,transcriber's ,note ,the punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved4 ,only obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,,fishing ,,in ,,british ,,columbia4 ,,fishing ,,in ,,british ,,columbia ,,with ,a ,,chapter ,,on ,,tuna ,,fishing ,,at ,,santa ,,catalina4 ,,by ,t4,w4 ,,lambert1 ,m4,a41 ,m4,b41 ,b4,c4 7,cantab472 ,m4,r4,c4,s41 ,l4,r4,c4,p4 7,london74 ,late ,surgeon to the ,western ,division1 ,canadian ,pacific ,railway ,company4 ,,london3 ,,horace ,,cox1 ,,field ,,office1 ,,windsor ,,house1 ,,bream',s ,,buildings1 ,e4,c4 #aijg4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,horace ,,cox1 ,,field ,,office1 ,,windsor ,,house1 ,,bream',s ,,buildings1 ,e4,c4 ,,preface4 ,the ,author hopes that this book may prove of some interest to anglers by giving a short account of the fishing which is to be obtained in a part of the world hitherto little exploited1 and well worthy of better acquaintance4 ,british ,columbia only became fairly easy of access after the completion of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway in #ahhg1 which placed it within two weeks' journey from ,london4 ,before that time it was cut off by the immense prairies of the north-west of ,canada1 and could only be reached by a long journey round ,cape ,horn or over the ,isthmus of ,panama4 ,since the date given1 however1 a new era has dawned for the country1 and all the southern part of it has been opened up by railways4 ,thus its waters have been rendered easy of access to any fisherman willing to try them4 ,the position of the country on the map resembles that of ,norway and ,sweden in ,europe1 and the general resemblance is borne out by the features of both countries4 ,each possesses a deeply indented coast line and a wealth of pine forests1 lakes1 and rivers4 ,but the climate of ,british ,columbia is much milder2 the valleys are richer in soil1 the mountains in precious metals1 and the waters are inhabited by different species of fish4 ,and whereas the ,scandinavian peninsula has some ten millions of people1 ,british ,columbia supports as yet but one hundred thousand of population1 including ,indians4 ,it is without doubt a country of great possibilities4 ,the summer climate of the southern central plateau is very bracing and dry1 resembling that of the southern ,californian winter2 while the winter climate of the coast is like ,devonshire4 ,game1 both large and small1 is still plentiful in the south1 while the northern part is one of the best big game districts of the world4 ,british ,columbia is the home of the rainbow trout1 which flourishes in all its rivers and lakes to the furthest north1 and spreads southwards into the neighbouring ,pacific states1 where it has1 however1 to compete with another species1 the cut-throat trout4 ,the eastern limit of the rainbow is the ,rocky ,mountain range4 ,the chief purpose of this book is to give some idea of the habits and peculiarities of the rainbow1 and the sport which it affords in its native haunts4 ,the author spent some twelve years in the interior of the country1 and has fished a great many of its numberless lakes and streams1 so he may claim to write from practical experience4 ,but he writes also with the hope that perhaps someone more competent may in the future publish a complete history of this most interesting fish1 and solve some of the problems which are here but alluded to4 ,for there is ample scope in these almost virgin waters for both the naturalist and the fisherman1 to whom these notes may perhaps serve as the blazes on a mountain trail1 and as some slight record of the sport that was to be obtained in the earlier days of ,british ,columbia4 ,though the inland waters swarm with ,pacific salmon at certain seasons1 the fish are useless for purposes of sport4 ,they take no bait of any kind when they have once started to migrate up the rivers4 ,in the salt water1 however1 and while waiting at the mouths of rivers1 they take a spoon-bait freely1 and the smaller kinds will in the same conditions often rise readily to the fly4 ,but it may be stated1 as a general rule1 no salmon are ever taken on bait or fly as they travel1 and when they reach the upper waters4 ,the ,dominion ,government has recently tried the experiment of hatching and turning out #bej1jjj of the small fry of the ,atlantic salmon from one of their hatcheries2 and1 should success attend the effort1 a great attraction would be added to the inland streams2 but a period of some few years must naturally elapse before any opinion can be given as to the success or failure of this attempt4 ,british ,columbia is reached as soon as the traveller crosses the summit of the ,rocky ,mountains1 just beyond ,banff1 on the main line of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway4 ,the summit1 which is known as the ,great ,divide1 separates the ,pacific ,slope from ,eastern ,canada4 ,the crossing once made1 a country is reached in which there is a great change in climate1 fauna1 and flora2 and in the rivers1 instead of the so-called speckled trout1 the muskallunge1 black bass1 and ,atlantic salmon1 are found the rainbow1 silver1 and steel-head trout1 with the five species of the ,pacific salmon4 ,this last fish is not a salmon at all1 but only bears the title by courtesy1 because no other ,anglo-,saxon name has been given to it4 ,the early settlers mistook it for a salmon1 and called it a salmon because it so closely resembled one in appearance and habits1 just as the ruffed grouse was1 and is1 called a partridge in ,eastern ,canada4 ,but it has no true ,english name4 ,scientifically1 the five species of ,pacific salmon belong to the genus ,oncorhynchus1 and each is mostly called by the ,indian name which distinguished it when the white man first arrived1 such as quinnat or cohoe4 ,the physical relationship of the ,pacific ,oncorhynchus to the ,atlantic ,salmo salar is not unlike the physical relationship of the grayling or char to the trout4 ,the rainbow is found before the ,divide is reached1 in some of the streams flowing eastward from the ,rockies1 but it does not follow them much below the foothills2 and it abounds in the rivers and lakes among the mountains themselves4 ,but it is not until the central plateau of ,british ,columbia is reached1 a country of rolling hills1 valleys1 and open range abounding in lakes and small streams1 that the best fishing grounds are encountered1 the true home and headquarters of the rainbow trout4 ,the streams and lakes in the mountains are too turbulent1 and fed by too much glacier and snow-water1 to make the best fishing grounds4 ,the guide-books of the railway speak highly of the fishing through the mountains1 but there is better to be obtained lower down1 and my advice to the traveller is to make no stop for fishing purposes until ,sicamous is reached1 at the head of ,shuswap ,lake where the ,eagle ,river enters it4 ,the ,thompson ,river flows out of the lake at the other end1 and the ,shuswap ,lake and ,thompson ,river constitute the best fishing district of ,british ,columbia1 and will be the chief subject of the following pages4 ,it should be premised1 however1 that there is plenty of what may be styled virgin water in ,british ,columbia besides the streams and lakes described in these pages4 ,in a few years the ,grand ,trunk ,pacific ,railway will render accessible a network of rivers and lakes some four hundred miles to the north of the present line1 and the addition to the angler's opportunities by this will1 of course1 be very great4 ,the cost of the fourteen-day journey from ,london to ,british ,columbia will be at most #ej each way2 it can be done for much less4 ,there is no charge for the fishing1 and ordinary living expenses are not high4 ,one can stop at the hotels along the ,thompson for #b dollars a day1 in ,kamloops for #c dollars a day1 in the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway hotels at #d dollars to #f dollars4 ,there are no extra charges1 except at the bar1 which in ,british ,columbia it is considered the duty of everyone to support liberally4 ,a stranger will find that a few dollars spent judiciously and with tact in this way will usually be productive of quite astonishing results4 ,in the ,west a drink puts everyone on equal terms1 and at once establishes a feeling of camaraderie4 ,it might be said to correspond somewhat to the old custom of offering the snuffbox4 ,the natives understand it as a sign that the stranger wishes to be on good terms1 that he does not consider himself superior in any sense1 that there is no side about him1 that he is willing to drink with them as an equal4 ,he will certainly receive a like invitation1 and he must on no account refuse2 to do so is an unpardonable violation of ,western etiquette1 even if everyone present insists on taking the part of host in turn4 ,there is1 however1 no cause for alarm on the score of temperance1 for it is quite de rigueur to ask for a cigar or to take a mere apology for a drink4 ,if the stranger thus satisfies ,western ideas of what is right and proper he will usually find that the individuals who had apparently hitherto regarded him somewhat in the manner that a strange dog seems to be looked at by his fellows in a new street will quite suddenly be most interested in his pursuit and most willing to help him in every possible way with advice as to someone who can tell him all about the river or lake and the best way to get there4 ,perhaps even the result may be an offer of a horse or hospitality for a night or two from some ranchman who may live near the place he wishes to get to4 ,the people of ,british ,columbia are1 as a rule1 most generous and open-hearted when they are approached in the right way4 ,all men are equal in the ,west2 there must be no question of standing on one's dignity4 ,as regards outfit in general 7fishing tackle is dealt with later71 it is the greatest mistake to take a lot of useless luggage4 ,any rough fishing suit will do1 and a strong pair of boots4 ,waders are not needed1 except in the coast rivers4 ,everything can be got in the country itself4 ,the ,hudson ,bay stores or the general store which is found in every little town will provide everything that is wanted4 ,my advice is to procure the outfit in the country itself1 because they know best what is needed for the local wants4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,the ,rainbow ,trout--,names--,distribution--,appearan ce--,size in ,british ,columbia--,its ,food--,fly-fishing for--,sporting ,qualities--,possibility of ,new ,species being ,discovered #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,season for ,trout ,fishing--,principal ,districts--,tackle ,necessary--,no ,drawing-room ,work--,advantage of ,plenty of ,time--,poor ,fishing in the ,rockies--,the ,thompson ,river--,the ,south ,thompson--,its ,course and ,character--,clear1 ,swift ,water--,difficulty of ,landing ,big ,fish--,a ,lost ,thirty-pounder--,the ,successful ,cherokee ,fisherman--,fine1 ,calm ,days ,best for ,fishing--,mosquitoes not ,troublesome #i ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,kamloops ,district--,kamloops as ,headquarters--,may ,floods and ,fishing in ,shuswap ,lake--,silver-bodied ,flies--,streams ,running into the ,lake--,the ,eagle ,river--,advantages of a ,steam ,launch--,a ,big ,catch--,possibilities of the ,prawn--,a ,july ,spectacle--,fishing at ,tranquille--,kamloops ,lake--,savona's ,ferry--,great ,sport in ,june--,dolly ,varden ,trout--,a ,fifteen-,pounder--,falling-off of ,sport when ,salmon are ,running--,the ,salmon ,fly--,size of ,catches on the ,thompson--,august a ,bad ,month #bj ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,what is the ,silver ,trout8--,evidence in ,favour of a ,new ,species--,difference in ,appearance from the ,rainbow--,a ,jumper--,native of ,kamloops and ,shuswap ,lakes--,a ,bag of ,twenty-four--,the ,dolly ,varden--,origin of the ,name--,not a ,free ,riser--,grayling--,chub and ,squaw ,fish--,great ,lake ,trout--,the ,silver ,fish at ,spence's ,bridge--,salmon or ,steel-head8--,cut-throat ,trout--,possible ,fishing ,tour in ,british ,columbia #cd ,,chapter ,v4 ,other ,lakes--,long ,lake--,its ,silvery ,trout--,fish ,lake--,extraordinary ,fishing--,fifteen ,hundred ,trout in ,three ,days--,a ,miniature ,gaff--,uses of a ,collapsible ,boat--,catching ,fish ,through the ,ice--,mammit ,lake--,nicola ,lake--,beautifully ,marked ,trout in ,nicola ,river--,the ,little ,red ,fish #df ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,the ,kootenay ,district--,sawdust and ,dynamite--,fine ,sport in ,vancouver--,harrison ,river and ,lake--,big ,fish in the ,coquehalla--,the ,steel-head in the ,fraser--,need for ,better ,river ,protection #fe ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,salmons of the ,pacific--,legends ,concerning ,them--,the ,five ,species--,systems of ,migration--,powers of ,endurance--,absence of ,kelts--,do ,they ,take a ,fly8--,terrible ,mortality--,a ,vivid ,red ,ribbon--,points of ,difference ,between the ,quinnat and ,salmo salar--,work of the ,canneries--,artificial ,propagation #gb ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,diplomat and the ,salmon--,the ,struggle for ,existence--,salmon and ,steel-head ,liable to be ,confused--,sport in ,tidal ,waters--,the ,campbell ,river--,the ,pioneers--,a ,river of ,fifty-,pounders--,smaller ,salmon on the ,fly--,method of ,fishing--,tackle--,typical ,good ,bags--,the ,steel-head--,cost of ,fishing--,dangers of ,over-,fishing for ,canneries--,a ,good ,trolling ,time #ia ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,recapitulation of ,salmon and ,trout ,problems--,importance of ,preserving ,british ,columbian ,fisheries--,possibility of ,introducing ,atlantic ,salmon--,question of ,altering ,present ,close ,season for ,trout--,past and ,present ,neglect of ,trout ,fisheries--,need for ,governmental ,action--,difficulties in the ,way of it--,conclusion #ajg ,,chapter ,x4 ,tuna ,fishing at ,avalon1 ,santa ,catalina ,island #aah ,,fishing ,,in ,,british ,,columbia4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,rainbow ,trout--,names--,distribution--,appearan ce--,size in ,british ,columbia--,its ,food--,fly-fishing for--,sporting ,qualities--,possibility of ,new ,species being ,discovered4 ,the ,rainbow trout 7,salmo irideus7 is a true trout of the same genus as1 and closely allied to1 the common trout 7,s4 fario7 of the ,british ,isles1 where it is also now acclimatised4 ,it holds the same position in every stream1 lake1 and river of the northern part of the ,pacific ,coast of ,north ,america as the brown trout does in the ,united ,kingdom4 ,unless the water1 for some local reason1 is unsuitable1 it is met with everywhere1 until further south it overlaps with the cut-throat trout1 which ultimately seems to take its place4 ,in the small mountain streams it is very plentiful1 and is generally called the brook1 mountain1 or speckled trout1 and when of larger size is known locally as the red side--a name which often very aptly describes it4 ,the name rainbow is not much heard or used locally4 ,in the different lakes and rivers the fish varies a good deal in size1 numbers1 colour1 and appearance--so much so that when these waters are better known the naturalist may be inclined to name and describe several varieties of rainbows1 perhaps even may discover new species4 ,this fish is confined to the west side of the ,rocky ,mountains1 save in the head waters of the streams which take their source from these mountains and then flow east4 ,often two streams flow from a lake1 one east and one west1 and the rainbow is found in both2 a good instance of this is found in the ,kicking ,horse and the ,bow rivers4 ,the latter flows east from the divide1 and the rainbow follows it for some distance into the prairie2 but as this river ceases to be a mountain stream and becomes sluggish and discoloured traces of the fish cease4 ,but in the clear streams of ,eastern ,canada1 near the great lakes1 its place is taken by the spotted trout 7,salvelinus fontinalis71 a beautiful and game fish1 member of the char family1 unknown west of the ,rockies4 ,in appearance the rainbow is well worthy of its name1 and may justly claim to be the equal in beauty1 if not the superior1 of any of the ,salmonid4 ,it is clean-cut in shape1 perhaps rather lither than the brown trout1 and when large it is not so deep4 ,the colour on the back is an olive green1 with the usual characteristic black spots1 and at the side a few red ones2 laterally the green shades off into silver and sometimes gold1 while along its side from gill to tail flashes the beautiful rainbow stripe1 varying from pale sunset pink to the most vivid scarlet or crimson2 often the effect is as if a paint-brush dipped in red paint had been drawn along the fish's side2 the belly is silvery white2 the anal1 ventral1 and pectoral fins being coloured in proportion to the colouring of the individual fish4 ,the general appearance is very striking1 and in a fine specimen is certainly one of great beauty4 ,when fresh from the water and in brilliant sunshine the fish rivals the object after which it is called2 the living rainbow on its side shows a play of delicate colour which it would be hard to surpass or to equal1 even in the heavens4 ,from the fly-fisherman's point of view the fish may be said to run up to #dlb4 in weight2 by which statement it is meant that the fly is readily taken in both stream and lake by fish up to this size4 ,mr4 ,f4,j4 ,fulton1 of ,kamloops1 states that he has never landed a #elb4 fish on the fly1 and he is an authority on the ,thompson ,river4 ,personally1 ,i have never seen a rainbow over #dlb4 which ,i knew to have been caught with the fly2 but ,i have seen a model of a fish of #ablb4 caught with the fly in #ahia in ,kamloops ,lake by ,captain ,drummond4 ,there is1 of course1 not the slightest doubt that the fish grows to a much larger size4 ,mr4 ,walter ,langley caught a rainbow of #bb-a_/blb4 on a small spoon in ,marble ,canyon ,lake about ,may1 #aijj1 and the photograph of this fish was published in the ,field4 ,i have also seen very big specimens which had been speared by ,indians in the ,thompson and sold as salmon2 two of them ,i weighed myself and found to be #aelb4 and #ablb4 respectively4 ,while1 therefore1 there is some evidence to show that these large fish may be caught with spoon and minnow1 it may be stated as a broad fact that the rainbow is not often caught with the fly over the weight of #dlb41 and that up to this size he takes it freely4 ,the fly is taken best during the months of ,june and ,july1 when there is a rise of the stone fly in the rivers1 and flies of all kinds are plentiful in the lakes4 ,at this time1 indeed1 natural fly seems to be the main article of the fish's food4 ,but the small fry of the salmon and of its own species are also devoured in great numbers1 and in late summer there are grasshoppers as well2 these are very plentiful1 and are eagerly snapped up as they fall into the water4 ,no doubt a further great source of food supply is the spawn of the salmon1 which must be very plentiful on the spawning beds4 ,it forms the usual lure of the ,indian fishermen4 ,the feeding-grounds of the rainbow are the eddies and the back-washes in the swift-running rivers1 into which flies1 grasshoppers1 and other food are carried by the current4 ,a very favourite haunt is at the mouth of creeks and streams running into a lake1 or where a large river runs into or out of a large lake4 ,food is naturally plentiful at such places1 and at certain times the fish gather there in great numbers1 splashing about and chasing the small fry4 ,they will then take a silver-bodied fly most greedily4 ,in many of the smaller mountain lakes where fly seems to be at certain seasons the rainbow's sole food1 no other lure will attract it1 but with the fly great numbers may be caught4 ,the fly-fisher also scores among fish gathered at the mouths of creeks swollen by summer floods4 ,the minnow1 also1 both natural and artificial1 is useful in these conditions1 and it will account for much larger fish1 up to #ajlb4 and even over2 these monsters have probably forsaken a fly diet and taken to small fry4 ,but there is no doubt that the rainbow is1 quite as much as our own trout1 a fly-feeder1 and that it takes the artificial as readily and1 owing to want of education1 and1 perhaps1 also to natural boldness1 with even greater freedom and less regard to the nature of the lure or the skill of the fisherman who throws it4 ,so far as strength and gameness go the rainbow is fully the equal of the brown trout1 and1 in my opinion1 its superior1 though1 as its play is often aided by the very strong water it frequents1 its strength may sometimes appear greater than it would in our smaller streams4 ,for this reason fishing for rainbows in ,british ,columbia has always seemed to me to resemble sea-trout fishing more than the fishing for brown trout2 perhaps less skill is necessary1 but there is a stronger fight4 ,the rivers and lakes of ,british ,columbia are at present an angler's paradise1 and will probably long continue to be so4 ,and it promises the additional interest that the fisherman is not treading a beaten and well-known path4 ,there is pioneer work for him to do4 ,there are many problems for him to solve and discoveries for him to make4 ,in the numberless lakes and rivers stretching far up through northern ,british ,columbia to the ,arctic1 it is not unlikely that several new species of the ,salmonid await description4 ,the big-game hunter has shown what secrets may lie hid in so wide a land1 for since these northern regions have been explored for big game and gold 7from the date of the ,klondike rush in #ahih7 no fewer than four new species of the sheep family have been discovered2 a pure white mountain sheep1 for instance1 has been found to exist in great numbers4 ,heads of this sheep are now quite common1 but it is a most curious proof of the general ignorance of the country ten years ago that such a remarkable animal was then entirely unknown4 ,had any explorer in those days reported seeing such an animal without bringing any tangible proof to support his story1 he would have been universally regarded as a most unique liar1 in a part of the world where such people are far from uncommon4 ,the enormous moose heads recently brought down from ,alaska and northern ,british ,columbia were undreamt of not so many years back1 and the ,alaskan grizzly is1 too1 ,i believe1 a new species4 ,it is1 therefore1 far from unreasonable to believe or to hope that as the country is opened up the fisherman will also achieve new conquests4 ,as yet they lie before him1 for he only follows slowly in the footsteps of the pioneer and the big-game hunter2 he requires a railway and an hotel1 and he must be able to dispose in some manner of his catch1 which he cannot do unless he is at least near some settlement4 ,i have conversed with numbers of prospectors and hunters from all parts of the north-west1 and they all have the same account of teeming rivers and lakes4 ,many a weird fish story have they told me1 but none have really been fishermen2 they have simply caught fish for food1 and have not noted them much except with a view to their edible properties4 ,it is1 therefore1 highly probable that1 as these strange waters are gradually made accessible to the angler and become as well known as the more southern rivers of ,british ,columbia1 many interesting facts will become known too1 and new varieties of trout and other fish will be discovered4 ,even those southern waters are1 in truth1 little known1 and several interesting matters which could well bear investigation will be put forward in these pages4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,season for ,trout ,fishing--,principal ,districts--,tackle ,necessary--,no ,drawing-room ,work--,advantage of ,plenty of ,time--,poor ,fishing in the ,rockies--,the ,thompson ,river--,the ,south ,thompson--,its ,course and ,character--,clear1 ,swift ,water--,difficulty of ,landing ,big ,fish--,a ,lost ,thirty-pounder--,the ,successful ,cherokee ,fisherman--,fine1 ,calm ,days ,best for ,fishing--,mosquitoes not ,troublesome4 ,fly-fishing for trout in ,british ,columbia may be said to begin in ,april or ,may at the coast1 but in the interior it is ,june or ,july before much success can be obtained4 ,if time be no object1 good sport might be obtained in the coast rivers and lakes during ,april and ,may1 and a move might be made to the interior waters during ,june and ,july1 while ,august is about the best season for the big salmon fishing on ,vancouver ,island4 ,during ,september and ,october good sport may still be obtained1 and the fish are then in the best condition2 but usually the attractions of shooting prove too much for the local sportsman1 and the rivers are more or less deserted4 ,the southern waters may be divided into three principal districts--namely1 the coast rivers1 the ,thompson ,river district1 and the waters of the ,kootenay country1 which all seem to possess special peculiarities1 though the rainbow is found in them all4 ,but in the coast rivers the steel-head1 or sea-trout1 is alone met with4 ,as regards rods and tackle for trout fishing1 large rods are out of place in ,british ,columbia1 and quite unnecessary2 an #aa;ft4 split cane is the best1 and long enough for any river2 a #ad;ft4 rod is very unhandy in a rough country or among trees1 and all local fishermen use a small rod4 ,tackle should be of the same kind as one would use for sea-trout fishing1 and should be strong4 ,as regards flies1 size is the most important consideration1 as the usual patterns are the ordinary sea-trout and loch flies4 ,the imitation stone fly is about the only fly that should resemble the natural insect4 ,rather large flies are used on the rivers1 and smaller on the lakes1 but this question may be left till individual streams are described4 ,for a general supply large sea-trout flies 7,jock ,scott1 ,silver ,grey1 and ,silver ,doctor1 etc471 with some ,march ,browns and stone flies of the same sizes1 and an assortment of smaller ,scottish loch trout flies of various patterns--these are all that are needed4 ,the artificial minnow of various kinds1 the spoon1 and the dead bait on a crocodile or ,archer spinner are all used1 and the prawn has lately been tried with deadly effect on large fish4 ,bottles of preserved minnows and small prawns would therefore be a useful addition to the equipment4 ,it is also wise to take plenty of strong casts and traces1 as local fishing tackle is not to be trusted4 ,it must be noted well that fishing in these waters is no drawing-room work2 great sport can be got1 but the best is often only to be obtained by a certain amount of roughing it4 ,the rivers are not always in right condition1 nor the weather always favourable--unfortunate facts peculiar to every river in the world--and it is only when all things are favourable that the best sport is obtained4 ,to have plenty of time at his disposal is the great thing for the fisherman1 for it is only natural that a man passing through the country and having only a couple of weeks at the outside to spare may easily find nothing but disappointments4 ,no one must expect to get off the ,canadian ,pacific express and find the rainbow trout eagerly expecting his arrival4 ,the district best known to me is that through which the ,thompson ,river runs1 from the ,shuswap ,lake to its junction with the ,fraser at ,lytton4 ,the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway follows the river in its whole length1 and thus renders it very accessible4 ,many other smaller streams and lakes are part of the ,thompson water system1 and afford good fishing4 ,the river runs through the dry belt1 which is so called owing to the smallness of the rainfall1 which only averages about #h;in4 in the year4 ,it is from this cause that the banks of the rivers are very open and free from brush1 which makes them easy to fish and to travel along2 while1 for the same reason1 the country is generally open rolling hills1 covered with grass or scanty pines1 affording a great contrast to the moist country at the coast1 where the rivers run through thick woods and impenetrable bush1 which render them very difficult to approach and fish unless they are shallow enough for wading4 ,the fishing to be obtained along the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway as it passes through the ,rocky ,mountains is not very good1 the guide-books notwithstanding4 ,at ,banff there is a little fishing in the ,bow ,river1 but it is poor1 and the fish do not seem to take the fly4 ,in ,devil's ,lake lake trout1 a species of char1 can be got on the spoon by deep trolling up to a very large size2 but it is not a very high form of sport1 and cannot be compared to the rainbow trout fishing along the ,thompson4 ,the ,south ,thompson ,river has its source at the western end of the great ,shuswap ,lake1 near ,shuswap station on the ,canadian ,pacific1 and joins the ,fraser at ,lytton2 at ,kamloops it is joined by the ,north ,thompson1 and the combined stream flows into ,kamloops ,lake1 about seven miles below the town1 running out again some twenty miles below at ,savona's ,ferry4 ,its total course being about #adj miles1 and almost all of it fishing water1 it is a fine river4 ,the water is usually clear1 varying in breadth and in swiftness of current according to the nature of the country it flows through4 ,in places it is broad and calm2 in the canyons it is a rushing torrent4 ,its pace below ,savona's is from eight to twelve miles an hour1 above ,kamloops probably not more than two to four4 ,the ,south ,thompson from ,shuswap ,lake to ,kamloops is always clear1 owing to the filtration of the lake1 and fine fishing can be had in some of the upper rapids and pools4 ,near ,kamloops the current is too sluggish1 and sport is not very good4 ,the river flows along the ,south ,thompson valley1 an open country with scattered farms and cattle ranches1 bordered by bunch grass range and hills covered by yellow pine1 very beautiful in spring and early summer4 ,it is the central plateau of ,british ,columbia1 and has an exceedingly dry climate1 with hardly any rain1 very healthy and bracing1 the altitude being about #abjj;ft4 above sea level2 it is very hot in summer1 and sometimes cold in winter4 ,fishing begins here early in ,june1 and1 though it is little fished1 there is no better part of the river4 ,in ,kamloops ,lake the rainbow is very plentiful1 and good fishing may be obtained as early as ,june at ,tranquille1 where the river flows into the lake1 and causes a slow1 wide-sweeping eddy4 ,from ,savona's ,ferry1 the outflow of the lake1 down to ,ashcroft is the best-known part of the river1 and here the current is very swift and the banks are rocky and steep4 ,near ,lytton the canyon is so deep and the banks so steep and dangerous that fishing is out of the question4 ,on the whole there is probably no fishing river in ,british ,columbia to beat this one for the size and quality of the fish1 though it does not afford the large bags that can be obtained on the ,kootenay4 ,it is a very sporting river1 owing to the strength of the current1 for a big fish is hard to hold if it once gets out into the main current1 away from the side eddies4 ,mainly owing to this is the fact that there seems to be no record of fish over about #dlb41 for a larger fish can get into the main stream1 where the force of a ten-mile current drags on it and the line to such an extent that there is no chance of holding it4 ,such large fish are rarely met with1 but every fisherman on the ,thompson has stories of them1 and they are all the same and coincide with my own4 ,it was only once my luck to hook a really large fish4 ,he jumped out of the water twice close to me1 and ,i had a splendid view of him1 and judged him to be about #hlb4 ,he headed for the opposite bank1 and just as a break was inevitable the fly came back4 ,other men have told me the same story1 but such large fish are hooked so seldom that it is not worth while using a stronger rod and tackle4 ,though very large fish are undoubtedly plentiful1 they seldom take either fly or any other bait1 and perhaps deep live baiting would be the only means of successfully fishing for them4 ,the average fish is from #a_/blb4 to #dlb41 but much larger fish are in the deep pools4 ,i once was shown at ,spence's ,bridge three supposed salmon in the winter which had been speared and sold by the ,indians for two shillings apiece4 ,i noticed their perfect condition and bright red side stripe1 and1 on examining them more carefully1 pointed out to an experienced fisherman who was present1 and to the proprietor of the hotel and others1 that these fish were large rainbow trout4 ,the largest weighed #aelb41 the two others #ablb4 apiece4 ,this incident happened at ,spence's ,bridge1 on the ,lower ,thompson4 ,on another occasion of a visit there1 the bar-tender of the hotel1 who happened to be a young ,englishman1 told me that the angling editor of an ,american sporting paper had stayed off there and proposed to try with spoon and minnow for large rainbow trout1 which he had heard could be got4 ,the next day they went to where the ,nicola ,river1 a large stream1 flows into the ,thompson about half a mile from the hotel4 ,the angling editor was provided with strong spinning gear and rod1 and much to the bar-tender's surprise1 very soon got into a fish of most surprising strength and dimensions1 for they saw him several times1 and estimated him at the unbelievable weight of over #cjlb4 ,the fish took them rapidly down to some impassable rocks1 and went away with everything but the rod4 ,i believed this story at the time1 and see no reason to disbelieve now1 though of course the size of the fish was probably over-estimated4 ,no other fish was seen or hooked4 ,the only point which ,i would wish to call attention to is the probable great size of the rainbows in this river1 though none have as yet been taken with the rod4 ,mr4 ,langley's fish of #bblb4 proves that in the lakes these large fish exist4 ,at this place ,mr4 ,inskip has also caught some large fish by spinning1 and some very good bags of smaller fish have been got on the fly4 ,the ,thompson is not very much fished4 ,near ,ashcroft the local sportsmen from that small town fish it1 and ,savona's ,ferry is visited from ,kamloops when the fish are taking2 but ,kamloops ,lake must provide an inexhaustible reserve of fish to take the place of fish caught1 so that the river could never be really fished out or much overfished under present conditions4 ,the ,indians also fish1 and generally with the illegal salmon roe1 but do not make great catches2 the fly is more successful when the fish are taking it4 ,nets and dynamite would be useless in this river2 therefore1 even should a far greater population inhabit the surrounding country1 which is not likely for a great number of years1 this beautiful and striking river will still afford great sport for many generations4 ,there are long stretches which are never touched except by a stray ,indian or ,chinaman with a grasshopper or bit of salmon roe on a string tied to a long willow pole4 ,some years ago a nondescript individual who said he was a ,cherokee half-breed turned up at ,savona's ,ferry and earned a living by fishing4 ,every day he caught more fish than he could carry1 though he never revealed his secret4 ,some believed that he used set lines4 ,his success showed that trout were far more numerous than was generally believed1 but the fly fishermen caught as many as usual4 ,he was the most successful fisherman ,i ever saw4 ,it is a fact very striking to the ,english fisherman that the best fishing days in ,british ,columbia are the exact opposite of ours4 ,fine1 bright hot days without wind are the best1 both on river and lake2 cold and rainy days are always bad1 a fortunate thing1 as such days are very uncommon4 ,strong wind is1 oddly enough1 the greatest enemy of the angler1 especially on the lakes2 it nearly always puts the fish down4 ,the only thing that seems to account for these curious facts is the probability that the stone fly and other flies are not hatched out except on hot days1 while the fish are regardless of the gleam of the gut in the water4 ,my own experience has always been that the hottest days are the best4 ,except for rocks and stones1 and clambering up and down very steep banks1 the ,thompson ,river is easy to fish1 and trees are not troublesome4 ,mosquitoes are almost absent1 except in the south branch1 and the ,canadian ,pacific1 as has been said1 runs along its whole length1 thus giving easy access to the river1 while hotels exist at most of the stations4 ,the railway company publishes a pamphlet on shooting and fishing1 but the ,thompson ,river is altogether omitted1 which is certainly very strange1 as the line runs along the banks for its whole distance1 and there is no part of ,british ,columbia in which such excellent fishing can be obtained1 and no part of ,canada which enjoys such a climate or offers such strangely attractive scenery4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,kamloops ,district--,kamloops as ,headquarters--,may ,floods and ,fishing in ,shuswap ,lake--,silver-bodied ,flies--,streams ,running into the ,lake--,the ,eagle ,river--,advantages of a ,steam ,launch--,a ,big ,catch--,possibilities of the ,prawn--,a ,july ,spectacle--,fishing at ,tranquille--,kamloops ,lake--,savona's ,ferry--,great ,sport in ,june--,dolly ,varden ,trout--,a ,fifteen-,pounder--,falling-off of ,sport when ,salmon are ,running--,the ,salmon ,fly--,size of ,catches on the ,thompson--,august a ,bad ,month4 ,the ,thompson district may be described for fishing purposes as beginning at ,sicamous junction and ending a little below ,spence's ,bridge1 including the ,shuswap and ,okanagan lakes1 ,kamloops1 ,nicola1 and ,mammit lakes1 and the mountain lakes in the neighbourhood1 all of which are more or less part of the ,thompson watershed4 ,of this country the town of ,kamloops is the centre1 situated at the junction of the north and south branches of the river1 and seven miles above ,kamloops ,lake1 its name meaning1 in the ,thompson language1 the meeting of the waters4 ,by virtue of its position it is an excellent headquarters for anyone wishing to fish in the district1 for by rail1 stage1 or horseback every portion of it can be reached from there1 and there are good stores to outfit from1 and good hotels--for ,british ,columbia4 ,fishing in this district cannot be said really to begin till ,may is well advanced4 ,it is when the snow begins to melt in earnest and the rivers and creeks come down in flood that real sport commences1 and this usually happens towards the end of ,may4 ,no sport can be obtained in the ,thompson ,river below ,kamloops ,lake at this time1 as the water is discoloured by the ,north ,thompson flowing in at ,kamloops1 which makes fishing useless1 and it is only in the ,south ,thompson and the ,shuswap ,lake that good sport can be obtained4 ,as the rivers begin to come down in high flood the trout congregate at the places where the streams flow into the ,shuswap ,lake1 doubtless for the food which is brought down1 and after two or three hot days1 when these small mountain streams rise rapidly1 fishing is always good4 ,the fish may be seen leaping and splashing in great numbers at the place where the turbid waters of the stream mingle with the clear water of the lake4 ,small fry are the object of their pursuit1 and if a silver-bodied fly is thrown over a moving fish he takes it with a rush almost without fail4 ,it is a most exciting form of fishing1 for the fly must be thrown quickly from a boat or canoe over the fish as he breaks the water in his rush for the minnows1 and if he fails to see it further casting is often useless1 till another fish repeats the same manoeuvre4 ,it would seem as if the trout were lying in wait till a small school of young salmon or trout became entangled in the strong eddies of the stream1 darting out upon them when thus comparatively helpless4 ,an occasional fish may be got by casting here and there over the water1 but it is only when the trout are moving on the surface that really good sport can be obtained4 ,all the ,shuswap mountain creeks and rivers during late ,may and in ,june and ,july give opportunities for good fishing of this kind4 ,the ,eagle ,river1 about a quarter of a mile from ,sicamous1 is a good example2 and there are numerous other streams at various points in the ,shuswap ,lake 7some probably almost unknown7 which can be fished at this time of the year4 ,i remember a bag of #hjlb4 of fish taken on the fly at the mouth of ,eagle ,river some few years ago in three hours' fishing2 but it has not been equalled lately1 though there is no reason why it should not be1 in favourable circumstances4 ,the time to look for is when the first flood comes down the ,eagle ,river after two or three hot days1 and there must not be any wind to speak of on the lake4 ,the fish may be seen leaping1 from the hotel windows1 and it is then that the fisherman must row his fastest to the mouth of the river1 and if they are still moving when he gets there his success is assured4 ,the best way to enjoy sport on the ,shuswap ,lake is to hire a steam launch and cruise round to the mouths of the various streams and try them in turn4 ,anasty ,arm1 ,scotch1 and ,adam's ,creek are the best known4 ,a canoe or boat must be taken to fish from1 and unless sleeping accommodation can be got on the boat1 it is necessary to camp on the shore4 ,if a steam launch is beyond the fisherman's means1 the only other way is to hire a boat1 with an ,indian or other guide1 and carry a tent and provisions4 ,wood and water are plentiful1 and there is only one objection to the plan1 that the mosquito is often very numerous and troublesome on the ,shuswap1 and ,sicamous is by no means exempt4 ,if1 however1 the sportsman can sleep on a steam launch1 this nuisance is got rid of1 as it is only on the shore that the mosquito is plentiful4 ,no more pleasant or sporting trip could well be undertaken than one in the ,shuswap ,lake from ,sicamous in ,june1 with a suitable steamer or launch1 for great fishing1 both with fly and troll1 would be certain at the mouths of all the creeks and rivers2 and if a rifle were taken1 bear1 both black and grizzly1 are by no means uncommon4 ,there is also another place1 hitherto little fished except by the ,indians1 which is well worthy of a trial4 ,it is in the centre of the lake1 where the four arms meet1 a place well known to the men who log on the lake4 ,it takes the form of a channel less than half a mile wide1 connecting the four arms of the ,shuswap ,lake4 ,here in #aijc1 in early ,august1 two men camped1 going up on a logging steamer from ,kamloops4 ,they trolled across and across the channel1 and caught in about ten days some thirty large silver fish1 the biggest being about #aelb4 ,many were lost including one monster supposed to be about #belb4 ,the best day's sport was about eight large fish4 ,i do not know whether this place has ever been fished since1 but it certainly deserves a trial4 ,at the mouths of the various creeks ,i have never heard definitely of anything over #glb4 being caught but the fish are always in splendid condition and give a great display of fight4 ,the best flies are those with silver bodies1 such as the ,silver ,doctor1 ,silver ,grey1 and ,wilkinson4 ,a dead bait on an archer spinner is very deadly1 and the abylone spoon2 a half-red spoon is to be avoided1 or a half-gold4 ,a large species of char may be caught by deep trolling with a weight and spoon2 but it is a poor kind of sport1 and the fish is not game4 ,the prawn has never been tried on the ,shuswap ,lake2 it might be worth a trial4 ,large trout have been taken on the prawn in the coast rivers2 but it is possible that they were sea-trout and not rainbows4 ,the upper part of the ,south ,thompson1 for a mile or more after it leaves the ,shuswap1 is good at the same time of the year in certain pools and eddies1 or riffles as they are called locally4 ,i once1 in early ,july1 saw a wonderful sight on this part of the river1 at a place called ,sullivan's ,pool4 ,i was passing in a logging steamer on a very hot morning1 and in a back eddy which forms this pool1 under a cut bank1 the water was alive with large trout chasing the small fry on the surface4 ,as each fish drove the little fish upwards a band of about thirty mergansers attacked them from above4 ,a curious and very lively scene was the result1 such as ,i have never seen before or since4 ,on returning about seven in the evening1 at my request the steamer was tied up to the bank1 and ,i put out in a small boat with a boatman1 though no fish were stirring and the mergansers were sitting gorged in a row on the bank4 ,however1 ,i hooked and landed at the first cast a beautiful #d-a_/blb4 rainbow1 which was promptly cooked for dinner4 ,if it had been possible to fish the pool in the morning a great catch could have been made4 ,at this time of the year good fishing can be got at ,tranquille1 where the river flows into ,kamloops ,lake and forms a slow-moving eddy4 ,fishing is the same here as in the ,shuswap2 it is only good on hot1 calm days1 and wind puts the fish down4 ,it is best when the fish can be seen splashing on the surface in the early morning or evening1 when good catches of fine fish may be made2 but1 as wind is by no means uncommon1 it is not always that circumstances are favourable4 ,tranquille is seven miles from ,kamloops1 on the other side of the river1 and comfortable accommodation can be got at ,mr4 ,fortune's ranch4 ,it is a beautiful place1 but mosquitoes are not unknown4 ,here ,capt4 ,drummond landed a #ab-a_/blb4 fish on the fly1 and a model cut out in wood was preserved for a long time1 but was burnt in a fire that took place there some few years ago4 ,this is the largest rainbow caught on the fly that ,i have ever heard of4 ,in ,may and ,june1 before the fish will take the fly1 there is often fair sport to be had with the minnow and spoon in ,kamloops ,lake2 unless the north branch of the ,thompson is in very high flood and discolours the water too much4 ,the north branch1 which joins the ,south ,thompson at ,kamloops1 is no good for fishing2 its waters are seldom clear enough1 and seem to be fed too much by glaciers1 with no large lake to clear and filter the water4 ,there are several rivers of the same type in ,british ,columbia1 and fishing does not seem to be good in any of them4 ,at the western end of ,kamloops ,lake the ,thompson flows out again to join the ,fraser at ,lytton2 the stream is swift and strong1 running when in high flood at the rate of twelve miles an hour4 ,in #ahid there was a very high water1 and the stationmaster at ,savona's wired to ,ashcroft1 a distance of twenty-four miles1 to say that the bridge had just been carried away4 ,a reply came giving the time of its arrival1 which was just two hours afterwards4 ,the dbris swept away the ,ashcroft bridge and also the bridge at ,lytton4 ,at ,savona's the fishing of the ,lower ,thompson begins1 and at this point1 about a mile from the mouth of the river1 there is an excellent hotel1 kept by ,mr4 ,adam ,fergusson1 one of the old timers of ,british ,columbia1 who came into the country with many others in the early days of the gold diggings on the ,fraser ,river4 ,this is really the only fishing hotel on the upper mainland of ,british ,columbia1 and is an excellent headquarters from which several lakes can be reached1 as also many places on each side of the ,thompson ,river4 ,this part of the ,thompson ,river affords good fishing from ,savona's to below ,spence's bridge1 wherever the water is accessible1 and1 though a little sport can be obtained in the latter part of ,may1 chiefly with spoon and minnow1 it is not usually till ,july that the river is in really good order1 when the excess of snow water has been carried off and the river begins to fall and get clearer4 ,the hot weather sets in at the beginning of ,june1 and a quick rise of the river is an immediate result4 ,on a rising water the trout will not take4 ,often there is a pronounced fall in the middle of ,june1 owing to cooler weather setting in1 though this does not always happen4 ,when it does occur excellent fishing can be obtained4 ,i remember its happening in the middle of ,june1 #aija1 and for a week there was tremendous sport2 a trout rose to every cast of the fly2 but as soon as the water began to rise again everything was at an end4 ,at the end of ,may1 before the water begins to rise1 a fair number of fish can be taken by spinning from the bank with spoon and minnow at the mouth of the river4 ,but these are another fish1 called locally the ,dolly ,varden trout1 a species of char1 a handsome fish with pink spots and light pink flesh1 and good eating4 ,they take the fly later on occasionally1 and run from #c_/dlb to #dlb41 but are not so lively as the rainbow1 though they are a strong and game fish4 ,i once took fifteen in a day's fishing with the minnow1 and they can also be caught by trolling from a boat near the mouth of the river1 the sport being varied by an occasional rainbow1 often of a larger size than those usually caught with the fly4 ,in ,may1 #aijc1 a ,dolly ,varden of #aelb4 was taken4 ,it is a curious fact that during the fly season in ,july very few of these fish are ever taken1 either on fly or spoon1 or by trolling in the lake4 ,the fly-fishing season at ,savona's really begins about the first of ,july and lasts till the salmon first arrive in the beginning of ,august1 when fishing invariably falls off1 probably owing to the fact that the trout follow the salmon to their spawning beds to prey on the eggs2 at least1 such is the local reason given4 ,whether this is true or not it is impossible to say1 but in any case the fact remains that about this time fly fishing falls off for a few weeks coincident with the appearance of the salmon1 and generally is poor during the whole of ,august1 at any rate at ,savona's4 7,it is often as good as ever lower down the river47 ,if a grasshopper is used some fish may still be caught1 especially if the bait be allowed to sink4 ,later on1 at the beginning of ,september1 the fish will again take the fly and continue to do so until the end of the season1 about the middle of ,october1 while ,i have been told by an ardent fisherman that he had excellent sport in ,november during a snowstorm1 regardless of the law of ,british ,columbia4 ,the excellence of sport in ,july depends a good deal on the rise of the stone fly1 or salmon fly as it is locally called1 and it is not until this fly makes its appearance that fishing becomes really good4 ,this insect in appearance is the same as the ,english stone fly1 but is much more plentiful on the ,thompson than ,i have ever seen it elsewhere2 in some seasons every bush on the bank is literally covered with the flies1 and later on the rocks are strewn with their dead bodies4 ,a good stone fly season is always a good fishing season1 for the fish are clearly very fond of them1 and may often be seen sucking them into their mouths as fast as they fall into the water1 or jumping at them as they dip down to the river's surface to lay their eggs4 ,i have often seen the salmon fly become suddenly very numerous about mid-day or an hour or so before that1 the hot sun hatching them out1 and at once the trout are on the move1 readily taking a fly tied to imitate the natural one1 and continuing to do so as long as the living fly is on the water4 ,at this time the best hours for fishing are the middle ones of the day1 however hot and bright they may be1 for in the earlier and later hours the fly is not on the water4 ,i have never found1 as a rule1 that very late or very early hours are favourable on this river during this month1 except just at the place where the river leaves the lake1 which is usually good in the evening1 especially after a very hot day4 ,the best fly at this time is one tied to resemble as nearly as possible the living salmon fly2 but if the natural fly is not on the water1 others may be tried1 such as the ,jock ,scott1 the ,silver ,doctor1 ,wilkinson1 ,march ,brown and other well-known flies4 ,some local men swear by a claret body1 others prefer a yellow or green2 but1 whatever fly is used1 ,i believe that it should have plenty of hackle and body1 and be of good size 7,nos4 #d and #e72 small flies are not advisable4 ,great bags must not1 as a rule1 be expected on the ,thompson2 fifteen to twenty good fish is an excellent bag on this river4 ,mr4 ,f4,j4 ,fulton1 of ,kamloops1 who has fished this river more than anyone else1 has never done better than twenty-four fish2 but these twenty-four fish would be #dhlb41 and ought to include at least a couple of fish about #dlb4 apiece4 ,on the ,thompson the angler must carry his own fish1 besides climbing up and down some very steep banks under the glare of a northern sun1 whose heat is increased tenfold by the water and the bare rocks4 ,such a day's fishing is no mean trial of endurance1 while the fierceness of the stream will generally account for a good percentage of lost fish4 ,with regard to the falling off of sport in ,august1 it may be quite possible that the salmon may really have nothing to do with the poorness of fishing at this time1 but that the real reason may be that the fish are fat and gorged with the abundance of fly and grasshopper1 and lie lazily1 deep in the pools4 ,in other parts of ,british ,columbia fishing is poor at this time1 and in waters the salmon cannot reach4 ,and this reasoning is rather borne out by the fact that towards the end of ,august or beginning of ,september the fish begin to take again1 though the salmon are still running in vast numbers4 ,one of the best catches ,i ever saw taken from the ,thompson 7thirty-six fish7 was got in early ,october1 and the trout rose up among the travelling masses of salmon and took the fly4 ,every part of the ,thompson is fishable to below ,spence's ,bridge1 over forty miles from ,savona's1 and the fishing is often irregular1 by which is meant that when sport is good at ,ashcroft it is not very good at ,savona's1 and vice vers4 ,i have known the fish to be entirely off at the mouth of the river near ,savona's1 while good bags have been got a few miles below4 ,this will show that sport on this part of the ,thompson is somewhat variable2 but still one point may be emphasised1 namely1 that during the two months of ,july and ,august there is always good fishing to be obtained at one point or another along the river1 and all can be easily reached from the ,savona's ,hotel4 ,the southern bank is followed by the main line of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway1 and is therefore easy of access2 the northern bank can only be reached on foot or on horseback1 and is therefore not so much fished4 ,to fish this bank far down it would be necessary to seek hospitality for a night or two from some rancher4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,what is the ,silver ,trout8--,evidence in ,favour of a ,new ,species--,difference in ,appearance from the ,rainbow--,a ,jumper--,native of ,kamloops and ,shuswap ,lakes--,a ,bag of ,twenty-four--,the ,dolly ,varden--,origin of the ,name--,not a ,free ,riser--,grayling--,chub and ,squaw ,fish--,great ,lake ,trout--,the ,silver ,fish at ,spence's ,bridge--,salmon or ,steel-head8--,cut-throat ,trout--,possible ,fishing ,tour in ,british ,columbia4 ,it still remains a question1 which has never yet been decided1 whether there are not two distinct species of trout in these waters4 ,there is no question that locally such is universally thought to be the case4 ,every local fisherman speaks of having caught a red side or a silver trout1 and firmly believes that they are distinct species4 ,should this be really the case1 it is a matter of no little interest1 as a new and very beautiful species would be added to those already known and described4 ,a brief account of the evidence1 for and against1 may not be out of place1 and might result in some final conclusion being arrived at4 ,for several years two ,americans came every season to ,savona's ,ferry to fish1 and1 becoming impressed with the beauty of the so-called silver trout1 they sent a specimen to ,professor ,starr ,jordan1 of the ,leland ,stanford ,university of ,san ,francisco4 ,the first specimen did not arrive in good condition1 and another specimen was sent1 in the preparation of which ,i personally assisted4 ,it was a fish of about #a-a_/blb4 in weight1 a very beautiful specimen and a most typical example of the silver trout4 ,professor ,jordan described this fish as a new species1 under the name of ,salmo kamloopsii1 and he so describes it in a monograph on the salmon and trout of the ,pacific ,coast1 published by the ,state ,board of ,fisheries for the ,state of ,california4 ,in this account he gives expert reasons1 founded on the number of rays in the anal fin and tail1 the position of the opercula1 and the size of the body scales1 suggesting1 moreover1 that the fish might turn out to be a connecting link between the true salmonid and the genus oncorhynchus or ,pacific ,coast salmon4 ,he suggested that a further specimen should be sent1 in order that the intestinal tract might be examined2 but this suggestion was unfortunately not complied with4 ,i am not prepared to say whether ,professor ,jordan still adheres to this opinion1 or whether the silver trout has been fully recognised among ichthyologists as a distinct species4 ,in a recent letter to me1 however1 he states that he considers the ,kamloops trout to be only a slight variation of the steel-head1 which statement shows that its exact identity is not established1 for the steel-head is absolutely unknown in these upper waters1 and the silver trout never goes down to the sea4 ,to the best of my belief it is a fact that no further specimens have been examined by any naturalist of note1 and the question is therefore still in statu quo4 ,it is a matter1 ,i would humbly suggest1 that is well worthy of solution4 ,so far as ,i am aware1 ,professor ,jordan is the only expert who has examined this fish4 ,the only other evidence as to its existence as a distinct species is the widespread local opinion1 which is also held by the half-breeds and ,indians1 who undoubtedly believe that there are two kinds of trout in the ,thompson ,river4 ,such evidence or belief is not scientific proof1 but is certainly of considerable weight1 until it is proved to be mistaken4 ,i have always been firmly convinced that the two fish are perfectly distinct1 and this opinion is fully shared by all the local anglers4 ,if two well-marked specimens are seen side by side the difference in appearance is most remarkable4 ,the silver trout is less heavily built1 the head is smaller and sharper1 the scales are smaller in size1 and the stripe on the side is violet instead of pink4 ,there is only one alternative opinion1 namely1 that for an unknown reason some rainbows acquire this peculiar silvery appearance4 ,whatever may be the final decision1 the fact still remains that a fish of a different type from the ordinary rainbow is common in these waters1 and is well deserving of a description4 ,the back is green1 with the usual black spots1 the sides and belly of a bright silver1 like a fresh-run salmon1 but instead of the pink or crimson stripe of the rainbow there is a similar band of a delicate violet or purple hue4 ,if two well-marked specimens are laid side by side the difference is most marked1 though difficult to describe exactly4 ,the silver trout is a cleaner-cut fish1 and looks exactly as if it had come straight from salt water2 one would hardly feel surprised to see the sea lice sticking to its sides4 ,from a fisherman's point of view it is gamer1 and is always out of the water when hooked1 appearing also to be more addicted to taking silver-bodied flies1 being more of a small fry than a fly feeder4 ,it is usually caught at the mouths of streams running into the large lakes1 and at the outflow of the ,thompson at ,savona's1 where it can be seen chasing the small fry on the surface4 ,it must1 however1 be admitted that some local anglers consider it to be merely the rainbow when in the pink of condition1 with the colour simply modified by the clear waters of the lakes1 and there is1 moreover1 no doubt that the poorer the condition of the rainbow the deeper is the red of its stripe1 though1 on the other hand1 ,i have seen splendid fish in which the stripe was very deep crimson4 ,spent fish1 however1 have always a deep red stripe4 ,this silvery fish seems to be chiefly native to the ,kamloops and ,shuswap lakes1 whence it spreads into the ,thompson4 ,it appears to be much less common in the river than in the lake waters1 except just at the outflow near ,savona's1 which is a favourite resort1 where in warm evenings in ,july and ,august it may be seen chasing the minnows in the first pool4 ,a few years ago ,i made a bag of twenty-four fish1 weighing #dhlb41 in two evenings between the hours of seven and eight2 four of these fish weighed #dlb4 apiece4 ,the fishing here must be done from a boat1 as the eddy where they move is beyond the reach of the bank4 ,it is a most exciting kind of fishing1 as it is almost useless to cast except over a moving fish2 the pool is still for some minutes1 and then1 in a moment1 a dozen or more fish will be at the surface rushing among the small fry1 who leap out of the water to escape them4 ,if a silver-bodied fly be thrown over one of these fish he is certain to take it1 and if two flies are used the second fly is certain to be seized as well1 while1 owing to the strong water1 a desperate fight is the result1 and the strongest single-gut is often broken4 ,but it is by no means on every evening that this sport can be enjoyed1 and in some seasons the fish are much more plentiful in this pool than others4 ,it must also be in hot1 still weather1 as a wind always puts them down4 ,the fishing obviously depends on the presence of the shoals of small fish1 probably young salmon4 ,the silver trout lie in wait for them here1 and when a shoal is entangled in the strong eddy they rush upon them4 ,this is the same form of sport which can be enjoyed at the mouth of the streams which run into the ,shuswap ,lake1 the ,eagle ,river at ,sicamous1 and ,scotch and ,adams ,creeks4 ,in connection with this fish it is worthy of note that the rainbow is a species which shows little tendency to vary from the type4 ,i have caught them in a great number of the streams and lakes of this district1 and they never seem to vary in the least4 ,a specimen from one lake could not be distinguished from any other2 they are always typical rainbows with the red stripe1 and no silvery fish are ever seen1 unless the lake is directly connected with the ,thompson ,river4 ,thus the silver form is found in ,shuswap1 ,kamloops1 and ,nicola lakes1 but in the large mountain lakes which have no open communication with the river only the ordinary rainbow is found4 ,there is only one exception1 the ,long ,lake near ,vernon1 which contains a beautiful silvery fish1 to be alluded to later4 ,this lake is1 ,i believe1 indirectly connected with the ,shuswap4 ,there are other interesting fish found in the ,thompson and the ,kamloops and ,shuswap lakes1 but they are not of much use to the fisherman1 though occasionally caught4 ,the ,dolly ,varden trout1 a species of char1 has been alluded to1 and is the only one which affords much sport to the fisherman2 it runs to a large size1 as has been stated1 but does not often take the fly4 ,its curious name is said to be derived indirectly from ,dickens and the time of his tours in the ,united ,states1 which produced a ,dolly ,varden craze in hats and some kinds of calico patterns1 of which one with pink spots was supposed to be the correct ,dolly ,varden pattern4 ,on seeing this fish for the first time1 some young lady is supposed to have exclaimed that it was a ,dolly ,varden trout1 and the name appears to have been generally adopted4 ,however this may be1 there is no other name for the fish except its scientific one1 and it is known all through the ,west as the ,dolly ,varden trout4 ,it is strong and game1 but not so lively as a trout4 ,it takes the fly very seldom1 and then generally only when about a pound or less in weight4 ,on the other hand1 in ,may it takes the minnow and spoon quite readily4 ,later on1 in ,july and after1 it is rarely that one is caught4 ,i once caught two of #dlb4 and #elb4 on a fly in ,july1 the only ones so caught during that month1 and have landed many on minnow and spoon4 ,that it reaches a large size is proved by the capture of the fish alluded to above1 which weighed #aelb4 ,the man who caught it informed me that it was got on the fly1 and ,i was never able to find out the true history of its capture1 but strongly suspect it was lured to its doom by a piece of raw beef4 ,the ,dolly ,varden is a greyish-coloured fish with light salmon-coloured spots of rather a large size4 ,an occasional grayling is caught on the fly1 but they are not plentiful4 ,i have never seen one over #blb4 ,a small fish1 like a grayling1 but without any adipose fin1 sometimes takes the fly2 it has a bright orange tinge on its side1 and has white flesh1 which is firm and very good eating4 ,the chub is very common1 and will take the fly1 but is regarded as vermin1 being very poor eating2 it runs up to #dlb4 and over4 ,the squaw fish1 also1 will take the fly sometimes1 but more often the minnow or grasshopper2 its flesh is white and tasteless4 ,it is a large-mouthed fish greatly resembling the chub and attaining about the same size4 ,both chub and squaw fish are great devourers of fry4 ,in the ,shuswap ,lake1 by trolling in deep water with a lead attached1 a large grey char with pink spots can be caught1 running up to perhaps #bjlb41 and being usually known as the lake trout or great lake trout2 it takes a spoon1 but is very sluggish1 and does not give any real sport4 ,the ,indians catch these fish4 ,i have never heard of their being caught in ,kamloops ,lake4 ,with reference to the run of ,pacific salmon1 it is interesting to note that large silvery fish have been caught by minnow and spoon in the ,shuswap ,lake1 notably in the narrow strait mentioned above4 ,mr4 ,inskip has within the last year or two written some letters to the ,field describing the capture of a number of silver fish up to #ajlb4 weight near ,spence's ,bridge1 at the mouth of the ,nicola river1 where it joins the ,thompson4 ,he believes these fish to be salmon1 and it is possible that his view may be correct4 ,but it is also possible that they may be silver trout or steel-head trout2 the evidence is not yet complete4 ,no salmon have ever been taken in this way with spoon or minnow above this point1 in spite of the number of years that fishing has been carried on in these waters4 ,the ,indians never catch salmon by trolling with the spoon1 though they troll persistently for trout1 the line being fastened to the paddle of their canoe4 ,mr4 ,inskip states that these fish never take the fly1 and he has only caught them in ,october4 ,there is1 of course1 no doubt of the truth of his statement1 and a possible explanation might be that the steel-heads run up as far as this point1 and go up to the ,nicola ,river4 ,it has never been thought that the steel-head runs as far as ,kamloops ,lake1 and ,i have never heard of anyone who claimed to have caught one2 it is1 however1 quite within the bounds of possibility that some of these fish may come up with the salmon4 ,the problem can be easily solved by counting the rays in the anal fin2 in the true trout these rays only amount to about nine1 in the salmon there are fourteen to sixteen well-developed rays4 ,the cut-throat trout is unknown to me4 ,i have never caught it in ,british ,columbian waters1 unless some fish mentioned later in the account of the ,nicola ,river belonged to this species4 ,it may occur in some of the southern ,british ,columbian coast rivers1 and is common further south in the neighbouring ,states of the ,union4 ,prof4 ,jordan states that it is always found in the country of the ,sioux ,indians1 and hazards a suggestion that they may have taken their tribal mark from it4 ,this mark consists of a couple of lines of red paint under the jaw on each side of the neck1 and is very similar to that which gives this fish its curious name4 ,the rainbow and the so-called silver trout are the only kinds which are met with in the central plateau of ,british ,columbia4 ,the next subject for consideration will be the fishing in the mountain lakes2 but before proceeding to it it may be as well to consider the fishing as a whole in the waters already described1 for the question which most naturally suggests itself to an ,englishman is whether the sport to be obtained is worth coming so far for4 ,anyone with the necessary money and time at his disposal might prefer ,norway or ,scotland4 ,it would certainly not be worth anybody's while to come such a distance to enjoy the two or three weeks at ,savona's1 which represent1 at the outside1 the time of the best fishing on the ,lower ,thompson4 ,it would be necessary for the fisherman to have plenty of time at his disposal1 so as to visit the different places at the time when the fishing was respectively at its best4 ,thus ,june could be spent in trying the sport on the ,shuswap ,lake1 with ,sicamous as headquarters1 while a visit could be paid from there to the ,okanagan ,lakes1 which can be easily reached in three hours by rail4 ,in ,july the ,lower ,thompson can be fished from ,savona's as a headquarters1 while from there several lakes can be tried during ,july and ,august1 the trip being concluded by a visit to the salmon rivers of the coast during late ,august and early ,september4 ,after that time big game or duck shooting might be tried4 ,the time mentioned would also allow for a visit to the fishing on the ,kootenay ,river near ,nelson4 ,there is hardly any need to say that all fishing in ,british ,columbia is free to everyone1 and1 although there is a little more fishing done than a few years ago1 no one need be afraid of over-fishing4 ,there is plenty of room1 and there will continue to be so for a very long time yet1 except in a neighbourhood close to any very large town4 ,the fishing in waters hitherto described may be compared1 in my opinion1 to very good sea-trout fishing1 which it closely resembles4 ,as stated before1 sport depends1 as in every country1 on certain states of water and weather4 ,a great bag cannot be an everyday occurrence1 but if the right places are visited at the right time there is great sport to be obtained4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,other ,lakes--,long ,lake--,its ,silvery ,trout--,fish ,lake--,extraordinary ,fishing--,fifteen ,hundred ,trout in ,three ,days--,a ,miniature ,gaff--,uses of a ,collapsible ,boat--,catching ,fish ,through the ,ice--,mammit ,lake--,nicola ,lake--,beautifully ,marked ,trout in ,nicola ,river--,the ,little ,red ,fish4 ,the ,thompson and its two great lakes1 the ,kamloops and ,shuswap1 having been dealt with1 the fishing in the mountain lakes remains to be described4 ,the sport to be obtained in some of these waters must be somewhat unique1 for though ,i believe it is surpassed in size of fish by some of the ,new ,zealand lakes1 it is impossible that it can be surpassed anywhere in the weight and number of fish captured in one day's fishing4 ,there are great numbers of lakes far back in the mountains in which no fishing has ever been done1 and others there are in which no one but a stray prospector1 hunter1 or ,indian has ever thrown a line2 but these1 of course1 need not be considered4 ,there are a good number which have had their capabilities tested1 and are locally more or less well known4 ,the chief fishing lakes in this district are the ,nicola and ,okanagan lakes1 which are very large1 and the smaller ones ,fish and ,mammit1 together with numerous smaller lakes which are less known4 ,in the ,okanagan district1 near the little town of ,vernon1 there is a beautiful piece of water called ,long ,lake1 about sixteen miles long by less than a mile wide1 about four miles from the town4 ,the water is very clear and the lake very deep1 the cliffs on each side running down sheer into the water4 ,the trout in this lake are remarkable for their size and extreme beauty2 the rainbow characteristic is entirely absent1 for they are of a pure silver colour1 with the merest trace of a pink tinge along the side2 they resemble1 in fact1 a fresh-run grilse straight from the sea1 and no fish which could be called a rainbow is ever caught4 ,the fish run to a large size1 #elb4 being by no means uncommon1 and fish from this weight up to #ablb4 have been often caught4 ,these large fish are caught by trolling in the ordinary way with spoon and minnow1 for the fly fishing is very uncertain4 ,there appear to be certain places along the sides of the lake to which the fish come up from the deep water on the look out for fly food2 but on the whole it is a trolling lake2 and differs in this respect from almost all the other lakes to be mentioned4 ,it may be that these fish are the same as the specimen described by ,professor ,jordan1 and are really a distinct species1 feeding mainly on small fry1 and not much addicted to a fly diet4 ,in appearance they certainly deserve the name of silver trout4 ,i am not aware that any specimen has ever been examined by any scientific authority on fish4 ,i fished once in ,july on this lake1 and caught two fish about #a-a_/blb4 apiece on the fly1 while another of about #clb4 was taken on a minnow4 ,dr4 ,gerald ,williams1 of ,vernon1 fishes here a great deal1 and gave me the above information4 ,he prefers this lake to the neighbouring ,okanagan ,lake1 but stated that the same fish were to be found in both4 ,this lake seems well worth a visit1 for if only a few fish were the result of a day's work their beauty and possible size would be worth the trouble1 while the lake and its scenery are characteristic of the most beautiful part of the interior of ,british ,columbia1 surrounded as it is by rolling hills of bunch grass1 range1 and pine-covered bluffs4 ,vernon can be easily reached by train from ,sicamous1 on the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway main line4 ,about twenty-three miles from ,kamloops there is a lake known as ,fish ,lake1 in which the fishing is so extraordinary as to border on the regions of romance1 though locally it is considered a matter of course4 ,for lake fishing1 in point of numbers1 it is impossible that this piece of water could be beaten2 it is like a battue in shooting1 the number to be caught is only limited by the skill and endurance of the angler2 indeed1 little skill is needed1 for anyone can catch fish there1 though a good fisherman will catch the most4 ,also fish can be caught on any day1 some days being better than others1 but a blank day is an impossibility4 ,the lake is twenty-three miles south of ,kamloops1 and is reached by a good road1 and there is now a small wooden house1 where one can stop and hire boats4 ,ten years ago there was only a trail1 which was rough travelling on horseback1 with a pack horse to carry tent and provisions4 ,the lake has been a fishing ground for the ,indians from time immemorial1 and fish used to be brought down by them to ,kamloops from a fish trap built in the creek running out of the lake4 ,i have also seen them fishing with bait and spearing fish at night2 but the true bait for ,fish ,lake is the fly1 and1 contrary to the usual case1 the white man with a fly and modern tackle can make catches which far surpass any that the ,indian ever made4 ,the trap has now been abandoned1 and the ,indians do not fish on this lake any more4 ,from time to time half-breeds and cowboys came into ,kamloops with stories of big catches of trout made with a willow bough and a piece of string with a fly tied to it2 sometimes #cjj or #djj fish would be brought down which had been caught in this way4 ,this stimulated the sporting instinct of the inhabitants1 and a few visits were paid to the lake and good catches were made1 but the fishermen who went were of a very amateur kind4 ,in the summer of #ahig an ,american proposed to me that we should go up and try what good tackle could do2 in fact1 he proposed that we should go up and try to make a record4 ,we went up in the first week of ,august1 and the result far surpassed our wildest imagination4 ,we fished three full days1 and brought back #aejj trout1 which weighed #gjjlb41 cleaned and salted4 ,the first day we caught #cej1 for some time was wasted in finding the best places4 ,the second day a start was made at #e a4m41 and we fished till long after dark1 about #i4cj p4m41 catching #fej2 the third day we caught about #ejj4 ,the weather was intensely hot and fine1 sometimes dead calm1 sometimes a strong breeze1 and at night a brilliant moon2 but whether dead calm or blowing strong it made no difference to the fish1 for they were taking as freely in the moonlight as at mid-day4 ,flies were abundant1 and the fish were ravenous for both real and artificial2 they almost seemed to fight for our flies as soon as they touched the water4 ,even when almost every feather had been torn off they would take the bare hook4 ,we fished with three flies1 and often had three fish on at one time2 on one occasion my companion handed me a cast and three flies with a few inches of running line which had been lost by me not twenty minutes before4 ,the hottest and calmest hours of the day afforded the best sport1 as is usual in my experience on all the waters of ,british ,columbia1 though wind did not make any difference1 except to make it more difficult to manoeuvre the boat4 ,our fish were cleaned and salted each day by some ,indians so that none were wasted1 and no fish were returned to the water except the very smallest4 ,we had estimated our catch on the best day to be over #gjj fish2 but1 owing to exhaustion and the necessity of cooking our supper1 after being seventeen hours on the water1 we did not feel equal to removing our fish from the boat1 and during the night a raid was made on them by mink1 which are very plentiful round this lake4 ,though it was impossible to say how many had been carried off1 #fej was the exact total of fish counted on the following morning4 ,if allowance is made for a rest for lunch1 and time taken off for altering and repairing flies and tackle1 it will be easily seen that this number of fish caught by two rods in one day on the fly constitutes a record which would be very hard to beat on this lake or any other4 ,the best ,i was ever able to do again1 with another rod1 was a little over #cjj4 ,but the conditions of the weather and the fly on the water were never quite so favourable4 ,at the time mentioned this lake was little fished1 and the ,indians with their fish trap would catch in one day far more than we accounted for2 but since the lake has become better known1 and the fish trap has been abolished1 it cannot be too much impressed on fishermen in this water that only the large fish should be retained4 ,in #aijc we only kept eighty-four fish out of a total of #cjj landed1 and these weighed about #fjlb4 ,this lake is a natural hatchery for trout1 and its waters are alive with them2 it is about four miles long1 shaped like a boomerang2 the margins are shallow1 with a thick growth of rushes1 among which the fish lie1 feeding largely on a small brown fly1 which may be seen on their stalks4 ,in order to catch these1 the fish may be seen jumping up and often shaking the fly into the water4 ,the best sport may often be had among these reeds in the more open places2 but the fish must be held with a tight line1 and prevented by main force from taking refuge among the roots of the rushes and entangling the cast among them4 ,when this occurs a long willow wand with a salmon fly hook attached is an excellent means of landing a good fish1 which could not be touched with a landing net4 ,the water of ,fish ,lake is very clear and always warm1 suggesting the presence of some hot springs in the lake2 though1 if this is the case1 it does not prevent its waters freezing in winter4 ,the water in the centre of the lake is very deep1 and fish may always be seen jumping there of a larger size than those usually caught4 ,few fish can be caught there by trolling a minnow or spoon1 only an odd fish or so being the result2 though a minnow or small spoon be trailed behind the boat for a couple of miles on the way home1 nothing is caught4 ,the fly is the only lure on ,fish ,lake4 ,the average fish is from #a_/blb4 to #a-a_/dlb41 though fish of #blb4 are common1 while anything over #clb4 is unknown4 ,i have seen several of #clb41 but nothing over it1 and if larger fish lurk in the depths of the lake they have never been caught by ,indian or white man4 ,there is nothing but rainbow trout in the lake1 and in general colour and appearance they vary very little1 being handsome1 bright-coloured specimens1 very game and strong2 the flesh is firm1 and excellent eating when fresh caught4 ,the altitude of this piece of water is between #djjj;ft4 and #ejjj;ft41 which causes the nights to be cold and sometimes frosty even in ,august1 while a cloudy day in these months is often chilly1 causing a dearth of natural fly and some falling off in the sport4 ,should the wind be strong enough to prevent fishing on the big lake1 there is a small lake at the western end which can be entered by a shallow channel1 and often provides just as good fishing as the large one4 ,almost any ordinary ,scotch loch flies are suitable for this water1 a brown wing being perhaps the best1 with a red body2 the ,zulu is a killing fly1 as also a minute ,jock ,scott1 size being the chief matter of importance4 ,the fly must not be too large4 ,on our arriving one evening at the lake in most beautiful weather1 two fishermen1 who had just left the water after fishing hard all day1 informed us that it was fished out1 for they had only caught thirty fish of about #alb4 each2 but the next day we caught #cjj1 and the fishing was the same as ever1 for the flies they had been using were ,thompson ones1 and the tail fly on one of their casts would have been too large on some ,norway salmon rivers in low water4 ,it would be hard to conceive a more ideal place for fishing than this most beautiful lake1 situated on a high plateau1 surrounded by its reedy banks and flanked by woods of pine and birch1 with waters of the deepest blue swarming with fish1 while overhead is a cloudless sky4 ,ten years ago it was but seldom visited1 now it is somewhat of a summer resort for the people of ,kamloops2 but it cannot be said to be overfished1 as the season is very short--,june1 ,july1 and ,august4 ,before and after that time the cold interferes with the rise of fly and the comfort of sportsmen4 ,formerly it was necessary to take a tent1 and camp on the shores of the lake2 but now an enterprising individual has put up a stopping house1 which affords good enough accommodation for anyone visiting the lake1 and also the use of boats4 ,the last time ,i visited the lake1 in #aijc1 the fishing seemed just as good as ever1 and it will probably be some time before there is much falling off in this respect1 unless the number of anglers who visit it is very much increased in the next few years4 ,for though doubtless more fish are taken by the fly1 yet the ,indian fishing and the fish trap have been done away with4 ,the latter would probably account for an immense number of fish1 which are now saved to the lake2 furthermore1 there is no poaching of any kind1 and the infamous otter is unknown in ,british ,columbian waters4 ,at the same time1 the importance of returning small fish cannot be now too much impressed on all fishermen who try this water4 ,even in case ,fish ,lake should in time yield to the effects of over-fishing1 there are five other lakes known within a radius of a mile or two1 which are believed to be just as full of fish2 though1 owing to the sufficiency of ,fish ,lake1 their capabilities have been little tried1 and it is chiefly on the reports of ,indians that their reputation stands1 though a few fish have been caught from the bank in one or two of them4 ,it would be quite easy to put boats on them should the need arise1 and larger fish are reported to abound in some of them4 ,very probably the ,indians are quietly fishing some of these lakes after deserting their old quarters4 ,in fact1 all through this part of the country there are many lakes1 some occasionally fished1 and others almost unknown1 and all abounding in trout4 ,a boat is necessary in all such lakes as have been alluded to2 nothing can be done without one4 ,mr4 ,walter ,langley uses a collapsible boat1 which can be packed on a horse's back1 and with this he has tried many lakes known to the ,indians2 his #bblb4 trout was caught from this boat4 ,in #aijb he visited some lakes on the opposite side of the ,thompson1 about thirty-six miles from ,savona's1 and reported the most wonderful fishing to me4 ,with a companion1 he fished about five days1 and brought back #gjjlb4 of salted trout2 his catch included more than fifty fish of #dlb4 in weight1 and the average fish was about #blb4 ,there were no small fish in the lake they fished1 and all were taken on the fly4 ,mr4 ,langley had accompanied me in #aijj to ,fish ,lake1 where we had excellent fishing2 but he reported the fishing on this lake to be far better1 owing to the large size of the fish2 in fact1 he described it as the best fly fishing he had ever enjoyed4 ,it may be noted that they had several ,indians with them1 and a large number of the fish caught were consumed on the spot1 as a fish diet on such expeditions is a matter of necessity1 in order to limit the number of pack horses required4 ,it is fortunate that ,indians are by no means averse to this article of food and seem very fond of fish of all kinds4 ,before the white man came to the country it must have been at many seasons of the year the staple article of food1 and it is for this reason that the ,indians know so well all the lakes and rivers where fish can be caught1 making therefore good guides to a white man in search of new fishing grounds4 ,but it must be remembered that the ,indian does not use the fly1 so that it is often necessary to make very careful inquiries from them as to the manner in which they catch fish in any fishing grounds that they may recommend2 and such inquiries are very difficult to anyone not acquainted with their peculiarities and the ,chinook jargon4 ,many weird fish stories might be told about ,fish ,lake1 but they become wearisome1 and enough has been said to give some idea of the fishing to be obtained4 ,it is1 indeed1 somewhat unique in its reality1 and requires no ,western embroidery of detail to be added to the facts quoted4 ,these facts show1 by the way1 the immense fertility of the rainbow1 where conditions are favourable1 its fly-taking propensities1 its boldness and voracity2 all of which qualities will commend themselves to ,english fishermen1 and confirm the enterprise and judgment of those who have introduced the fish into this country1 where it seems to bid fair to equal1 if not even to surpass1 itself in the same good qualities4 ,it is in the nature of a digression1 perhaps1 but as it has a bearing on the primitive methods of obtaining fish1 the following account of a peculiar kind of fishing may be of interest here4 ,there is a large lake in the interior1 up the ,cariboo road1 where the half-breeds indulge in a curious form of sport4 ,a large portion of the lake is very shallow1 and when it is frozen over the bottom can be very clearly seen4 ,when this is the case some of the half-breeds go out on skates and mark trout through the ice1 which they then pursue and attempt to drive into the shallowest parts near the shore4 ,a fine fish is driven about until he appears to be quite exhausted1 and finally is driven into shallow water1 where he often hides under weeds at the bottom2 a hole is then cautiously cut in the ice above him with a knife1 through which he is speared4 ,a fish about #aelb4 was once sent to me which had been caught in this way2 it was not a trout1 but the large kind of char1 commonly known as ,great ,lake trout4 ,there is another lake called ,mammit ,lake1 about twenty-five miles from ,savona's and about fourteen from ,fish ,lake1 which affords very good fishing4 ,it is a large piece of water1 about fifteen miles long1 surrounded by open bunch grass hills1 and can be reached from ,savona's by a good road4 ,its name is derived from the large numbers of white fish called mammit which abound in its waters1 and can only be taken by the net4 ,this lake is little fished1 but several fishermen who have tried it are loud in its praises1 notably my partner in the big catch on ,fish ,lake1 who informed me that he had better sport on its waters1 owing to the larger size of its fish1 which appear to run about #blb4 or so in weight1 and few either smaller or larger4 ,the evidence tends to show1 however1 that it is somewhat uncertain1 possibly owing to its extreme liability to a good deal of wind1 which may put down the fish or even prevent a boat from venturing on the lake4 ,it would seem advisable for anyone who might wish to visit this water to arrange to camp there for a week or more1 in order to be on the spot to sally forth whenever the fish are rising1 for it would appear that this lake resembles ,scotch lakes in the fact that the fish come on the rise at certain irregular times during the day1 and in the intervals only a few can be caught by hading or trolling4 ,i only once visited this water in ,august1 but was entirely prevented from fishing owing to the high wind4 ,the salmon had also entered the lake1 and their presence is supposed to militate against good sport4 ,july is the best time1 and there is no doubt that very good fishing can be obtained there1 while the lake is easily reached from ,savona's1 though there is no hotel accommodation1 and it is necessary to take a tent and provisions for camping-out purposes4 ,nicola ,lake is about fifty miles from ,kamloops1 and can be reached by a bi-weekly stage4 ,there is good fishing in the lake and in the river which flows into the ,thompson at ,spence's ,bridge4 ,the lake is a fine piece of water1 over twenty miles long1 and about a mile in breadth1 nearly equal in size to ,kamloops ,lake4 ,it has been but little fished1 except by a few local anglers1 and is full of very beautiful trout4 ,i spent the summer of #ahia at the small hotel at the foot of this lake1 but fished chiefly in the ,nicola ,river1 which flows out of it4 ,the sport in the river gave me full occupation1 so that very little time was devoted to the lake1 for every day ,i caught as many fish as one could carry back to the hotel1 mostly small1 from #a_/blb4 to #c_/dlb41 with one or two better fish of #a-a_/blb4 to #blb4 ,at the place where the river left the lake ,i used almost to fill a boat with large chub and a few good trout2 in the lake ,i made a few fair catches of a dozen or more fish about #a-a_/blb4 ,but all the information ,i gathered then and since about this lake points to the fact that the best fishing is at the other end of it4 ,in the river ,i used to catch a few fish very beautifully coloured about #c_/dlb41 with red and black spots on a golden ground2 in fact1 ,i mistook them for brown trout1 being ignorant of the fact that these fish were unknown in ,british ,columbia4 ,it is my belief that these were cut-throat trout4 ,on a calm day fish can be seen moving all over the lake1 which probably contains very large fish4 ,mr4 ,b4 ,moore1 now residing in ,victoria1 ,british ,columbia1 had a cattle ranch at its east end1 and has often told me of the excellent sport he used to enjoy1 both in the lake and the river which runs in there4 ,two hotels on the shores of the lake give good accommodation and keep a boat4 ,in the autumn a little silver fish1 about #a_/blb4 weight1 runs up the streams from the lake in large numbers for spawning purposes1 and is sometimes netted2 it is very good eating1 but takes no bait of any kind4 ,the flesh is deep red4 ,locally it was supposed that these fish were a species of char1 but in a pamphlet published by the ,government of ,british ,columbia on the fisheries it is stated3 ,there is another smaller form of the sockeye salmon1 found in many of the interior waters1 that appears to be a permanently small form1 which is known to writers as 'the little red fish1' ',kennerly's salmon1' or 'the ,evermann form of the sockeye1' and which in some lakes of the province can be shown not to be anadromous4 ,this form is often mistaken for a trout4 ,it has no commercial value1 and does not 'take a fly' or any bait4 ,the ,indians of ,seton and ,anderson lakes smoke them4 ,they give them the name of 'oneesh4' ,this is undoubtedly the fish which runs up the creeks from ,nicola ,lake in the early autumn to spawn in large numbers1 at first bright silver like a salmon1 turning to a crimson colour4 ,all are the same size2 about #a_/blb4 ,they are sometimes sold in ,kamloops for food4 ,they are never seen in the lake1 nor do ,i know if they return after spawning4 ,this fish is also present in the ,shuswap1 but not in ,kamloops ,lake4 ,the fishing in the ,nicola ,river is very good as soon as it begins to clear and subside from the early summer floods1 and it can be continued until the water gets too low in late ,august4 ,these lakes and rivers above described are at present the best known in this district1 but there are numbers of other lakes which are full of trout1 some of which are fished by the ,indians1 and in time will doubtless become better known to fishermen4 ,but it is quite evident that anyone visiting this part of the country has plenty of choice1 and1 in fact1 would hardly find time to visit and thoroughly try all the rivers and lakes described4 ,this district of ,british ,columbia has certain attractions of its own1 not present in other parts2 the climate is peculiarly fine and dry1 with a most bracing and clear atmosphere4 ,except for an odd thunder shower1 rain hardly ever falls1 so that camp life is free from one of its chief drawbacks4 ,flies and mosquitoes are not so plentiful1 though bad in certain places4 ,the general aspect is much more open1 with rolling hills of bunch grass and pine bluffs1 which give the scenery a different appearance from other parts of the country4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,the ,kootenay district--,sawdust and ,dynamite--,fine ,sport in ,vancouver--,harrison ,river and ,lake--,big ,fish in the ,coquehalla--,the ,steel-head in the ,fraser--,need for ,better ,river ,protection4 ,there are other parts of ,british ,columbia which afford good fishing4 ,excellent sport is still to be obtained in the ,kootenay district1 which can be reached from ,revelstoke on the main line of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway4 ,twelve years ago the fishing was unrivalled1 especially on the ,kootenay ,river4 ,very large bags could be got1 though the fish were not quite as large as in the ,thompson4 ,but it is unfortunately true that since this district became a mining centre the fishing has been largely spoilt4 ,professional fishermen have fished for the market1 sawmills have been allowed to empty their sawdust into the rivers1 and probably alien miners and others have massacred wholesale with dynamite4 ,in the coast district1 of which ,vancouver is the centre1 there are plenty of rivers and lakes4 ,this part of the country has a heavy rainfall1 which causes a thick forest growth to cover the country and render the streams difficult or even impossible to fish1 unless they can be waded4 ,this is a drawback from which the upper country rivers are free4 ,but1 still1 fine sport can be had in many rivers and lakes4 ,the ,harrison ,river affords excellent fishing as early as ,april4 ,the fish run from #alb4 to #blb41 and take the fly freely4 ,the river flows out of ,harrison ,lake to the ,fraser at ,harrison ,station4 ,it must be fished from a boat4 ,bags of thirty and forty fish are by no means uncommon4 ,there is another river1 whose name has escaped my memory1 which is very good when low enough for wading1 and flows into the ,harrison ,lake4 ,the ,hot ,springs ,hotel affords good accommodation4 ,if the ,fraser is crossed at ,hope ,station there is a little village on the other side where somewhat rough accommodation used to be obtainable4 ,the crossing was formerly done in an ,indian log canoe1 a means of transport which one would hardly recommend to anyone of a nervous temperament1 though perhaps now a boat may be used4 ,a very beautiful river called the ,coquehalla joins the ,fraser at this place1 which ,i used to fish in #ahib4 ,it consists of a series of fine pools and rapids for some distance1 perhaps two or three miles1 until an impassable canyon is reached1 over which there is a natural bridge1 and here1 in the water below1 immense trout may clearly be seen1 though ,i know of no means of getting at them4 ,at the time ,i fished this river1 in ,july1 the salmon were coming up1 and ,i cannot say that my success was very great4 ,i was1 moreover1 a stranger to the country1 and could get no guide4 ,added to this1 my tackle1 experience1 and skill were all of a very inferior order4 ,but ,i found that the pools of this river contained very large fish1 which were then to me quite unknown monsters1 and ,i spent many long days on its banks in attempts to capture some4 ,i used to try each pool first with the minnow and then with the fly1 which was1 of course1 exactly the opposite of the right course4 ,several good fish of #elb4 or so were landed and many lost4 ,on one occasion1 as ,i was hauling in a small trout to remove it from my fly1 ,i was startled by an immense fish which leapt out of the water at it1 close to my feet4 ,it must have been a fish of anything from #ajlb4 to #aelb4 or more4 ,it jumped high in the air1 drenching me with spray as it fell back into the water4 ,i supposed it to be a large salmon1 but as a bright red stripe was clearly seen along its side ,i know now that it was a rainbow trout4 ,twice in this river small trout were seized as they were being drawn in1 but each time the single gut was snapped off by the fish4 ,the higher parts of the river were never tried by me1 though once or twice ,i saw large strings of trout brought in by cowboys4 ,no doubt at this time of the year the best fishing was in the upper waters4 ,probably the steel-head or sea-trout comes up the ,fraser as far as the ,coquehalla4 ,another stream called ,silver ,creek runs into the ,fraser about three miles below ,hope1 and ,i had much the same experiences along its banks4 ,it can only be fished when low enough for wading4 ,i should much like to try these two streams again1 as ,i am confident that some very large fish could be caught4 ,it would be well worth trying the effect of a prawn1 fished deep4 ,a ,silver ,devon ought also to be effective4 ,personally this is the limit of my experience in ,british ,columbia1 but very good fishing is to be got in the ,coquitlam and ,capillano near ,vancouver1 and in the ,stave and ,pitt ,rivers1 which are a little further off4 ,in all these rivers the steel-head can be got on the minnow1 seldom1 ,i believe1 on the fly4 ,it is hard to say how far the steel-head may run up the ,fraser--probably at least as far as the ,coquehalla at ,hope1 for up to this point there is nothing in the strength of the current to prevent it2 but above1 in the ,fraser ,canyon1 the tremendous difficulties of the ascent may well stop its further progress4 ,the steel-head has not developed the powerful tail and anal fin of the ,pacific salmon1 which must be a great aid to it in passing through such strong water for such immense distances4 ,it may well be that the smaller tail of the steel-head renders it unfit for the effort4 ,otherwise1 there would be no reason why it should not travel up the rivers as far as the salmon1 just as the sea-trout does in ,european rivers4 ,this is apparently not the case4 ,the ,fraser ,canyon appears to be impassable to them1 and they are only found in the lower tributaries of the ,fraser and shorter coast rivers4 ,the steel-head is the sea-going species of the rainbow2 it is practically a silver rainbow1 without the red stripe1 which only appears faintly after it has been some time in fresh water4 ,the steel-head is usually known as ,salmo gairdneri1 but in a recent letter ,professor ,jordan informs me that its correct name is ,salmo rivularis ayres4 ,he states that he has evidence to prove that the original gairdneri was the nerka1 which is the sockeye or blue-back salmon4 ,the smaller sizes take the fly readily under favourable circumstances1 both in the salt water1 at the mouths of rivers1 and in the rivers themselves4 ,the heavier fish of #glb4 and upwards are more often got on a minnow4 ,large ones up to #aalb4 have been caught with the prawn in the basin under the falls of the ,capillano4 ,though ,i am not prepared to say whether these fish were rainbow or steel-heads1 the fact must be strongly insisted on that there is considerable difficulty in distinguishing between steel-head1 rainbow1 and the smaller salmon4 ,in the case of the two former it is a matter of experience4 ,the latter are easily known by the test of the anal fin and tail4 ,great confusion has been caused1 and always will be1 until proper care is taken4 ,the ,coquitlam1 ,capillano1 and other rivers have been much overfished by legal and probably by illegal means4 ,the sport used to be excellent1 and would soon improve again under proper conditions4 ,it would be an excellent thing if an anglers' club was formed in ,vancouver1 and part of the water preserved4 ,if part of the water was thus properly treated1 and a small hatchery put up1 no doubt the fishing would soon be better than ever1 while immense benefit would accrue to the remaining public water4 ,this deplorable state of affairs is merely the natural result of the almost criminal neglect of the ,british ,columbia ,government to do anything to preserve the valuable sporting assets of the country4 ,the ,kootenay waters have suffered in the same way1 as also some of the rivers near ,victoria on ,vancouver ,island4 ,the ,dolly ,varden trout is very plentiful in all these rivers4 ,some very fine bags of large fish have been made in the ,squamish ,river in ,butte inlet4 ,on ,vancouver ,island there is good fishing1 easily reached from ,victoria4 ,the ,cowichan ,river and ,lake are the best known4 ,steel-head and rainbow can both be got on fly and minnow4 ,the flies used are even larger than those on the ,thompson4 ,personally1 ,i have never fished on ,vancouver ,island1 but from all that ,i have heard ,i should say that sport is not so good there as on the upper mainland4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,salmons of the ,pacific--,legends ,concerning ,them--,the ,five ,species--,systems of ,migration--,powers of ,endurance--,absence of ,kelts--,do ,they ,take a ,fly8--,terrible ,mortality--,a ,vivid ,red ,ribbon--,points of ,difference ,between the ,quinnat and ,salmo salar--,work of the ,canneries--,artificial ,propagation4 ,no account of the fishing in ,british ,columbia would be complete unless some mention were made of the salmon1 though it is only in tidal water that they can be caught with the rod1 and though in the upper country they are useless from the fisherman's point of view4 ,the annual migration of the ,pacific coast salmon is a wonderful thing1 about which little has been written1 and much requires to be learnt4 ,to those who have seen it1 the phenomenon is most striking1 and has vividly impressed the western imagination1 which revels in weird stories concerning it4 ,thus it is current report that the waters of ,harrison ,lake have been known to rise several inches from some unknown cause1 only to be accounted for by the immense rush of salmon into its waters2 that paddle-steamers have been stopped in the ,fraser and at sea by the salmon armies2 that the backs of the fish have made stepping-stones by which the ,fraser has been crossed4 ,these and similar stories are the folk-lore of ,british ,columbia1 and yet they are almost possible1 so immense are the battalions of the salmon which swarm to the ,fraser and other large rivers4 ,it is an astonishing migration1 full of interest and well worthy of study1 not only to the naturalist1 but to the student of social economy1 as this migration is the source of an important food supply1 and one of the chief industries of the country4 ,there are fifty canneries established at the mouth of the ,fraser1 besides others further north1 and between them they export annually millions of tins of canned salmon4 ,the ,pacific coast salmon in ,british ,columbia comprise five species1 all belonging to the genus ,oncorhynchus of the salmonid family4 ,they are the king salmon or quinnat1 a large fish running up to over #hjlb41 known also as the spring salmon2 the silver and blue-back salmon1 which are known as the cohoe and sockeye1 and are the fish used by the canners2 and the humpback and dog salmon1 which are of little value1 and only eaten by the ,indians4 ,the first named is the most interesting for the purpose of this book1 as it is the fish which affords the famous sport at ,campbell ,river4 ,the silver and the blue-back only run to about #ajlb4 ,the two last are pale fleshed1 and are hardly considered fit to eat4 ,the king or tyee1 quinnat1 spring or chinook salmon 7,o4 tschawytscha7 is the most important from the sportsman's point of view1 but owing to its occasional white or very pale pink flesh not so useful to the canner4 ,it runs from about #aelb4 to over #hjlb42 fish of #ejlb4 are common1 and some of #ajjlb4 have been reported4 ,it has sixteen rays in the anal fin4 ,the back is blackish1 and underneath it is not so bright a silver as the ,atlantic salmon4 ,it turns black and not red in the upper waters4 ,the sockeye or blue-back 7,o4 nerka7 is the chief source of the cannery supply4 ,the anal fin is long1 with fourteen rays4 ,the back is blue and the sides of a bright silver changing to a dark green and dull crimson in the upper waters4 ,weight from #clb4 to #ajlb4 ,flesh a deep red4 ,the cohoe1 silver or fall salmon 7,o4 kisutch7 is also canned1 weight #clb4 to #hlb41 light green and silver in colour4 ,the dog salmon 7,o4 keta71 #ajlb4 to #ablb4 in weight1 fourteen rays in anal fin4 ,it is so called from the misshapen appearance of the head and teeth of the males at spawning time4 ,colour of a dark silver1 turning black and reddish in the upper waters4 ,the humpback 7,o4 gorbuscha71 the smallest of the family1 #clb4 to #flb4 ,a hump appears just behind the head of the males at spawning time1 fifteen rays in the anal fin4 ,the flesh of these last two species is not much used4 ,of these fish the spring salmon appears first in the ,fraser in the early spring1 and progresses steadily up the river as far as it is possible to go1 apparently keeping more up the main current and avoiding the ,shuswap ,lake to which the ,thompson leads 7at least it is very little noticed in that river71 whereas the sockeyes swarm up it in great numbers4 ,it does not seem to travel in large schools in these waters4 ,a few arrive in ,kamloops ,lake during ,july1 but it is never much in evidence in the ,thompson ,river district4 ,it is doubtless a very powerful swimmer4 ,professor ,jordan points out that this and the other species are remarkable for the great number of developed rays in the anal fin and tail1 which must aid the fish immensely in its long journey against the strong water of the ,fraser4 ,the progress of all these fish is made by steady travelling in the slacker water at the sides of the river4 ,i have often watched them slowly making their way upwards in the clear water of the ,thompson1 one noticeable fact being that they do not rise much to the surface or ever leap into the air1 like our own fish4 ,in the lakes1 and occasionally in pools of the ,thompson1 ,i have seen them roll over in the water1 but never leap into the air4 ,it seems not unreasonable to suppose that one reason for the leaping of the ,atlantic salmon is because he is practising for the time when he will have to jump a difficult waterfall in the river he ascends4 ,but in the inland lakes and rivers the ,pacific salmon never leap1 and1 in fact1 are seen but little on the surface4 ,on the other hand the trout appear to leap quite as much as the ,european species4 ,on ,fish ,lake the rainbows are leaping continually4 ,the ,pacific salmon has no skill in jumping1 he merely swims on continuously2 indeed1 he appears perfectly incapable of negotiating the smallest waterfall4 ,i have seen thousands of ,pacific salmon stopped hopelessly by a fall which would not hinder a small ,european sea-trout4 ,it may be that the tremendous nature of the journey already completed has robbed him of the energy necessary for leaping1 but experience would lead me to believe that the ,pacific salmon trusts to immense powers of endurance1 which enable him to travel thousands of miles against a frightful current rather than to a short journey and one or two big jumps4 ,this fact is certainly worthy of further investigation and note1 in view of the introduction into ,british ,columbia of the ,atlantic salmon4 ,there must be numbers of rivers barred to the ,pacific fish which would be quite easy of access to the ,atlantic4 ,i doubt much if the quinnat could tackle an ordinary artificial salmon ladder1 though there are undoubtedly numbers of streams in ,british ,columbia which could be rendered navigable to ,salmo salar by such means4 ,a small hatchery established on such a river might at once establish the ,european fish in these waters4 ,on the other hand it is very doubtful if the present attempt to acclimatise ,salmo salar by the introduction of small fry into the ,fraser can avail much4 ,few could hope to survive and compete with the countless myriads of the sockeyes1 while it is doubtful if the ,atlantic fish could ever make its way for hundreds of miles against the ,fraser current4 ,it is not fitted for a slow journey of weeks and even months1 but rather for one of some few hours with a strong leap at the end which lands it at once in the destined pool or lake4 ,there are two other points which will strike the fishermen in ,british ,columbia waters4 ,one is the absence of kelts at any time of the year4 ,the other is the fact that1 though the waters are often alive with young salmon1 none are ever caught on the fly4 ,the first point is explained by the fact that these fish die after spawning4 ,there is no doubt that this is well established1 though there is something to be accounted for--namely1 the large specimens of each species1 which must undoubtedly either be survivors of a former run or else fish which have stayed in salt water to a more advanced age4 ,to take the example of a spring salmon of #hjlb42 this fish would1 in ,europe1 be reckoned as at least ten years old and probably a great deal more4 ,are we to conclude that such a fish has never been into fresh water before1 or is it not more probable that he has only been in the habit of frequenting some lake at a short distance from the sea1 and returning thence in time to escape death from exhaustion8 ,the large specimens of the other species might also be accounted for in this manner4 ,the second point is merely a fact1 and does not require any explanation1 except that it may have some bearing on the matter of the adult fish not taking the fly4 ,i would not go so far as to say that these young fish have never been known to take a fly1 but ,i never remember catching one myself1 and they certainly do not take it as the salmon parr do in our waters4 ,it is of course possible that many may be taken and supposed to be trout4 ,but if such were the case1 it would surely be more commonly known and noticed4 ,very little appears to be known of the habits of the young fish or the time they spend in fresh water before they go down to the sea4 ,it has been a much debated question as to whether the ,british ,columbia salmon takes the fly1 and it may be stated once for all that it does do so1 but only in tidal waters4 ,in the up-country lakes and rivers it takes nothing1 and those who may have seen its migrations will easily understand the reason4 ,the fish have no time to feed or rest2 they may be seen ceaselessly though slowly pressing on in the shallow water at the sides of the ,fraser or ,thompson1 as if pressed on by the weight of those behind1 impelled by some all-powerful desire to get to their journey's end1 to spawn and die4 ,none return1 and the lakes and pools of the rivers are filled with corpses1 on which bears1 eagles1 and all creatures which can eat fish are filled to the full4 ,there is no time to look at bait of any kind1 for it is a terrible journey through the rapid waters of the ,fraser1 and many fish show the marks of bruises and cuts1 while few are in an eatable condition by the time they reach ,kamloops ,lake4 ,this journey would seem to take them three or four weeks from the time they appear at the ,fraser mouth1 about #bjj miles in distance4 ,anyone who has ever seen ,hell's ,gate1 in the terrible canyon of the ,fraser1 and these millions of struggling fish slowly pushing their way upwards without a moment's rest1 impelled by the vis a tergo of the swarms behind1 and each one anxious only to move forward1 can easily understand how impossible it would be in such a struggle for mere existence that a fish should pause to take bait4 ,even in our own rivers running salmon practically never take4 ,it is only when they have reached some pool or resting-place that they will look at a lure4 ,but when these masses of fish emerge into the large lakes1 the first comers must still be remorselessly driven on by the mass of those behind until the farthest limits and some impassable barrier is reached4 ,i have never seen the spawning-beds myself4 ,jordan says they spawn in #a;ft4 to #c;ft4 of water in rivers like salar1 but one can readily imagine the desperate struggle for existence that must go on as the swarms reach the grounds and fight for positions2 while no doubt on their outskirts are small armies of trout and other fish eager to devour the eggs as soon as they are laid4 ,as the salmon seem to pass right up to the headquarters 7cf4 ,jordan7 they would get beyond the big trout4 ,probably it is here that their numbers protect them1 the trout being unable to penetrate their close ranks until the eggs are laid and concealed in the gravel and death begins to be busy among the salmon4 ,possibly here1 too1 may be some protection1 for doubtless the other fish prey on the dead carcases1 which would be a more obvious food supply than the hidden eggs4 ,this description of spawning-beds is mere imagination1 as ,i have never met anyone who had seen them2 but it is probably much exceeded by the reality4 ,a short description of what ,i have seen will help to realise what must take place on the spawning-beds4 ,it must be noted that the salmon runs are in cycles4 ,every fourth year is a big run of sockeye1 and when there is a small run of these fish there may be a big run of humpbacks or dog salmon4 ,one year in the early nineties the ,thompson presented a strange sight to travellers in the ,canadian ,pacific trains1 though as the trains pass this part in the very early morning probably few saw it4 ,the line here closely follows the river1 and in the canyon rises to several hundred feet above it1 so that a splendid view of the river is obtained4 ,at this time1 as seen from above1 the deep blue water of the stream was bordered on each side by a vivid red ribbon1 which when seen closer proved to be the array of sockeyes struggling up the side eddies in countless myriads4 ,how long this lasted ,i cannot say1 but ,i saw it several times on my professional journeys on the railway4 ,it was a very wonderful sight4 ,every fish was about the same size1 about #glb4 or #hlb41 and all were deep red in colour4 ,the time of year was about ,september4 ,in #aija ,i had occasion to go from ,spence's ,bridge to ,nicola ,lake in early ,september2 the stage-route is along the banks of the river1 which at that time was very low4 ,a run of humpbacks was going on2 the pools were black with them1 and the shallows between the pools presented a most remarkable appearance2 the water was only a few inches deep1 and between the stones the humpbacks were slowly wriggling upwards in countless thousands1 only half covered by the water4 ,when the coach was high above the river they looked like an army of tadpoles blackening the river bed1 their colour being almost black with a reddish tinge at the sides4 ,the male fish alone has the curious hump well developed in the breeding season2 it is situated just behind the head and is about #c_/d;in4 high1 resembling the hump of a camel2 the female has only a very small one4 ,at an ,indian village which we passed two or three ,indians were standing in the water armed with long gaffs with which they hooked the fish out and threw them to the squaws on the bank1 who were cleaning1 splitting1 and hanging them up on long fir poles to dry in the sun4 ,a rancher living near here informed me that he took the trouble to count the number on one pole and thereby estimate their total catch4 ,i forget his figures1 but believe it was several hundred thousand--a mere flea-bite to the total number of fish in the river1 which must have run into millions4 ,the fish were unable to get into ,nicola ,lake owing to a dam1 and on my return journey1 two weeks later1 there was not a living fish to be seen1 the pools being filled with dead bodies1 and the awful stench of the river rising to heaven4 ,it seemed to me a terrible waste that all these fish should die1 but such is the fact1 and it must be fortunate that they do not feed on their way or they would clean out a river like an army of locusts4 ,what becomes of the trout during these invasions presents a curious problem1 for the condition of the stinking river would seem sufficient to kill them unless they can escape to some lake4 ,possibly the trout flee upwards ahead of the serried ranks of the invaders with the view also of feeding on their eggs when they reach the spawning grounds4 ,i have seen the bottoms of good trout pools black with salmon in certain rivers and have been told it was useless to fish them1 and this fact ,i also verified2 while other pools higher up and not yet invaded gave good fishing4 ,these two instances will give some idea of the extraordinary invasions by the salmon of the ,british ,columbia rivers as it presents itself in the ,thompson district4 ,at the coast the migration begins with the large spring salmon1 the quinnat1 which seem to appear off the mouth of the ,fraser in ,january1 and run up the rivers during ,april1 ,may1 and ,june before the sockeyes make their appearance1 but never in such large numbers as the latter4 ,their migration is more like that of the ,atlantic fish1 which they also resemble in point of size4 ,they are not so much used by the canneries1 whose season does not begin till ,july1 and are only caught for the local market1 and by trolling with rod and line2 these are the fish which chiefly provide sport in the tidal waters of ,british ,columbia4 ,as has been said they run up to #hjlb4 and over1 and resemble our own salmon in general appearance1 though they are not of such a bright silver colour1 and are rather more heavy looking4 ,the most obvious point of distinction is the large size of the anal fin and tail1 which contain a great many more rays than those of our own trout and salmon4 ,this point of distinction is common to all the five species of the ,pacific coast salmon1 and distinguishes them from the rainbow and steel-head1 which are true salmonid4 ,the flesh1 especially in spring1 is excellent eating1 but possibly not quite so delicate as the ,atlantic fish1 and not so highly esteemed4 ,perhaps this is partly owing to the fact that salmon is so common and cheap1 for a large fish can often be bought for a shilling or half a crown4 ,i have seen an occasional large fish move in the ,thompson early in ,july1 but have never noticed them in the ,kamloops ,lake in any large numbers1 though doubtless a certain proportion does come there4 ,it would appear as if the large size and strength of this fish enables it to run earlier in the year and to stem the rivers when swollen by the melting snow in ,may and ,june2 while the smaller sockeye times its appearance to coincide with the fall of the big rivers in ,july4 ,it can hardly be a fact that the quinnat never returns to the sea1 for if that were invariably the case1 how could the large fish of #hjlb41 which must be of considerable age1 be accounted for8 ,it would not be difficult for a fish to return from a large lake like the ,harrison1 which is only some #ej miles or so from the ,fraser mouth4 ,it may be that if these fish get far up the ,fraser1 perhaps #ejj miles or more from salt water1 they may not have strength to return4 ,jordan says the spring fish run over #bjjj miles in some rivers4 ,but from spawning-grounds only distant a few miles they can easily return1 as could also the smaller species1 unless1 which seems very unlikely1 the act of procreation is fatal in itself4 ,still1 the fact remains that ,i have never seen a kelt in ,british ,columbia nor heard of one1 nor does there seem to be any return stream of migration in winter or early spring1 a feature which could not escape notice if it occurred to any considerable extent4 ,therefore if any fish return it must be only a few scattered individuals1 not one in a million of the swarms seen passing upwards4 ,the ,indians along the ,fraser catch these fish by standing on certain rocks with a large dip-net1 by which they catch a considerable number as the fish pass upwards4 ,in the first week of ,july or thereabouts the silver and blue-back salmon appear1 and the canneries at the ,fraser mouth begin work4 ,this is the sockeye run1 which is always very large1 but varies in different years1 every fourth year being an extra large one4 ,drift-nets are employed by a large number of boats1 which may catch in one night thirty to eighty or more fish1 for which they get about #ae cents4 apiece from the canneries4 ,the season lasts till about the end of ,august1 when the run falls off1 and is succeeded by the run of the humpback and dog salmon1 which are of no commercial value4 ,indians1 white men1 and ,japanese are employed1 and the mouth of the ,fraser is a scene of great activity1 while on the ,american side large fish traps are employed in which many thousands of salmon are caught at one haul4 ,the following will give some idea of the work of the canneries43-- ,,annual ,,pack ,,for ,,six ,,years4 #ahig #a1jbg1bjd cases 7#dhlb74 #ahih #dib1feg #ahii #gfe1eag #aijj #fjf1ecj #aija #a1bcf1aef #aijb #fbe1ihb ,the first news of the approach of the sockeye is generally brought to ,vancouver or some other coast city by some sailing ship or steamer which has encountered them in the straits of ,san ,juan or the ,gulf of ,georgia4 ,often strange stories are told of moving through a vast salmon army1 perhaps seven miles broad and of unknown length1 all heading straight for the ,fraser's mouth1 from their unknown feeding-grounds in the ,north ,pacific4 ,wild as some of these tales seem1 yet they are more or less true4 ,for these immense shoals come through the ,san ,juan ,straits and head northwards up the ,british ,columbian coast towards ,alaska1 while only a mere detachment enters the ,fraser1 a detachment of a few millions4 ,and also if it be true that none return1 they can have no leaders to show the way1 but must retrace the route they took as smolts on their way from the river to the ocean1 impelled by the sexual instinct to propagate the species4 ,they appear to hang about the mouth of the ,fraser for a short time1 then advance upwards as far as it is possible to go1 hundreds of miles into the interior1 and up every stream which will permit of their progress1 where they eventually spawn and die4 ,the silver salmon and blue-backs run in separate shoals1 and their respective names show the difference between them4 ,very handsome fish are they in spring1 of a bright silver hue resembling a fresh run grilse1 and about seven or eight pounds in weight4 ,but they quickly become red1 and in the upper waters of the rivers often present a far from healthy appearance1 showing visible traces of their struggles with the rocks and whirlpools encountered in their ascent4 ,this well-known red appearance is not1 however1 altogether due to the effects of the fresh water1 for straggling late bands are described as entering through the ,straits of ,san ,juan in the autumn which are almost as red as their earlier fellows at that time in the upper waters of the ,fraser4 ,on the heels of the sockeye come the humpback and the dog salmon1 about the same in size1 and fine silvery fish before the breeding season sets in4 ,but it is late in the autumn when they arrive1 and their flesh is white and does not meet the demands of the market4 ,the so-called hump is only present in the breeding season4 ,an attempt was made to can and sell them as white salmon1 but without success2 though recently a market has been found in ,japan1 whither they are sent in the dried form4 ,japan1 by the way1 possesses a sixth species of ,oncorhynchus1 the masu1 a fish resembling the humpback1 but this is not known to ,british ,columbian waters4 ,although an immense toll is taken by the canneries1 yet the supply of fish still continues1 assisted by the hatcheries which have been supplied by the ,government of ,canada1 by whose aid it is hoped that the effects of over-fishing will be counteracted4 ,for this hope there is considerable ground1 as the fishing on the ,columbia ,river has been restored by this means to something of its former condition4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,diplomat and the ,salmon--,the ,struggle for ,existence--,salmon and ,steel-head ,liable to be ,confused--,sport in ,tidal ,waters--,the ,campbell ,river--,the ,pioneers--,a ,river of ,fifty-,pounders--,smaller ,salmon on the ,fly--,method of ,fishing--,tackle--,typical ,good ,bags--,the ,steel-head--,cost of ,fishing--,dangers of ,over-,fishing for ,canneries--,a ,good ,trolling ,time4 ,though much more might be written about the canning industry and the migration of the salmon1 it is not material to the purpose of this book1 and has only been touched on to show how it bears on the question of salmon fishing by rod and line2 for it is often stated that the salmon does not take the fly in ,british ,columbia1 as if it were a personal matter and some perverse characteristic of the fish4 ,there is another story very popular in the west1 relating what happened at the time when the great fur companies held the country and were disputing and even fighting for its possession4 ,the ,imperial ,government sent out some illustrious diplomat to report on the situation1 and he described the country as of no value and so hopeless that even the salmon would not take the fly4 ,it is a tradition in ,british ,columbia that on this ground the now flourishing ,states of ,idaho1 ,montana1 ,washington1 and ,oregon were handed over to the ,americans4 ,the description given of the conditions under which the salmon migrate is intended to show reasons why the fish are unable to oblige the angler in this matter of taking the fly4 ,these conditions are obvious4 ,the desperate struggle for existence in an immense shoal of fish pressing upwards against the tremendous current of a river abounding in strong rapids and whirlpools2 the length of the journey1 several hundred miles in extent2 the absence of any chance of resting owing to the pressure of the multitudes behind2 and1 finally1 the state of exhaustion brought on by all these forces combined--these things must1 and indeed do1 reduce the fish to such a condition that its final energies are devoted to and exhausted by the propagation of its species4 ,even if enough vitality were left to make it take a bait1 no sport would be obtained by the angler1 and his sorry capture would be generally unfit for food4 ,i have once or twice experimented by foul-hooking salmon in the tail in the ,nicola ,river1 but after one feeble rush the fish was easily hauled ashore even by light trout tackle1 and returned to the water as entirely useless to anyone except an ,indian4 ,there is only one final conclusion to be drawn1 that in the upper waters of the rivers and the inland lakes the salmon do not take the fly or any other bait1 nor is there any case in which it has been even alleged that a salmon has ever been caught on the fly4 ,occasionally large silvery fish have been caught on spoon and minnow1 but1 in the absence of proof to the contrary1 it is most probable that these fish are either large silver trout1 rainbow1 or steel-heads4 ,absolute proof of the capture of a salmon is still wanting1 though it is quite possible that such a thing has occasionally taken place4 ,the question of salmon taking the fly in the tidal waters is another matter1 for there is not the least doubt that all the five different species have been taken in this manner2 though possibly not so often as is stated1 because the steel-head is a source of error1 from its resemblance to the salmon4 ,a fish of #aelb4 is taken on the fly and the capture of a salmon is announced1 on the strength of its weight and size2 whereas1 on inquiry1 it is found that the fisherman is certain that it was a salmon1 but can produce no evidence to prove that it was not a steel-head4 ,it is not everyone who can tell the difference between a salmon and a steel-head on its mere appearance without counting the rays on the anal fin or tail1 and until this simple proof is put to the test there will always be a doubt as to the frequency with which the salmon is taken on the fly4 ,the size of the anal fin is so obvious a distinction of the ,pacific salmon that ,i have often observed it in numbers of small fry caught for bait2 the fin in a small fish two or three inches long resembles the wavy fan-like fins seen in the ,japanese gold fish1 and distinguishes it at a glance from the corresponding short fin of the young rainbow4 ,a curious error of this kind occurs in ,mr4 ,rudyard ,kipling's well-known book1 ,from ,sea to ,sea1 where he describes most enthusiastically a day's salmon fishing in ,california on the ,sacramento1 and his capture of numerous salmon on the fly4 ,there is no doubt that his fish were steel-heads4 ,there is enough evidence from various sources to show that the salmon take the fly in tidal waters1 but it cannot be said that there is much to show that they do so very freely1 especially in the case of the large quinnat salmon4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the spoon bait is taken most greedily by all the different species4 ,it may be that the fly has not been tried as much as it might have been1 owing to the success of the spoon4 ,the result is that at present trolling in these waters with this bait is the chief means employed1 and has afforded sport unrivalled of its kind by any other part of the world4 ,very fair sport can be got in the ,narrows near ,vancouver or in the sea off ,esquimalt or ,oak ,bay near ,victoria4 ,but the place which has of late years been distinguished by the most extraordinary salmon fishing ever heard of is the mouth of the ,campbell ,river on the east coast of ,vancouver ,island4 ,in the places first named1 as also at the mouths of several well-known rivers1 salmon and steel-heads may be caught by trolling and spinning1 and occasionally with the fly4 ,thus seven or eight fish are no unusual bag in the waters near ,victoria1 but they are not usually of any very great size4 ,the mouth of ,campbell ,river appears to be the only place yet known where the big salmon can be caught in any large number1 though it is quite possible that other places exist4 ,this river has long been a fishing ground for the ,indians1 who trolled for the fish with a strong hand-line and spoon4 ,the pioneers of this fishing among white men were ,mr4 ,g4,p4 ,fitz,gerald and ,sir ,richard ,musgrave1 who made an expedition to these waters in the early nineties and camped at the mouth of ,campbell ,river1 also trying ,salmon ,river and other places along the coast4 ,they met with great success in the tidal waters off ,campbell ,river1 but practically drew a blank wherever else they tried4 ,it was on this occasion that ,sir ,r4 ,musgrave landed a #gjlb4 salmon1 which holds the record in these waters4 ,since then an increasing number of fishermen have visited ,campbell ,river1 until of late years there have always been a few rods on the ground2 and a small hotel has been put up4 ,there is1 however1 not much fear of over-fishing1 though the time is past when a fisherman could have the whole of the water to himself4 ,there are sinister rumours of a cannery and fish traps to be established in the near future1 and should these things come to pass then the fishing which has been enjoyed will become a mere memory and perhaps these pages its only record4 ,mr4 ,fitz,gerald always enjoyed his best sport under the guidance of an ,indian and by employing the ,indians' spoon1 which is a plain silver spoon with a loose hook4 ,the main aim was always the large #ejlb4 fish1 smaller fish of #belb4 or so being regarded as a nuisance1 and if possible shaken off the hook4 ,the biggest catch was eight fish six of which were about #ejlb4 apiece2 anyone familiar with salmon fishing will know that this is no small feat after allowing for fish hooked and lost1 while it must be remembered that a fish of #ejlb4 may take over an hour to land4 ,sir ,richard ,musgrave's large fish of #gjlb4 took an hour and a half to land2 it was a magnificent fish1 the record salmon of the rod and line4 ,a cast of it was shown at ,farlow's1 in the ,strand1 and also at ,rowland ,ward's1 in ,piccadilly1 during the spring of #ahig4 ,the spoon fishing of the ,namsen and other ,norwegian rivers fades into insignificance beside such sport2 two or more fish of over #ejlb4 were the average catch1 besides more that were hooked and lost1 while the numerous smaller fish were not considered worthy of notice4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,duncan reports excellent success with the prawn1 which he was the first to use1 and it may be that with this deadly bait even larger fish might be obtained4 ,he also reports that with a silver-bodied fly in the evening1 but at no other time1 he caught large numbers of salmon about #glb4 in weight1 and could have filled a boat with them4 ,he gives no absolute proof as to whether these fish were salmon or steel-heads1 but it is his opinion that they were salmon4 ,the fishing is done by crossing and re-crossing the small bay into which ,campbell ,river flows1 trolling from a canoe or small boat1 the breadth of the water being about half a mile2 the method is exactly like trolling in a ,norwegian fiord just off the mouth of a river4 ,it is a curious fact that no sport can be obtained in the river itself1 which fully supports the contention put forth above that the ,pacific coast salmon ceases to take as soon as it begins to run1 the taking fish being those which are hanging about the mouth of the river preparatory to running up4 ,there seems to be no instance of the very large fish taking the fly4 ,there is no need to say much as to tackle1 except that it should be strong and that there should be plenty of line4 ,the native spoon can be obtained on the spot4 ,some fishermen prefer a large rod as better able to hold off a fish which runs under the boat2 ,i should personally prefer a short1 stiff1 steel-centred rod such as ,hardy's #ab;ft4 ,murdoch--a type of rod preferred by the ,americans for yellow tail and tuna fishing4 ,this kind of rod is much handier in a boat1 and almost unbreakable4 ,the following is a list showing some of the bags at ,campbell ,river4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,duncan in #aijd4 ,tyee salmon1 eighteen2 weight1 #hajlb4 ,average1 #delb4 ,cohoes and tyee under #cjlb41 thirty-two4 ,total1 fifty fish in eighteen days4 ,best day ,august #ith1 #aijd3 ,seven salmon1 #eflb41 #eclb41 #eblb41 #aflb41 #ablb41 #g-a_/blb41 and #dlb4 ,the eight heaviest fish3 #ej-c_/dlb41 #eflb41 #eclb41 #eblb41 #eblb41 #ejlb41 #dh-a_/blb41 and #dhlb4 ,mr4 ,duncan says3 ,fish under #cjlb4 are counted as grilse4 ,the cohoe salmon will take a fly2 white with silver tinsel1 ,i found best4 ,they take in the sea at sunrise and sunset when they are jumping--in fact1 more could be got in this way while they are actually jumping than by trolling1 only they must be jumping and also fairly plentiful4 ,i have got an odd one casting1 but nearly all by trailing the fly4 ,they give splendid sport on a light trout rod4 ,the largest ,i got last year 7#aijc7 was #ablb4 ,but they were not running this year1 and ,i only got two of #glb4 each on the fly4 ,salmon are caught in ,cowichan ,lake 7after ascending #cj miles of river72 frequently ,i got one myself and saw others caught1 though they are black and ugly4 ,but ,i am told on absolutely reliable authority that great sport is had with tyee salmon 7from #cjlb4 downwards7 on the fly in the ,cowichan ,river in the spring1 and then only when the water is discoloured4 ,they only take the fly sunk1 and generally a leaded one is used4 ,it is noteworthy that this peculiarity of only taking the fly when jumping is also common to the trout in the ,shuswap and other large lakes in the interior4 ,also their favourable time is at sunrise and sunset4 ,it might also be noted that ,mr4 ,duncan makes no mention of the steel-head or sea-trout4 ,this fish runs in the ,cowichan ,river and ,lake in the spring4 ,the test of the number of rays in the anal fin and tail should be applied to all these fish4 ,the sockeye does not appear to frequent ,campbell ,river4 ,the tyee and cohoe frequent the coastal waters of ,british ,columbia4 ,but the feeding ground of the sockeyes is some unknown part of the ,pacific ,ocean from which they migrate and enter the waters between the mainland of ,british ,columbia and ,vancouver ,island in great shoals1 through the ,straits of ,san ,juan4 ,even then their stomachs are empty and contracted1 showing that they have already travelled some distance4 ,mr4 ,babcock1 the ,fisheries ,commissioner of ,british ,columbia1 states in his report for #aijc3 ,the first fish are reported from ,otter ,point4 ,from ,sherringham ,point east their movement is clearly defined as they pass close in shore4 ,they come in rapidly with the flood tides1 at times close to the surface and breakwater2 frequently during the last weeks of ,july and the first two weeks in ,august1 in years of large runs1 they show themselves plainly1 a racing1 leaping1 bluish silver mass in the clear and rapid moving waters4 ,then they appear to strike the discoloured water of the ,fraser1 and follow it to the mouth of the river4 ,in #aijc1 #b1idh1ccc sockeyes were delivered to the canners during the last two weeks of ,july and the month of ,august4 ,the steel-head trout 7,salmo gairdneri7 is the anadromous form of the rainbow1 bearing the same relation to it as our sea-trout does to the brown trout4 ,it more closely resembles in form1 colour of flesh1 and habit the ,atlantic salmon than any other form found on the ,pacific coast4 ,it spawns in fresh waters1 and survives after spawning and returns to the sea4 ,it feeds in fresh and salt water4 ,how far it penetrates into the interior and up the ,fraser is a matter of doubt4 ,my own opinion is that it only goes as far as ,hope1 being unable to face the strong water in the ,fraser ,canyon1 owing probably to the fact that it is not equipped with the powerful anal fin and tail of the ,pacific salmon4 ,it enters all waters near the coast1 and is caught on the rod in the ,stave and ,pitt ,rivers4 ,i have never heard of one being caught on the ,thompson4 ,trout fishermen in the coast rivers catch them with both fly and minnow4 ,the following details of catches are quoted from an article which appeared in ,the ,field in ,december1 #aije1 from the pen of ,mr4 ,l4 ,layard4 ,in #aijd twenty-four tyee weighing #a1jjdlb41 average #da-a_/blb42 forty-three cohoes weighing #biglb41 average #g-a_/blb4 ,best fish #dilb41 #dilb41 #ejlb41 #ealb41 #eclb41 #eclb41 #eelb41 and #eflb4 ,he also states that he saw two fish of #fjlb41 landed4 ,in #aije1 for ,july and ,august1 fishing for thirty-eight days3 six hundred and eighty-eight salmon weighing #e1bedlb4 ,best fish1 #ejlb4 ,best catches1 thirty-six fish 7#bgelb47 in five hours1 forty-four fish 7#ccjlb47 in six hours4 ,a ,mr4 ,j4 ,pidcock1 fishing for his cannery from #c a4m4 to #i p4m41 in a dug-out1 using two hand lines1 caught #gjf salmon4 ,mr4 ,layard speaks very well of the new hotel1 and of a ,mr4 ,j4 ,thompson as boatman4 ,he quotes the hotel charges as #b a week and #bs4 a day for a fine sea boat1 and #abs4 a day as wages for a boatman4 ,he gives some interesting particulars of ,campbell ,river itself1 to which a trail is to be cut from the hotel4 ,there seems to be good rainbow trout fishing for two miles in the river4 ,the salmon are stopped by a waterfall1 where there is a large pool #cj feet deep1 in which tyee salmon1 with humpback1 cohoes1 and trout1 could be clearly seen4 ,mr4 ,layard could not induce them to touch anything from the bank1 but a tyee of #ahlb4 was hooked on a spoon and lost two days afterwards by another man from a canoe4 ,the ,indians stated that such a thing as hooking a salmon in the river had never been heard of in their traditions4 ,no mention is made of the steel-head1 and there is no proof given that the above was not one of these fish4 ,mr4 ,layard was not equipped for fly-fishing1 but believes that the cohoes would have taken the fly4 ,an examination of these catches shows beyond dispute that there has never been such salmon fishing as this in any other waters1 and fortunate indeed were those who first enjoyed it4 ,even yet the sport is there1 as ,mr4 ,layard shows1 and perhaps may still go on for many years yet4 ,in spite of adverse prophecies1 possibly the cannery and fish traps may never be built1 for the quinnat is mostly useful to the angler4 ,unfortunately nothing can be done to save this splendid piece of fishing unless all the land and foreshore rights were bought up by some philanthropist in the interests of sport1 which is hardly within the bounds of possibility2 whereas if an offer for these rights is made to the ,government1 for the purposes of fish-trap and cannery1 a refusal is impossible4 ,let us hope and even pray that no cannery is ever built1 and even if it is that it may soon be abandoned1 for though ,i am myself a fly-fisherman and think that trolling is only a poor imitation of the real thing1 yet in this place the great size and number of the fish make up for other deficiencies1 fulfilling the desires of the most ardent salmon fisherman1 and surely satisfying his wildest dreams4 ,the fishing at ,campbell ,river can be enjoyed from ,june to ,september1 and steamers call there about twice a month on their way from ,victoria to the north2 formerly it was necessary to take a tent and provisions and camp out1 but now accommodation can be got at the hotel4 ,july and ,august are the best months4 ,the best rod for ,campbell ,river1 as ,i have said1 would be an #aa;ft4 or #ab;ft4 rod of the pattern of ,hardy's ,murdoch1 a steel-centred split cane2 the reel should carry at least #hjyds4 of line and #ajjyds4 of strong backing2 it would be well to carry a spare line4 ,traces and casts should be taken1 but spoons could be got better on the spot or in ,victoria4 ,tackle for fly-fishing might well be taken also4 ,the ,americans use at ,catalina for tuna fishing a line called cuttyhunk line2 it is very thin1 light1 and of tremendous strength4 ,it is called twenty-four strand line2 the strongest man could not break it with his hands1 and yet it is not as thick as a salmon casting line4 ,it makes splendid backing for a casting line1 and as a trolling line it is absolutely unequalled4 ,the size which will make good backing for a trout line is nine strand1 and is very hard to break with the hands4 ,twenty-four strand is unbreakable2 it only succumbs to the mighty tuna when the whole line is run out4 ,another advantage is that it is absurdly cheap1 a #a1jjj yard tuna line only costing #a4 ,three or four hundred yards would go on an ordinary salmon reel and would form a splendid trolling line4 ,if ,i remember rightly1 they use twelve strand line for yellow tail fishing at ,catalina1 and consider it quite strong enough4 ,the yellow tail is a mackerel running from #belb4 to #fjlb41 and is believed to be stronger and fiercer for its size than the tuna4 ,the cuttyhunk line is1 however1 absolutely useless for anything except trolling2 it is far too light for casting a fly or even for throwing a minnow or any other kind of bait4 ,it must also be well waxed with a piece of ordinary yellow beeswax to prevent it rotting1 because it has no kind of dressing or protection from the effects of water4 ,it would need waxing at least twice a week4 ,i have never seen this line except in ,california1 though it can probably be obtained anywhere in the ,united ,states4 ,in my opinion it is far superior in strength to any of our ,english lines for trolling1 while the price of a sufficient length for ordinary purposes would be about half a crown4 ,it is more than probable that other rivers will become known before long where the fishing may rival that of ,campbell ,river4 ,the sea coast of ,british ,columbia stretches far to the north1 and most of it is absolutely unknown to the fisherman1 while even further north still there are canneries on the coast of ,alaska4 ,i have seen salmon in ,dawson ,city which looked quite fresh run and had been netted in the ,yukon2 also grayling which had been caught on the fly in the ,klondike ,river4 ,if ever the present known rivers of ,british ,columbia are fished out1 there is surely an inexhaustible supply further north4 ,there can be no question but that the ,grand ,trunk ,pacific will in a few years open up a new country of lakes and rivers1 in which the sport should be at least as good as those already known4 ,the fishing at ,campbell ,river is apparently not confined to the mouth of the river--at least in good seasons--as ,mr4 ,layard speaks of fishing up and down both sides of the strait from ,seymour ,narrows to ,cape ,mudge lighthouse1 a distance of #ab miles4 ,a grant from the ,government has been made for a pier to be built at ,campbell ,river1 enabling all steamers to call there1 which will render it more easy of access4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,recapitulation of ,salmon and ,trout ,problems--,importance of ,preserving ,british ,columbian ,fisheries--,possibility of ,introducing ,atlantic ,salmon--,question of ,altering ,present ,close ,season for ,trout--,past and ,present ,neglect of ,trout ,fisheries--,need for ,governmental ,action--,difficulties in the ,way of ,it--,conclusion4 ,it will be very evident to those who have read the foregoing chapters that there is a great deal to be learnt about the fish that inhabit the ,british ,columbian waters1 and that several interesting problems require solving4 ,these facts should render the greater interest to the fishing4 ,the salmon perhaps present the most difficult questions1 for their life-history is evidently almost unknown4 ,their eggs germinate in the hatcheries1 and the fry are turned out into the lakes1 but from that moment to the time they return from the sea their movements are unknown4 ,it is not known at what age they seek the salt water1 nor at what age they return2 while in the case of the sockeye their feeding grounds in the ,pacific are an unsolved mystery4 ,the most interesting trout problem is the identity of the silver trout of the ,kamloops and the ,okanagan ,lakes1 whether it is a distinct and new species1 or merely a variety of the rainbow4 ,the identity and life-history of the small silvery fish which runs from the ,nicola1 ,anderson1 and other large lakes into the small streams ought to be a matter of some interest4 ,this fish has been alluded to as a miniature sockeye4 ,it certainly presents the curious phenomenon of a sockeye run in miniature from the deep waters of the lake into the small streams1 where it also turns red and spawns4 ,it does not seem to be known whether it also dies after spawning4 ,it certainly takes no bait of any kind4 ,in concluding this most imperfect attempt to give some slight idea of the fishing in these waters1 it is certainly not out of place to allude to the immense importance and necessity of preserving the fishing for the future4 ,it is but lately that the ,british ,columbian ,government seems to have awakened to the great importance of its fisheries1 and even yet it seems but little to appreciate the actual value and even more perhaps the potential value of its inland waters from a sporting point of view4 ,it is almost superfluous to point out1 in illustration1 the value of the sporting rights of the rivers of ,norway and ,scotland and their large annual rental4 ,the value of the ,british ,columbian rivers in this respect is at present only small1 serving merely as an attraction to a few visiting anglers from ,england and the ,states1 and a fishing ground for the residents of the country4 ,but even so they form one of the chief attractions of the country1 and will undoubtedly become more important1 while their potential value if the ,atlantic salmon could be introduced is hard to estimate4 ,the evidence brought forward tends to show that the ,pacific fish is fitted for long journeys entailing more endurance and greater swimming powers than the ,atlantic fish possesses1 but that the latter can leap small waterfalls which are impassable barriers to the former4 ,one fish is a long distance runner1 the other is a hurdle racer4 ,this fact is fully worthy of further investigation and thought4 ,it might lead to important results4 ,by introducing small hatcheries which would only cost a few pounds on suitable streams1 the ,atlantic fish might be introduced in a few years4 ,salmon ladders might be placed round falls which this fish could easily surmount1 though they would be impossible to the ,pacific species1 and by this means numerous useless streams could be turned into valuable salmon rivers4 ,from the lease or sale of such rivers the ,government would reap a handsome reward4 ,the ,atlantic fish would probably have no difficulty in holding its own in the sea2 for the shoals of herring and oolachan would afford an ample food supply4 ,large silvery fish have been caught1 as has been said in a former chapter1 in a certain part of the ,shuswap ,lake by surface trolling1 whose exact identity is not well established1 though they are probably silver trout4 ,also many silvery fish have been caught lately on the minnow at the mouth of the ,nicola ,river where it joins the ,thompson at ,spence's ,bridge4 ,these fish have been alleged to be salmon1 though no proof has been given that they are such4 ,they have always been caught late in the autumn1 at which time all salmon would be red and out of condition4 ,these fish might be steel-heads1 but it is far more probable that they are silver trout1 collecting at the mouth of the ,nicola preparatory to running up it for spawning purposes4 ,it is quite certain that very large rainbow and silver trout inhabit the deep pools of the ,thompson1 but as yet no one appears to have captured any of very large size on the rod4 ,possibly if the pools were tried later in the fall1 when the river has become low1 by deep fishing with live or dead bait1 or the prawn1 some very large fish might be landed4 ,the best time to attempt this fishing would be after the present close season on ,october #afth or very early in the spring as soon as the ice has gone4 ,it is thought by the local anglers that the present close season might well be extended for another month or so1 to the middle of ,november4 ,for in ,october the rainbow are in splendid condition and show no signs of spawning4 ,conversely1 the spring season might be delayed1 as many stale fish can be seen in ,may and even in ,july4 ,it is quite certain that the rainbow spawns very late in the year1 and further inquiry into this question is needed4 ,it is unfortunate that trout have had little but nominal protection in ,british ,columbia4 ,their best protection has hitherto been natural conditions and the social condition of the country--many fish and few fishermen4 ,for in a new and sparsely settled country there is no wealthy leisured class who have much time to devote to fishing4 ,also many rivers and lakes have been difficult of access4 ,but these conditions cannot last2 they have changed much in the last ten years and are now changing still more1 in some districts not without more or less disastrous results4 ,vancouver ,city has now grown to be a large place with some forty thousand people1 and the fine fishing of the ,coquitlam and ,capilano is almost a thing of the past4 ,the ,kootenay mining district has been opened by railways1 and the once phenomenal fishing at ,slocan ,falls and round ,nelson has immensely fallen off2 report says that here it has been ruined by market fishing or worse1 and in other parts of the province saw mills have been allowed to dispose of their waste in the rivers1 and dynamite has been used for other purposes than mining4 ,and though the white man is liable to be occasionally pulled up by the law1 the ,indian is apparently allowed to use spear1 net1 and salmon roe without any interference4 ,the same remarks apply generally in the same way to the protection of large or small game4 ,the ,nemesis which has fallen on many of the ,states of the ,union will undoubtedly overtake ,british ,columbia unless the ,government fully rouses itself to the urgency of the matter before it is too late and before these invaluable assets of the province have passed away for ever4 ,many ,states of the ,union have enacted too late the most stringent game laws1 and have spent vast sums in vain attempts to restore what ,british ,columbia still possesses and which could be so easily retained at but a trivial expense and by the exercise of a little foresight and trouble4 ,for some years small societies for the protection of game and fish have existed in ,vancouver1 ,victoria1 and ,kamloops1 and1 with most praise-worthy perseverance in a good cause1 have attempted to rouse public opinion and stimulate the ,government to take action4 ,and it would appear that at last their pertinacity has met with some measure of reward1 for the ,government has appointed a head game-warden for the whole province and local wardens for different districts4 ,this method of game preservation has been employed for many years in the older parts of ,canada and is in vogue in ,california1 ,montana1 and probably all the ,states4 ,if properly carried out it should be of great benefit to ,british ,columbia4 ,in the past1 unfortunately1 whenever the question of game protection was brought up in the ,provincial ,parliament1 the ridiculous cry of class legislation was always heard1 generally raised by some labour member4 ,it should be quite clear to anyone that an efficient game law and efficient provision for carrying it out will preserve sport for everyone equally4 ,the poor man is just as fond of fishing as the rich1 when he can get it2 and the sacred fire burns as brightly in both peer and peasant4 ,but the rich man can buy a river or a tract of land and preserve it for himself2 and this he can do just as easily1 and far more cheaply1 in ,british ,columbia than in ,norway and ,scotland4 ,therefore the best way is to preserve the game and the fish1 so that there may be sport for all1 rich and poor alike4 ,as they say in ,california1 preserve it for the people and by the people4 ,for unless this is done and proved effectual1 the time will soon come when the wealthier people will form clubs for both shooting and fishing1 and private game preservation will close gradually the free waters of the province4 ,there have been other obstacles to proper protection4 ,a most mischievous and1 ,i am firmly convinced1 most false argument on the part of the salmon canners has often been alleged as a strong reason why no protection should be given to trout and why the law of the province should be disregarded4 ,the canners state that the trout are the salmon's worst enemies1 destroying both eggs and young4 ,there is1 of course1 no question as to the truth of this accusation4 ,but the reasoning deduced from it is wrong4 ,it is quite impossible to destroy all the trout in the ,british ,columbia waters2 and if it were not1 no possible advantage would be gained by so doing1 because1 by the inexorable laws of the survival of the fittest and of supply and demand1 the position of the trout would be occupied by other fish which prey on the eggs and young of the salmon4 ,the decrease of trout would be supplied by an increase in the numbers of the squaw fish and various species of char which are just as bad enemies of the salmon4 ,both the ,federal and ,provincial ,governments are afraid to prevent the ,indians from taking fish or game in or out of season or to interfere in any way with their usual methods of procuring them for food4 ,the ,federal ,government is the worst offender1 because it erroneously believes that if the ,indians were in any way curtailed in their food supply1 the ,government might have to supplement the want by rations1 and thus be put to great trouble and expense4 ,it is as well to note that the ,indians are under control of the ,federal ,government4 ,on the other hand the ,indians are amenable to the laws of the ,province1 except under certain conditions on their own reserves1 which in ,british ,columbia are very small1 generally merely a few acres4 ,the ,provincial ,government is1 however1 naturally unwilling to act in opposition to the wishes of the ,federal power4 ,this attitude of the ,federal ,government is based on ignorance of the actual conditions in ,british ,columbia4 ,the ,indians of the province are self-supporting and very good workers1 having long ceased to depend on hunting and fishing for their livelihood4 ,they differ most essentially from the ,blackfeet and ,crees of the plains4 ,the ,british ,columbian ,indian is quite capable of understanding the fact that it is inadvisable to kill game or fish during the breeding season4 ,except1 perhaps1 in the most remote parts of the province1 he should be promptly taught that he is just as much liable to penalties under the ,game ,act as the white man4 ,it would take a very short time to enforce the lesson1 and until it is done no ,game ,act will ever be really efficient1 because the white man will never respect and keep a law which is not enforced on ,indian and white alike4 ,this small volume is merely intended to give some idea of the fishing in ,british ,columbian waters1 from facts gathered in twelve years' experience of the province4 ,it probably contains errors of commission1 perhaps1 as well as of omission1 and makes no claim to be authoritative in scientific detail4 ,but at least it contains some of that strange fish lore which can be only gained on the river bank and by intercourse with others of the same craft4 ,it fairly represents what is at present known among the fishermen of the province1 with almost all of whom ,i am personally acquainted4 ,it is my sincere hope that someone better qualified will1 in the near future1 deal more ably with the subject4 ,the ordinary ,englishman often appears to be under a strange delusion that ,british ,columbia is situated in a part of the world which he vaguely alludes to as ,south ,america1 and it is somewhat curious that the country is not better known1 for it is a glorious land of great mountains1 forests1 streams1 and rolling hill1 in which game and fish are very plentiful1 with a climate and conditions of life peculiarly suited to ,englishmen1 especially those who have the instinct of sport4 ,an attempt has here been made to describe the fishing2 but there is also fine big game shooting1 for the interior fastnesses of ,vancouver ,island are the home of thousands of that finest of the deer tribe1 the wapiti2 in the northern forests and the mountains moose1 sheep1 goat1 and bear are numerous2 everywhere the large mule deer is common2 ducks and geese abound in the waters4 ,the soil of the valley is very fertile2 gold1 silver1 copper1 lead1 iron1 and coal are among the natural products2 there is an inexhaustible supply of the finest timber in the world4 ,surely ,british ,columbia is a splendid jewel--still rough-hewn and uncut1 it may be1 but one which will yet shine forth as one of the brightest stars in the ,imperial diadem4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,tuna ,,fishing ,,at ,,avalon1 ,,santa ,,catalina ,,island4 ,i go ,to the island-valley of ,avilion2 ,where falls not hail1 or rain1 or any snow1 ,nor ever wind blows loudly2 but it lies ,deep meadow'd1 happy1 fair with orchard-lawns ,and bowery hollows crown'd with summer sea4 ,the ,passing of ,arthur4 ,the lines placed at the head of this chapter are in many ways not inappropriate to ,santa ,catalina ,island1 with its little village of ,avalon1 though meadows and lawns are somewhat conspicuous by their absence4 ,for there can be little doubt that the name is connected with the ,arthurian legend1 and must have been brought to this far-off land by the early ,spanish monks #bjj years ago4 ,no doubt the peaceful silence of the island and the deep blue of the summer sea reminded one of them of some island in distant ,spain1 where the great king is still sleeping4 ,to quote ,fiona ,mc,leod3-- ,this tradition is found among every ,european people4 ,where is ,joyeuse ,gard8 ,some say it is in the isle of ,avillion off the ,breton shores2 some say it is in ,avalon1 under the sacred hill of ,glastonbury4 ,arthur himself has a sleeping place 7for nowhere is he dead1 but sleeps1 awaiting a trumpet call7 in a lost land1 in ,provence1 in ,spain1 under the waters of the ,rhine4 ,the ,californians have fortunately retained many of their beautiful ,spanish names1 instead of changing them into ,anglo-,saxon vulgarisms4 ,it is surely far better for a town to be called ,los ,angeles1 ,pasadena1 or ,san ,francisco1 than ,southville or ,jacksonville4 ,coronado beach and ,el ,plaza del ,rey1 the playground of the king1 are ideal names for a watering-place4 ,the island of ,catalina lies #bd miles off the coast of ,california opposite ,los ,angelos4 ,about #cj miles long1 and situated so as to act as a barrier against the ,pacific swell and the prevailing winds1 it forms1 with the opposite coast1 a kind of large bay or sheltered piece of water1 which is always smooth4 ,it is only very occasionally in the winter that a nor'-wester blows into it4 ,it is for this reason1 and this alone1 that ,catalina is the only place suitable for tuna fishing1 though there are other islands which this fish frequents4 ,the island was bought by an ,englishman named ,banning for a sheep ranche1 and has been turned into a summer resort by his two sons2 being owned by ,banning ,brothers and ,co41 who claim sovereign rights over the whole island1 and have hitherto upheld them in spite of several legal battles with the ,united ,states4 ,no boat can land without their permission1 and the ,united ,states post-office is built below high-water mark4 ,there is wireless communication with the mainland1 and a boat arrives every day4 ,there is a very good hotel1 and the climate is most equable1 neither cold in winter nor hot in summer1 being quite free from the sudden changes so prevalent in other parts of ,california4 ,early in ,april ,i noted the thermometer to be #fd at mid-day and #fc at midnight4 ,i found ,catalina to be the pleasantest winter resort in ,california1 much quieter than the others1 while there is always some fishing1 even though the tuna do not arrive till summer4 ,unfortunately1 the tourists and the tuna arrive about the same time1 the latter usually appearing in ,june and the former coming in ,july and ,august4 ,arrangements are made by which the little town of ,avalon is turned into a tent city1 in which some ten thousand people are accommodated in tents4 ,this naturally makes the island for two months a very different place from what it is for the rest of the year4 ,several steamers arrive and depart daily loaded with excursionists4 ,the fisherman who intends to try for tuna will have to put up with inconveniences of this kind1 but if he arrives early he can employ himself while he is waiting for the tuna to arrive1 by trying for yellow-tail1 albicore1 bonito1 and barracouta4 ,the first three are all species of mackerel4 ,the last named can often be caught in large quantities1 but gives little sport4 ,all are got by trolling a small herring4 ,the yellow-tail is well spoken of by the tuna fishermen as being for its size even stronger than the tuna4 ,it is fished for with a lighter rod and #ab-ply line4 ,i shall give a description of tuna tackle later2 the tackle used for yellow-tail resembles it in general character1 but is much lighter4 ,the fish is a handsome mackerel of a dull silvery colour1 tinged with yellow1 which becomes more marked towards the tail4 ,i saw several landed of about #belb41 but did not get one myself4 ,the largest on record is #eflb42 from #djlb4 to #ejlb4 is not an uncommon weight4 ,the albicore is another mackerel1 blue above1 and silver below1 with a curious long pectoral fin on each side1 about a foot in length4 ,the fish are found in shoals and can be got in large numbers when the angler can find one of the shoals4 ,i believe it is usual to attract the shoal by throwing small herring astern1 and when this is done a fish can be hooked at almost every throw4 ,those ,i saw landed were about #belb4 ,the bonito is like a large horse mackerel1 and is fished for in the same manner as the albicore4 ,there are many other fish that can be got by fishing deep with a bait1 notably the black sea-bass1 which is caught up to #djjlb4 ,there is little sport to be got out of it1 except what is afforded by hauling in a fish of such immense weight4 ,all these fish are good to eat4 ,in my experience1 better sport with all these fish can be obtained at ,coronado beach than at ,catalina ,island1 but tuna cannot be caught there1 though they are known to frequent the ,coronado ,islands4 ,these islands are too much exposed for the use of the small tuna launches4 ,there are about #g1jjj wild goats on the island1 and leave can be got from the ,bannings to shoot them1 but it is not a very high form of big game shooting4 ,they are the descendants of some tame goats which were turned out by the ,spaniards for the benefit of shipwrecked sailors1 though it is not known exactly how the sailors were going to catch them4 ,however1 some amusement might be got in this way till the tuna arrive4 ,there is also a nine-hole golf course4 ,the launches used for this fishing are very light1 built for two or three men1 and fitted with gasoline engines4 ,the best are pointed at bow and stern1 so as to go equally well in either direction4 ,there are a few private ones1 and some of the public ones are retained by fishermen so as to be ready when the tuna may appear4 ,it might be well for any fisherman to see that a launch is available if the fish should suddenly arrive4 ,though the tarpon and tarpon fishing are fairly well known1 very little seems to be known in ,england about the tuna1 and though ,i cannot speak from personal experience1 it would seem that the sport afforded by the tuna is certainly equal to1 if it does not far surpass1 that given by the tarpon1 in the size1 strength1 and fighting qualities of the fish4 ,all the information here given was collected during a visit to ,catalina1 during which period the tuna1 unfortunately1 did not put in an appearance4 ,tuna fishing is of only very recent date1 for though the fish was caught by bait on strong hand-lines by local fishermen1 it was only in #ahif that the first tuna was caught on a rod and line1 and since that time the numbers caught have not been very many4 ,but little seems to have appeared in the ,english sporting papers and magazines about the tuna4 ,and it would appear to me that anyone who reads the accounts given here will be obliged to admit that this fish must afford the greatest and most exciting sport that can be enjoyed by the bait fisherman4 ,it is a most formidable antagonist and one whose capture may be looked on with just pride4 ,even the number of those who have landed a tuna is very small2 and very few ,englishmen are members of the ,tuna ,club4 ,the tuna fishing at ,catalina is carried on under the auspices of the ,tuna ,club1 an ,american institution which has an excellent object1 namely1 to protect the tuna and to see that as far as possible its capture is effected in a sportsmanlike way4 ,for anyone can1 of course1 capture a tuna with a wire rope1 and haul him in by main force2 but to capture a tuna under the rules of the ,tuna ,club is a different matter4 ,according to these rules1 the rod must be not less than six feet nine inches long1 and must not weigh more than sixteen ounces2 the line must be not more than twenty-four strands cuttyhunk2 and the fisherman must land his fish with unbroken rod and tackle1 and without any aid1 except that of his boatman as gaffer2 and the said fish must weigh #ajjlb4 or over4 ,on achieving this feat in the prescribed manner the angler is eligible as a member of the ,tuna ,club1 and his fish is entered in the books4 ,englishmen might naturally object to any arbitrary rules as to the way in which they conduct their sport1 but the ,tuna ,club makes no arbitrary claim4 ,any one may fish how or where he pleases1 and need not aspire to membership unless he wishes to4 ,the aim and object of the club is simply to set up a standard1 and1 by a kind of moral influence1 inculcate sportsmanlike methods in the capture of the fish1 in circumstances1 where1 by the nature of the case1 no forcible means of protecting the fish are available4 ,with such an object no real sportsman should quarrel4 ,the tuna is an immense mackerel1 and its general build and shape show capacity for great speed and strength4 ,the largest caught in the annals of the ,tuna ,club is #bealb41 but far larger fish have been hooked and lost4 ,fish over #ajjjlb4 have been captured by other means1 while it is probable that the weight may in some cases run up to nearly #bjjjlb4 ,the tuna is gregarious and visits ,catalina from ,june to ,september in large shoals1 when the flying fish1 which seem to be its favourite food1 also appear4 ,in the winter it probably goes south along the coast of ,mexico4 ,a shoal is sometimes seen quite early in ,february or ,march1 but as a rule they do not appear till the middle of ,may at the earliest1 and1 even when they do appear at this time1 they do not stay long4 ,the rod and tackle are very important4 ,the ,american tuna rod is an excellent piece of workmanship4 ,it is made in two pieces1 the tip and the butt4 ,the tip1 according to the rules of the ,tuna ,club1 must not be less than #f;ft4 long1 and fits into the butt just above the reel4 ,it is made of split cane1 but with no steel centre1 and is very strong and stiff1 bending a little only to the very strongest pull4 ,the butt is built very stoutly1 and there is no regulation as to its length1 but it is usually about a foot and a-half long1 and in fishing is allowed to rest in a hole under the fisherman's seat1 so that the rod is controlled with the left hand alone1 leaving the right free4 ,the advantage of such a stiff rod lies in the fact that a very strong strain can be put on the fish4 ,it could easily be tested1 and ,i should imagine that a strain of ten pounds could be maintained1 increased to considerably more in the case of a tired fish4 ,with a salmon rod a strain of about three pounds is the utmost that can be maintained4 ,the cost of such a rod is some #c1 or #ae1 and it can be bought in ,new ,york1 or in ,catalina ,island1 or ,los ,angeles4 ,the reel is also very important1 and also costs #ae dollars1 for it must hold #ajjj yards of line4 ,the winder is of the winch form with two handles1 for tuna fishermen maintain that they must have this form to enable them to reel in with sufficient force1 thus getting some command over the line4 ,the cylindrical knob of our salmon reel is universally condemned4 ,to the reel is attached a strong piece of leather which can be pressed down by the thumb on the line so as to act as a brake1 and is very simple and efficient4 ,the line is a peculiarly ,american production1 known as cuttyhunk line1 made of flax1 immensely strong1 very light and cheap4 ,i know of no line so suited to its purpose1 or which1 as ,i have said before1 forms such excellent backing to a trout or salmon line4 ,the regulations of the ,club provide that the line must not be more than #bd-ply1 which is about equal in thickness to a not very strong salmon trolling line2 #i-ply is about the size of a trout line4 ,the #bd-ply line practically cannot be broken by the strongest man1 and stands a dead strain of considerable amount4 ,it is also remarkably cheap4 ,a tuna line of #ajjj yards costs #e dollars1 and since they are often broken1 this quality is a very excellent one4 ,the lightness of the line and its thickness are both1 too1 very good qualities when several hundred yards are out1 and cutting the water at great speed4 ,the line is prepared and kept in good preservation by being rubbed with common yellow beeswax1 and by being dried after use4 ,the tuna rods1 reels1 and lines1 which ,i saw at ,catalina1 seemed exceedingly well adapted for their purpose1 and were most efficient without being expensive4 ,it was earnestly impressed on me to be sure to obtain the best tackle1 and to have a spare rod and reel and several lines in the boat4 ,great care should be taken of the tackle1 and also to see that everything is in good order1 as the fish is a most formidable antagonist1 and the slightest hitch or weakness will end in an immediate disaster4 ,to the end of the line is attached a large hook with a herring as bait4 ,formerly the flying fish was considered to be the only bait which the tuna would take1 and they were not always easy to get1 but it has lately been found that the herring is as good4 ,at first the fishing was carried on from a launch trailing a row-boat behind1 which the fisherman entered as soon as a tuna was hooked4 ,in this way the fish was more easily followed1 but the boat being often unable to move quickly enough1 was at the mercy of the tuna1 and was practically towed in all directions4 ,nowadays1 a vast improvement has taken place by the introduction of small1 smart-looking gasoline launches1 the best being pointed fore and aft1 moving quickly in either direction1 so that the fish is followed rapidly1 or run away from when it suddenly turns and rushes towards the boat4 ,the boatmen are smart fellows1 and are mostly registered on the books of the ,tuna ,club4 #b a day is the charge for a day's fishing1 including launch and tackle4 ,the tuna may arrive at the beginning of ,june in large shoals1 pursuing the flying fish1 though the date of their arrival is uncertain2 but about this time1 or even earlier1 the tuna fishermen appear at ,avalon and await the appearance of the fish4 ,one of the attractions of this sport is the fact that it is done on sight1 so to speak2 there is no dreary trolling aimlessly about1 half asleep under a hot sun4 ,no one goes tuna fishing unless the fish are seen1 because it is absolutely useless2 failing a sight of them a small gathering of men collects in ,avalon who lounge about the hotel and beach4 ,the true tuna man does not as a rule care much for any lesser sport1 but awaits the coming of the fish he is after4 ,a watchman is kept on the cliffs by the ,tuna ,club1 who signals their arrival4 ,owing probably to their habit of pursuing the flying fish1 the tuna make themselves visible at a considerable distance by their constant leaps in the air4 ,it is owing to this fact that they are locally known as the leaping tuna4 ,the shoals are often very large1 probably numbering several thousand fish4 ,the signal of their arrival often causes a scene of considerable excitement in ,avalon2 the cry of tuna is taken up by the boatmen from the watchman on the cliffs1 and there is a wild rush in small boats for the launches at anchor in the bay4 ,sometimes before tackle is in readiness and launches got under way1 the tuna shoal sweeps right into the little bay of ,avalon1 chasing the flying fish in every direction4 ,it can easily be imagined that such a sight is calculated to fire the blood of the most phlegmatic of fishermen1 and1 the ,western ,american being by no means a stolid individual1 the effect must be somewhat startling4 ,as soon as possible the launches put out and commence trolling across the shoal and wherever the tuna show themselves4 ,it is by no means1 however1 certain that the fish are in a taking mood1 though in such circumstances it is probable that some fish will strike1 but it is by no means uncommon to troll thus across and across a shoal of the fish without a single strike being made4 ,on the other hand1 sometimes they will take most freely4 ,it must not be supposed that hundreds1 or even dozens1 of launches thus put off after the tuna2 it is more likely that half-a-dozen or ten would be about the number4 ,if the shoals stay near ,catalina1 there will soon be a few more as the news becomes known on the mainland4 ,the tuna takes much as a salmon takes a minnow1 and goes off with a tremendous rush1 which sometimes continues until there is little of the #ajjj yards of line left on the reel4 ,it is impossible to touch the reel except at the risk of cutting the fingers4 ,the fisherman sits facing the stern of the launch1 with the butt of his rod fixed in a hole under his seat4 ,if little line is left1 the fisherman may put on the leather brake hard down1 and try to enable the fish to break his line2 or else wait until the end comes1 and chance a damaged reel or rod4 ,unless he has a spare rod or reel in the boat1 the former course is the best4 ,it is thought that this course of events1 which is by no means rare1 is caused by the hooking of a very large fish4 ,if a fish of about #ajjlb4 is hooked1 his usual tactics are either a series of lightning rushes1 which must be followed by the steersman1 who must be as quick to go astern as to go forward1 or else the fish goes off at tremendous speed a few feet below the surface4 ,the tuna never jumps like the tarpon when hooked1 he either rushes along below the surface or goes deep4 ,there are #bjjj fathoms of water round ,avalon4 ,his mouth is not hard like the tarpon1 and the hook therefore goes well in2 he apparently knows that he cannot shake it out by leaping in the air4 ,sometimes the hook tears out1 but most fish are lost by breakage4 ,it is perhaps more by the skill of the steersman and the quickness of the launch than by the merit of the fisherman that the capture is effected4 ,when beaten1 the fish is gaffed4 ,many tall stories are told in ,avalon of adventures with tuna1 though many of them probably happened when the fish was pursued in a rowing boat4 ,in the launches now in use the fisherman has a better chance4 ,the small boats were towed by the fish at their will4 ,it is reported that on one occasion a boat was towed over to the mainland during the night1 and was off ,avalon again in the morning4 ,mr4 ,f4,v4 ,ryder1 the ,secretary of the ,tuna ,club1 informed me that he went off with provisions to a launch that had been engaged for seven hours with a tuna1 and found the boatman in charge of the rod1 owing to the complete exhaustion of the fisherman4 ,he returned again seven hours afterwards1 and found the boatman still struggling with the fish1 which was nearly beaten4 ,at the boatman's request1 he gaffed the fish1 which went off with the gaff and was lost1 owing to the hook tearing away4 ,the fish was the largest he had ever seen hooked1 appearing to be probably #djjlb4 or #ejjlb4 ,mr4 ,ryder informed me that he had landed six tuna in one day1 and also in one day had lost no fewer than five lines1 and had broken a rod and a reel4 ,he stated that he believed only ten per cent4 of the fish hooked were ever landed1 and that he would not back himself to land more than #be per cent4 of fish hooked4 ,at the same time he pointed out that many who come to ,avalon are by no means skilled fishermen4 ,the number of fish landed in a season from ,june to ,september is by no means large2 the best year produced #abe1 one year #ge1 another only #ej1 and last season 7#aije7 but #ab were landed and not one over #ajjlb4 ,there are several other islands off the coast of ,california which are known to be visited by the tuna1 but the waters round them are too much exposed to the ,pacific swell for the use of the small launches which are necessary for tuna fishing1 and therefore the waters round ,catalina are the only place at present known where this sport can be followed4 ,it is not known where the tuna go in the winter1 but it is quite possible they might be found along the coast of ,lower ,california1 a province of ,mexico which stretches south from the lower boundary of ,california1 separated from the mainland by the ,gulf of ,california4 ,it is an almost uninhabited country and it struck me that the tuna might well be discovered among the numerous islands and sheltered waters which one finds along its coasts in the winter months1 especially as the climate is much warmer4 ,the tuna do not stay permanently round ,avalon even during the summer2 sometimes they may stay for weeks1 at others only a few days4 ,this is probably entirely dependant on the movements of the flying fish4 ,an ,american who had caught both tarpon and tuna informed me that he considered the latter fish to afford far the best sport4 ,catalina ,island can be reached from ,new ,york in about four days1 a ticket should be taken to ,los ,angeles by the ,southern ,pacific ,railway3 from which place there is daily communication4 ,i should strongly advise the fisherman to buy his tuna tackle in ,new ,york1 certainly not in ,england2 ,english tackle makers are as yet completely ignorant concerning tuna fishing4 ,this advice does not apply to tarpon4 ,i might mention that ,mr4 ,ryder spoke strongly to this effect4 ,it is quite worth mentioning that the season for tarpon in ,florida is much earlier than the tuna season1 so that any one wishing to try for tuna might first fish for tarpon in ,april1 ,may1 or ,june1 and cross the continent at the end of the latter month to ,catalina ,island1 which could be reached from ,new ,orleans in four days4 ,this chapter is not intended as a full or accurate description of tuna fishing1 but merely to bring the sport before the notice of ,english fishermen to whom it may hitherto have been almost unknown4 ,it is quite impossible to write a good account of fishing when one has only seen the fishing grounds and not actually engaged in the sport itself4 ,but it may be that others may be encouraged from what ,i have said to try their luck1 and that these short hints on the tackle and locality will be useful4 ,there have been some reports that the tuna have ceased to come to ,catalina1 being driven away by the naphtha launches1 owing to their noise and the oil spread over the water by them4 ,the chief foundation for this seems to be the fact that only twelve tuna were landed in #aije and no big ones in #aijf4 ,it is much more probable that the non-appearance of flying fish or herring was the real cause4 ,a bad season or two may occur in any kind of fishing4 ,the water round ,catalina is practically part of the ,pacific ,ocean and could not be fouled by a few small launches4 ,nor could their presence affect the immense shoals of flying fish and herring4 ,it is well-known locally that the latter fish do not appear until the temperature of the water has risen several degrees above that of winter1 and it is much more likely that some climatic reason has affected the yearly migration4 ,the tuna will no doubt appear again as usual at ,catalina4 ,,the ,,yachting and ,,boating ,,monthly4 ,a ,high-,class ,illustrated ,magazine ,published by ,the ,field on the #ast of each ,month4 ,a ,,magazine of ,,water ,,sports1 and the ,largest ,illustrated ,periodical devoted to any ,one ,sport in the ,world2 containing ,special ,articles by the most ,eminent ,writers on the following ,subjects3-- ,,deep ,,sea ,,cruising4 ,,yacht ,,building ,,and ,,designing4 ,,racing4 ,,marine ,,motoring4 ,,navigation4 ,,canoeing4 ,,rowing4 ,,fishing4 ,price #a_/-1 of all ,newsagents1 or #ae_/- per annum at ,home and ,abroad4 ,from the ,publisher-- ,,horace ,,cox1 ,the ,field ,office1 ,windsor ,house1 ,bream's ,buildings1 ,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,books ,,published ,,by ,,horace ,,cox1 ,published ,annually4 ,in ,post #hvo41 price #as4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,angler',s ,,diary ,,and ,,tourist ,,fisherman',s ,,gazetteer4 ,,contains ,a ,record of the ,rivers and ,lakes of the ,world1 to which is added a ,list of ,rivers of ,great ,britain1 with their nearest ,railway ,stations4 ,also ,forms for ,registering the ,fish taken during the year2 as well as the ,time of the ,close ,season and ,angling ,licences4 ,by ,i4,e4,b4,c41 ,editor of ,the ,gamekeeper's and ,game ,preserver's ,account ,book and ,diary4 ,price #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,sea ,fishing3 ,practical ,letters4 ,by ,,john ,,bickerdyke4 ,most useful book for man or boy1 containing everything relating to ,sea ,fishing4 ,in ,demy #dto41 price #ajs4 #f;d4 net4 ,,chats ,,on ,,angling4 ,by ,capt4 ,h4 ,,hart-,,davis4 ,a well ,illustrated ,work1 beautifully printed in large type on good paper4 ,in ,crown #hvo41 price #gs4 #f;d41 cloth4 ,the ,coasts of ,devon and ,lundy ,island4 ,by ,,john ,,lloyd ,,warden ,,page4 ,illustrated with #ba ,vignettes by ,mr4 ,alexander ,ansted1 taken in many cases from sketches by the ,author2 with map4 ,,field ,,office1 ,,bream',s ,,buildings1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,day',s ,,salmonid4 ,in #a vol41 ,imperial #hvo41 cloth1 price #a #as4 ,with #ab ,coloured ,plates and many ,woodcuts4 ,british and ,irish ,salmonid4 ,by ,,francis ,,day1 ,c4,i4,e41 ,f4,l4,s41 and ,f4,z4,s4 ,this work is an exhaustive treatise on the ,salmonid of the ,british ,islands1 and will be found equally valuable to the ,angler1 the ,fish ,culturist1 and the ,scientific ,icthyologist4 ,a ,few ,copies to be had1 beautifully bound in ,whole ,calf1 ,full ,gilt1 price #ces4 ,in ,post #hvo41 with ,illustrations1 price #cs4 #f;d4 ,the ,practical ,management of ,fisheries4 ,a ,,book ,,for ,,proprietors ,,and ,,keepers4 ,by the late ,,francis ,,francis1 ,author of ,fish ,culture1 ,a ,book on ,angling1 ,reports on ,salmon ,ladders1 c4 ,a ,,pocket ,,book ,,for ,,anglers ,,and ,,ramblers4 ,in ,crown #abmo41 buckram1 #bs4 #f;d42 paper covers1 #as4 #f;d4 ,a ,,mixed ,,bag4 ,a ,medley of ,angling ,stories and ,sketches4 ,by ,,red ,,spinner1 ,author of ,near and ,far1 ,by ,stream and ,sea1 ,travel and ,trout1 ,waterside ,sketches1 ,notable ,shipwrecks1 ,the ,thames from ,oxford to the ,pool1 c4 ,illustrated ,catalogue of our ,books sent post free4 ,kindly write for one4 ,,the ,,field1 ,,the ,,farm1 ,,the ,,garden4 ,the ,country ,gentleman's ,newspaper4 ,published ,every ,saturday1 ,price ,sixpence1 by ,post #f-a_/b;d4 ,this paper is devoted entirely to the interests of ,country ,gentlemen1 and is the ,largest and most ,influential ,paper in ,great ,britain4 ,the subjects are treated in the fullest manner by the first writers of the day1 and comprise3-- ,shooting4 ,cricket4 ,veterinary4 ,farm4 ,pastimes4 ,bee-keeping4 ,acclimatisation4 ,fishing4 ,racing4 ,wild ,sports4 ,garden4 ,whist4 ,poultry4 ,pisciculture4 ,hunting4 ,yachting4 ,stables4 ,country ,house4 ,chess4 ,pigeons4 ,travel4 ,coursing4 ,rowing4 ,kennel4 ,athletic ,sports4 ,driving4 ,natural ,history4 ,lawn ,tennis4 ,cycling and ,motoring4 c41 c41 c4 ,all the ,subjects are1 where thought advisable1 carefully ,illustrated in the best manner possible4 ,,the ,,field gives an additional interest to ,country ,gentlemen1 ,sportsmen1 ,naturalists1 and others1 as it is the ,established ,medium for ,,advertisements of the following matters3-- ,shooting1 ,fishing1 and ,hunting ,quarters4 ,estates and ,farms for ,sale or to ,let4 ,poultry and ,pigeons4 ,gamekeepers1 ,bailiffs1 ,gardeners1 and other ,servants4 ,yachts for ,sale and to ,let4 ,horses and ,carriages for ,sale4 ,dogs1 ,stud ,horses1 ,stud ,dogs1 ,farm ,implements1 ,farm ,seeds1 ,garden ,seeds1 ,new ,books1 ,hotels1 ,house-keeping1 and ,miscellaneous ,articles4 ,subscription to ,foreign ,countries3 ,yearly1 #a #ais4 #f;d42 ,six ,months1 #ais4 #i;d42 ,three ,months1 #is4 #aj;d4 ,,published ,,by ,,horace ,,cox1 ,,windsor ,,house1 ,,bream',s ,,buildings1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4