
Salmon into Adirondack waters 
has proved an interesting as well 
as a successful experiment. Although 
these fish will not propagate without 
some good-sized stream or mountain 
river in which to deposit and hatch 
the ova, artificially planted in a lake 
or pond of any dimension they soon 
attain a fair weight and afford excel- 
lent sport through May, June, July and 
August. 
Being rapid growers, the second year 
after installation, provided yearlings 
have been originally introduced, speci- 
mens will be taken averaging a pound 
and a half to two and possibly three 
pounds. The third and fourth year 
individuals of five and six pounds’ 
weight will not be uncommon. The 
largest I ever saw brought to net in 
stocked waters tipped the scales at a 
trifle under eight pounds, and was a 
bright fish in prime condition. 
Land-locked Salmon are voracious 
feeders. Fresh-water smelt form an 
invaluable food supply and promote 
rapid development. By planting the 
eggs in some sheltered inlet during 
June, a lake or pond will soon become 
plentifully stocked and the salmon will 
prosper famously. As a trolling bait, 
smelt cannot be excelled and are often 
taken from the stomach of a captured 
fish to be used for this purpose. 
One of the outstanding characteris- 
tics of Salmo Sebago is his lack of fas- 
tidiousness in regard to the lure you 
put before him. In May and June he 
rises savagely to a fly and will also 
take a spoon baited with worms or a 
minnow. Later in the season, when the 
temperature of the water has increased, 
he will not, of course, take a fly so 
readily, but fishing with a spoon or 
gang always produces good results. 
Quite often he is caught with a drop 
line at a buoy; yet his feeding grounds 
are habitually near shore or around 
some shoal, and not many are taken in 
deep water, according to my own ex- 
perience. 
T's: introduction of land - locked 
THE proclivity of land-locks to bite 
well throughout the season, coupled 
with the fact that they cannot propa- 
gate without rapid water, however, 
soon tells on their numbers. In order 
to obtain continuous good fishing, re- 
stocking should take place at least 
every three years. If this is neglected, 
When the Witch Hobble Blooms 
How a Ouananiche Was Landed Under Trying Conditions 
By PAUL VB RAN DRETH 
the fourth or fifth years subsequent 
to the original planting, they appa- 
rently are caught off or die out. Speci- 
ments, known as “slinks,’’ which must 
correspond in a great measure to the 
kelts of the sea salmon, commence to 
appear. When these are first observed 
it is usually an infallible sign that the 
fish are running down, and that it is 
time to restock with a fresh batch of 
yearlings. 
HE following excerpts taken from 
an old state report are of interest 
in connection with this splendid fresh- 
water game fish: 
“There are at least two well-marked 
races of Salar Salmon which do not 
enter the sea but live permanently in 
fresh water. Both of these differ from 
the Migratory Salmon in several par- 
ticulars: they are smaller, their eggs 
are larger, they retain the parr marks 
much longer, they are more subject to 
disease attending the egg - producing 
season, and the young grow more 
rapidly.” 
“The Ouananiche of the Saguenay 
River country is the farthest removed 
from the typical sea salmon, by its 
very much smaller size, larger fins and 
different pattern of coloration. 
“The larger of the two land-locked 
salmon of the United State is found in 
the four rivers of the State of Maine 
—the Presumpscot, Sebac, Union and 
St. Croix. Here the weights vary con- 
siderably, spawning fish ranging all 
the way from three pounds to ten or 
twelve pounds, while occasional indi- 
viduals reach twenty-five pounds. The 
Sebago form is the one that has been 
introduced into the Adirondack lakes 
and other New York waters. Spawn- 
ing begins late in October, but is at its 
height in November. Eggs are shipped 
in January, February and March, and 
the fry are ready for planting in June. 
“This Salmon has been introduced 
into New York waters from Maine, and 
appears to have become established in 
several localities.” 
Being limited in my observation of 
land-locked salmon to a certain body 
of water in the Adirondacks which 
offers no facilities for natural breed- 
ing, I cannot dispute the above state- 
ment. It seems perfectly reasonable 
to suppose that these fish should be- 
come permanently established where 
the right conditions exist, and a lake 
is fed by a large rapid-flowing stream. 
The Raquette River, which empties 
into Long Lake, Hamilton County, ap- 
pears to my mind an ideal spawning 
ground for Salmon. But, on the other 
hand, the inlets of the vast majority 
of Adirondack lakes are small and 
narrow, with mud bottoms. The lake 
above mentioned is thus equipped. 
Although its dimensions are large, its 
chief source of water supply arises 
from springs. In such waters the only 
safe method to insure land-locked Sal- 
mon fishing is to restock regularly. 
From the first time I hooked and 
netted a land-locked salmon I have 
held for this fish the greatest admira- 
tion. He is, without doubt, one of the 
gamiest fighters that swim in fresh 
water. A salmon never nibbles or 
pecks at a bait like a lake or speckled 
trout. Whether is a fly, spoon, or 
gang, he takes it in whirlwind fashion, 
very often nearly jerking the rod out 
of your hand. Once hooked, he fights 
chiefly on the surface, making long, 
basslike rushes, and coming clear of 
the water in beautiful spectacular 
leaps. 
G EVERAL times, when reeled up 
fairly close, I have seen a fish jump 
and land in the bottom of the boat— 
a rather startling if undeniably con- 
venient performance! He never gives 
up the battle until completely exhaust- 
ed. Quite frequently, when you think 
he must be about “all in” and ready 
to net, you will discover he is simply 
getting his wind to renew the conflict. 
After he is captured and laid out in 
basket of fresh ferns, he is indeed a 
sight to gladden the heart of a fisher- 
man. The iridescent silvery under- 
parts, the velvet black spots, dusky 
fins, olive-green back and lemon-yellow 
eye form an enchanting color scheme. 
In larger specimens, those weighing 
over four pounds, the head is typically 
salmon, with a prominent hook on the 
under-jaw. Land-locks are delicious 
eating. The flesh is light pink in color, 
the quality firm, the flavor rich and 
sweet. Broiled, fried, baked or boiled, 
a salmon offers a most appetizing re- 
past. Rainbow and Cut-Throat trout, 
which were also introduced into the 
lake where the land-locked salmon were 
planted, never appealed to my palate 
in comparison with the above. Their 
introduction, moreover, was not a suc- 
Page 402 
