but let me make these suggestions: 
The outfit should be as light as possible, and 
contain neither luxuries nor superfluous clap¬ 
traps. Pork and flour can be purchased at the 
trading posts. Desiccated vegetables and 
evaporated fruits are preferable to canned 
goods, because lighter. A small folding sheet- 
iron tent stove will be well worth its trouble 
and weight. Balloon silk or other of the very 
light-weight waterproof tents will reduce effort 
on the portage. Tent should have ground cloth 
and be fitted with a front of mosquito netting 
or cheesecloth, as a protection against mos¬ 
quitoes or flies. 
Personal clothing should be substantial—■ 
medium-weight underwear, heavy woolen socks, 
moleskin trousers, gray flannel outer shirt (blue 
or very dark cloth seems to attract black flies),’ 
a heavy pontiac shirt to be used as a sweatet, 
felt hat. plenty of bandanna handkerchiefs, one 
pair of heavy, hob-nailed wading shots, or wad¬ 
ing sandals, two pairs of larigans or oil-tanned 
moccasins, and at the trading post purchase 
also a pair of native sealskin boots. It is well 
to be supplied with a suit of feather-weight oil 
skins. 
As protection against black flies and mos¬ 
quitoes carry a good stock of fly dope. Pur¬ 
chase from your outfitter a head net that will 
fit over your hat and set well down upon your 
shoulders, and is supplied with tie string to 
come under the armpit. Cut the fingers off 
an old pair of kid gloves at the second joint, 
and have sewn to the gloves loose armlets that 
will reach to the elbows. It is well to button 
the sleeves of your outer shirt over these. This 
glove and sleeve attachment is even more es¬ 
sential for protection and comfort than the 
head net. 
A light sleeping bag—as light as can be 
had—with a double lining of good woolen 
blankets, will make a comfortable and sufficient 
bed. 
You will have to take canoes with you. 
1 hey cannot be had in Labrador, and canoes 
are necessary in penetrating to caribou hunt¬ 
ing and trout fishing country. 
Native Indians cannot- be employed as 
guides. Neither can you depend upon employ¬ 
ing breeds or other natives in summer, willing 
to go beyond tidewater, or at most beyond the 
beginning of the first portage trail. It is for 
this reason I have detailed so carefully the 
portage route from the Nascaupee River to 
Lake Nipisich. Take your packers and canoe- 
men with you. 
Game laws do not extend to this part of 
Labrador, and there is no- restriction upon 
either hunting or fishing as to season or bag, 
and no license fee is charged. 
Labrador may be reached via rail to North 
Sydney. N. S., steamer to Port-aux-Basques. 
and rail to St. Johns, where connection is made 
with the fortnightly mail steamer. Or, you may 
go by steamer from North Sydney to Port-aux- 
Basque. rail to Bay of Islands, and thence by 
steamer via the Straits of Belle Isle to Battle 
Harbor, and there connect with the northward- 
bound mail steamer from St. Johns. A more 
leisurely, and for those who have time a much 
pleasanter, route is via Red Cross Line steamer 
from New York to St. Johns. This steamer 
calls at Flalifax. and affords one day in that 
delightful city. Should you find it more con¬ 
venient to make your sailing from Boston than 
New York, other lines of steamers running 
from Boston to Halifax will permit you to con¬ 
nect at Halifax with the Red Cross Line 
steamer to St. Johns. 
Books Wanted. 
C.-\NovA, S. D., March 20. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: Herewith find inclosed check for one 
year's subscription to your valuable paper. I 
like your paper very much. Kindly send me 
your book catalogue. You have called attention 
to some good hunting books in “Trail and Camp- 
Fire.” I have bought a number of books from 
Captain McNab and like them very much in¬ 
deed. Can you get me the hooks by Selous, “A 
Hunter’s Wanderings in South Africa” and 
“Travels and Adventure in Southeast Africa”? 
.A.nd where can those books on Indian sport be 
bought—“Highlands in Central India,” “Thirteen 
Years Among the Wild Beasts of India,” “Wild 
Sports of India,” “Large Game Shooting” ? And 
what is the price for a book? And can you get 
me the book, “Short Stalks” ? 
An early answer will oblige yours truly, 
Wm. Potratz. 
