April 13, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
58i 
& 
GAFFING A TEN-POUNDER. 
the river it was in bad order for fishing, being 
very low and clear. 
During these first five weeks of the season 
my total catch, including grilse, was seventeen 
fish, and my friend had done no better. To 
make matters worse, he was called home on 
urgent business matters and I was left with two 
weeks still of the fishing season and very little 
chance of apparently getting any fish. How¬ 
ever, I thought I would stick it out and try 
to get some fishing somewhere. I returned to 
Port Saunders, and there by chance saw Mattie 
Mathews, an Indian guide, who had just re¬ 
turned from one of the northern rivers, where 
he reported fish plenty. I did not know Mattie 
e very well then, but as subsequent events will 
prove, I am greatly in his debt. I finally de¬ 
cided to engage a small steamer which was 
then in.Port Saunders and which was usually 
used to collect lobsters, to take me and my 
guide to Mattie’s river. 
At this river we arrived on July 23. I 
arranged that the men should take the outfit 
a certain distance up stream in the boats and 
should then take a short cut across the marsh, 
bringing with them a couple of small tents and 
provisions, sufficient for two days, the re¬ 
mainder of our duffle to be cached, and that 
they were to make camp beside a certain pool 
about three miles up stream. We had some 
lunch, and I took a rod and a light gaff and 
started up stream by myself. About six o’clock 
I arrived at the camping place and found that 
the men had the tents up and preparations for 
supper under way. During my trip up stream 
I had fished all the likely pools rather carefully 
and had not seen a single fish with the excep¬ 
tion of one small grilse. I had found the part 
of the river and had seen a broad, rather slug¬ 
gish stream filled with dark moss-covered rocks 
that gave the impression of more water than 
was really present. At this time I was far from 
blessing Mattie, and to add to our grievances, 
it turned warm and muggy and the sand flies 
appeared in swarms. 
The next morning proved bright and clear 
and I decided to, at all events, explore the 
river throughout, so taking one man and some 
lunch, we started early up stream. After going 
about two miles the character of the brook 
altered, the stream became narrower and much 
more rapid, running at the base of a chain of 
high spruce-clad hills. The scenery there was 
beautiful. We had, however, seen no fish. After 
having gone three or four miles further, I 
saw eight or ten grilse in the tail of a small 
pool. I tried for these and succeeded in getting 
two which we cached in a cold spring and went 
on, our destination being a falls about seven 
miles from our camp. Until we reached this 
we saw no more fish, although the dark rocks 
forming the bottom of this stream and its 
extreme roughness made it very difficult to see 
fish lying in the pools. 
We found the falls situated in a deep rocky 
gorge of great natural beauty, and below the 
falls a long, rapid, boulder-strewn pool. I was 
pleasantly surprised during lunch to see two or 
three good fish leaping in the pool. I will not 
attempt to describe the fishing that followed. 
To say that the pool was filled with grilse with 
a fair sprinkling of salmon, is to put it mildly; 
indeed frequently two or even three fish would 
rise for the fly simultaneously, and on one oc¬ 
casion a huge fish, well over 30 pounds, made a 
dash of about ten feet for the fly but turned off 
two or three feet before reaching it, and al¬ 
though we saw this fish for several days, he 
could never again be induced to pay any at¬ 
tention to the fly. 
On the afternoon of which I speak the water 
was very low and clear, and the fish would only 
take the smallest flies. We got a number of 
fish in this pool, and when we left to fish on 
down stream, the fish were rising as well as 
ever. I fished a number of pools on my way 
to camp and got fish in almost all. My total 
for the day was seventeen, chiefly grilse. 
The next day was also clear and fine, and I 
fished hard until 4 P. M., and by that time had 
killed twenty-three fish. The majority of these 
—the forty fish killed in these two days—were 
grilse, averaging about y/2 pounds, while the 
largest salmon was 14^2 pounds. I do not wish 
my readers to think that 1 am a count fisherman, 
or that I would make a practice of killing fish 
as I did on these two days, or, for that matter, 
as I did on Northeast Brook. If my readers 
will bear with me and remember that on the 
first occasion I had been fishing for several 
weeks with practically no results whatever and 
that none of these fish were wasted, they may 
perhaps understand my feelings. I stayed a 
week longer on this stream, but put in most of 
my time exploring the surrounding country and 
fishing only for an hour or two in the morning 
or evening. 
One curious feature of this stream was the 
large number of grilse and the comparatively 
few salmon. I am sorry to say that the majority 
of the fish caught had net marks, and I strongly 
suspect there was a net in the mouth of the 
river, although I never could find it; and that 
it was getting most of the salmon. 
The question of illegal netting in Newfound¬ 
land is a very serious one. The government un¬ 
doubtedly does its best to stop this evil practice, 
but the country is so large and sparsely settled 
and the rivers so numerous, that it is very diffi¬ 
cult to stamp out. 
The salmon fisher who visits this country for 
the first time will be surprised at the rivers in 
which the fish are found. Although of course 
there are some large streams like the Exploits, 
the Grand Codroy. the Humber and others 
from which all the fishing has to be done from 
a boat, there are innumerable other small 
streams like those which I have described, 
which are not much larger than a big trout 
stream, which abound in fish and which, to my 
mind, offer the pleasantest style of fishing. For 
if, as the late Mr. Wells aptly wrote, “there is 
better fun in this vale of tears” than to fish some 
of these small salmon rivers with light tackle 
and perhaps gaff one’s own fish, I do not know 
it. My own outfit for this country consists of 
a light 13-foot split cane rod and a light 15-foot 
greenheart rod, the latter carrying a fairly heavy 
B line, and is used in rough weather or on large 
streams. The flies can hardly be too small. We 
all have our favorite flies. I have had the best 
success in Newfoundland with the Mitchel, 
silver-doctor, Jock-Scott and black-fairy, and 
usually have them tied on double turned-down 
eyed Pennel hooks, Nos. 4, 6, 8, and a few 
No. 10’s (old numbers). 
Silver Mitchel. 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any nezusdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
Newark u Ca.sting Club. 
Newark, N. J., April 4 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The Newark Bait-Casting Club held 
their first regular meeting at the above place, 
April 3, Geo. A. Endersby as chairman. Thirty 
members were enrolled and the following officers 
elected: President, Geo. A. Endersby; Vice- 
President, C. E. Kenyon, formerly of the Chicago 
Fly-Casting Club; Secretary-Treasurer, Fred 
T. Mapes, 327 Central avenue, Harrison, N. J. 
An executive committee was formed and the 
membership limited to fifty; membership fee $1, 
annual dues $2, payable semi-annually in advance. 
The next meeting will be held April 10, at 16 
Ferry street. All bait-casting and surf casters 
are cordially invited to be present at that time. 
Fred T. Mapes, Sec’y. 
Of this new club the Newark papers say: 
“The Newark Bait-Casting Club was launched 
under very bright conditions last week. The 
members anticipate securing the privilege of 
holding their tournaments on the Branch Brook 
Park lake. There is a large field in this vicinity 
for this club, and the members of the committee 
on organization deserve credit for the way they 
started the club. 
“The object of the club is to hold competitions 
in various kinds of bait-casting and promote 
social intercourse among anglers. All who are 
interested in bait-casting are invited to be 
present.” 
The Scarcity of Mackerel. 
Miami, Fla., March 20 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The inclosed clipping from our Daily 
Metropolis tells the old story and shows that 
the fishes of the ocean can be depleted. Three 
years ago, when attempts were made to stop sein¬ 
ing and netting in Biscayne Bay, “It was all 
hands up. You cannot clean out the Atlantic 
ocean.” We find it is done in two short sea¬ 
sons. 
“The present season has been the poorest in 
the history of the industry, the total catches 
from beginning to end not going over 900,000 
pounds though more than twice as many boats, 
nets and men were engaged in the industry than 
in any previous season. 
“Some few gill nets are still being operated in 
the bay, but they are having poor luck. The 
most of the larger smacks and tenders have been 
sent to the west coast and Indian River for the 
summer.” W. F. I. McCormick. 
