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Forest and Stream Letters 
2: ee 3 a> 
Mr. Allen says the St. John is one of the 
finest salmon rivers in the world, but the 
fact is not generally known. Here is a 
husky “Atlantic” taken on the fly. 
An Angling Invitation 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
| USED to be a reader of your paper 
in the old days, but have seen little 
of it in late years. Recently, however, 
my old and esteemed friend, Uncle 
Henry Braithwaite, loaned me some 
copies containinge illustrated articles 
from his pen which I need hardly say 
I read with great interest. I am en- 
closing check for two dollars paying 
for a year’s subscription. I wish to 
say that in co-operation with Uncle 
Henry I am making an effort to de- 
velop fly fishing for salmon on the St. 
John River. This is really one of the 
greatest salmon rivers in the world, 
but people living along it are rather 
conservative and did not know until a 
few years ago that the fish would rise 
toa fly. 
It was one of your countrymen who 
736 

first made known the fact. The river 
is easily reached by auto from the 
United States, and I have lately discov- 
ered that it is possible for a man to 
step out of a car at several points and 
begin casting for salmon in a real 
quick water pool. Only recently I, with 
three other anglers, made a sixty-mile 
canoe trip on this river and we found 
fifteen splendid salmon pools, twelve of 
which had never been given a trial. We 
caught a salmon right in front of the 
town of Woodstock, and it created such 
a sensation that we presented it to the 
mayor. We did that so nobody could 
say it was a fish story. 
In August we persuaded a party 
from Steelton, Pa., to spend four days 
camping at our pool near Fredericton. 
They claimed to be fishermen, but sal- 
mon angling was all Greek to them. 
However they had in one of our local 
anglers a patient and competent guide 
who gave them valuable lessons. The 
result was the party caught four sal- 
mon and went away very much pleased. 
Now I have an idea that there are lots 
of good sportsmen in your New Eng- 
land cities who would think that the 
millenium had arrived if they could 
get hitched on to an Atlantic salmon. 
We want these men to run down in 
their car and enjoy the sport this river 
offers. We now have it arranged so 
that they can get a three-days’ license 
for five dollars, enabling them to catch 
all kind of fish. Although drifting with 
nets for salmon is illegal, thanks to 
the indifference of the public, a lot of it 
has been done by settlers. Once let 
the Americans get the habit of com- 
ing in here and public sentiment would 
put a stop to the illegal fishing, and 
those who have engaged it could have 
a chance to act as guides and boatmen 
for the visitors. That is the goal to- 
wards which we are striving and I 
think your excellent paper can be of 
great service. 
I get an outdoor paper which, to my 
surprise, gives encouragement to west- 
ern people to come down here in the 
spring months and fish for black sal- 
mon or kelt, a most unsportsmanlike 
sport. The fish remain in fresh wa- 
ter all winter, are emaciated, and ut- 
terly unfit for food. Yet a man claims 
his party caught 400 of them. I think 
you will agree with me that that busi- 
ness is being overdone and should be 
stopped. As far as I can learn, most 
of the black salmon fishermen are car- 
ried free by the railways and get free 
licenses, with the object of exploiting 
the so-called sport. I am enclosing a 
couple of snapshots which will give you 
an idea of the kind of sport we have on 
the St. John River. 
Salmon fishermen used to be consid- 
ered a millionaire’s sport but this is 
no longer the case. 
R. P. ALLEN, Fredericton, N. B. 
seomeconents 

Ready with the gaff. Fly fishing for salmon is one of the most 
thrilling sports known, 
