v-^' •„ '^ A*" ^ %. .^^ ' '^J, A^ ♦J^ % *' VI'* > V o ^ ^\ Copynght, i!^Q4, by the Forest and Stream Piiblisliing Company '11 A First Word So LITTLE has been written about ouananiche fishing, its modes and its merits, its charms and its rewards, that there is call for a handbook of specific information concerning the fish and of definite instructions in the art of its enticement. Impelled by the obligation which rests upon every sportsman to give his fellows in the craft the fruit of his own experience and knowledge, I have prepared this brochure. Its purpose is to put into compact and intelligent form all that may be necessary for the guidance of newcomers in the picturesque haunts of this noble game fish. The volume is dedicated to my fellow sportsmen; to all those who may find in it practical helpfulness; to all who in the freedom and freshness of the woods may give over for a time the tax of business, and as did Izaak Walton himself, ^ may find in fishing forgetfulness of the vexations and v/orries of life. E. McC. What It Is What It Is Five years ago, I accidentally heard that away to the north in the wilds of Canada, there was a new fishing territory opened up to the angler, the Lake St. John region; and I heard, too, for the first time, the name of that crreat fish, tne ouananiche. I at once made the trip, for I was completely worked up over the glowing accounts I had heard ; and finding them to be all truth, and no fiction, I became a most enthusiastic admirer of the sport to be had in that country, and have spent a month or more there each year since. The fighting qualities of this fish are so great that they pass understanding, and with five years of experience in angling for them, I conclude each year that I know less about how^ to hook, handle and land them. 9 The Leaping Ouananiche True, I have ahvays saved enough to satisfy in point of numbers, but it does hurt one's pride to feel at the end of each day's catch, that 3^ pounds of fish has frequently outwitted 225 pounds of man; and that the man's superior in- tellio-ence has availed him only to the extent of savino- less than half of the pugnacious ouananiche that have become acquainted with his hook. The word ouananiche is a new one but recently in use amongst anglers, as it represents a new member of the salmon family, found in a new section of country, and is a fish but little known, even at present. Already classed above the black bass and brook trout as a fighter, and ranking second only to the salmon (Salmo salar), it is destined to become the most sought after and noted of our game fish. It is peculiar alone to Lake St. John in the Province of Quebec and its tributaries, and these waters having been practi- cally opened to easy access within a few years only, the existence of this wonderful fish is rap- idly attracting the attention of noted fishermen. How much tackle will be broken, how many rods smashed, and arms lamed, will result from the '1^7 7 ? :k'*j ^ .11 The Leaping Ouananiche introduction of the ouananiche to the anghng pubhc cannot be told. The outlet of Lake St. John, the Saguenay, has always been noted as a fine salmon river, for it receives smaller fresh water rivers that afford fine spawning grounds. At some remote period, the entire river to the lake afforded easy ascent for the spawning salmon. Some upheaval of nature occurred, raising an impassable barrier at Chicou- timi, a fall of some 60 or 70 feet in height, im- prisoning the salmon above. Thus prevented from returning to salt water, they have become land- locked salmon, or ouananiche, depreciated in size only from their original progenitors. The word ouananiche is from the dialect of the Montagnais Lidians who inhabit the country about Lake St. John. They have always been familiar with this fish, and understanding its derivation, have properly named it ''oiianan^' meaning salmon, and '' iche'' the diminutive — "the little salmon." Report has it that one of 14 pounds was taken in the Little Dischage of the lake several years ago, but none approximating that weight have been taken since. In an ordinary catch the fish The Leaping Ouananiche will average from 3 to 3^ pounds each, although smaller and larger ones are as frequently caught. I have seen several taken weighing 8 to 8^ pounds, but individually, 7^ pounds has been the largest I have secured. The ouananiche differs materially from the land- locked salmon found in a few of the Maine lakes. While both are so-called land-locked salmon, they differ somewhat in appearance, the former being caught almost exclusively in the swiftest running rapids entirely with the fly; the latter in the smooth, quiet waters of lakes, and principally with the spoon. Concerninor the relative merits of the two fish, and especially the manner of catching them, there can be no comparison or controversy, and I will not therefore go further into the subject. Upon making a close comparison of a 7^/^-pound ouananiche with an 18-pound salmon, side by side, as I had an opportunity to do recently, I could discover little, if any, difference; they are truly congeneric. The contour difters in not even a slight degree. The color, almost black on the back, shades to a light gray on the side, while the belly is silvery white; in all respects colored as is The Leaping Ouananiche the sahnon. It has a true sahnon head, large, round, black spots appear on the gills, the vSt. Andrew crosses on the body are plentiful, it has the small fleshy fin on top anterior to the tail, peculiar to the salmon family. The fins, especi- ally the caudal, and the tail, are extremely large. The scales are an exact counterpart of those of the salmon, while the flesh is hard and flaky, al- ways pink, although varying in shade, and proper- ly cooked, it is fully equal to, if not better than that of the salmon. When first caught and taken from the water, the back and sides of the ouanan- iche have a most beautiful peacock blue shade that one must stop and admire. This disappears within a few moments, and gives place to the true sal- mon color described above. Its natural lurking place is in swift running ra- pids, or the foam-covered, whirling, eddying pools below. It seems almost impossible to find water too rapid for these fish, and I have often taken them on experimental casts from a seething, mist- hidden pool directly under a ten or twelve foot heavy fall. The power derived from its large fins and tail, easily enables it to move through, The Leaping Ouananiche and rest in the most rapid water, and by the same power it can jump fully twelve feet of sheer fall, as I have frequently seen them do. Take into consideration the rough water in which the ouanan- iche is hooked and played, as also the fact that a seven-ounce rod is holding a ground and lofty tumbling fish against this current, and some idea can be had of the merits of this fishing. Such is the ouananiche, or land-lockecl salmon of Lake St. John. Akin to the salt-water salmon in every particular, except size, it is a beautiful fish to look upon, the strongest and hardest fighter that I have ever met with, one that tests the tackle and skill of the angler to the fullest extent; in total, the king of fresh-water fish. One of the best descriptions of the game qual- ities of the ouananiche that I have ever seen, appeared in the Quebec Chronicle a few years ago, and it so impressed me that I have always had it in mind since. It is so germane to the subject in hand, that it is worthy of repetition, and I will reproduce it here: "In proportion to their size, these ouananiche are the gamiest fish that swim. They are pecu- 14 The Leaping Ouananiche liar to Lake vSt. John and its tributaries; but hook a respectable ouananiche in the boiling waters of the Grand Discharge, and you have entered upon a fight as different in comparison with other fish, as is that with a dark-colored trout hooked in the heaviest rapids, compared with the half-hearted struggle of a dainty fingerling in a crystal lake. In proportion to his avoirdupois, he can do more tackle smashing, pound for pound, than any fish that swims. His leaps are terrific; he can give a black bass long odds, and then show him points in high jumping." Where Wh ere I well remember examining a map of the Prov- ince of Quebec to find Lake St. John, and how to get there. Located as it is, two hundred miles due north of the city of Quebec, and the map showing but little settlement, and giving only an imperfect idea of what is beyond, I felt as though I was going to leave the confines of civilization far behind. An examination to-day of the latest map of Ca- nada, will convey merely an idea of the vastness of the primeval, unsettled forest without any detail Especially north of Lake St. John is this true; a few tracings showing only the rivers will in- dicate all — ^and how little — known of the terri- tory. But little effort is being made by the Gov- ernment to explore and map it, and I firmly be- 19 The Leaping Ouananiche lieve that American sportsmen will discover the topography first, in their desire to find new hunt- ing and fishing grounds. Lake St. John is by far the largest body of water to be found for several hundred miles north of the St. Lawrence River. Bearing the hidian name Pikouagami, this inland sea measuring fully 30 miles across in any direc- tion, lies deep in the midst of the old Laurentian Mountains, a marvel of beauty to the artist, a par- adise to the angler. Tributary to the lake are some eighteen rivers, large and small, flowing from all points of the compass. The most noted are the Ashuapmouchouan from the northwest, the Mistassini from the north, the Peribonca from the northeast,, the Metabetchouan and Ouiatchouan from the south, the Ouiatchouaniche and Iroquois from the west. The three first named rivers are respectively 300, 350 and 400 miles in length, very deep, and will average from one and a half to two miles wide at their mouth. For all this great inrush of water, but one outlet is provided by nature, the Saguenay River, or as it is termed until iw reaches tide water, the Grand Discharge. Taking its course through a mountain The Leaping Ouananiche chasm filled with rocks, rapids and falls, this great body of water hurls itself against and over the opposing barriers with mighty strength, boil- ing, surging and leaping with an indescribable roar and confusion, until with its final pluncre at Chicoutimi, as the dark, mysterious Saguenay, it quietly seeks the sea. The south shore of Lake St. John, cleared back for a distance of about three miles, is settled to some extent ; back of this, two-thirds of the dis- tance to Quebec, is an unbroken forest. From the lake north to St. James Ba)-, it is absolutely unsettled with the exception of a few Hudson Bay Company posts and depots for supplies. Primeval forest, a network of rivers and lakes ! Who can fully gauge the success that awaits the hunter or fisherman who penetrates it ? Properly, the abid- ing place of the ouananiche, the Lake St. John country offers as well unequalled trout fishing and splendid hunting for large and small game. Connected now with Quebec by the Quebec and Lake St. John Railroad, the trip is made in eight hours, through a wild, wooded mountain country, the picturesqueness of which relieves the journey The Leaping Ouananiche from monotony and fatigue. On arrival is found the Hotel Roberval, perfect in all respects, every facility being offered the sportsman for his suc- cess and every effort put forth for the comfort of all. Within twenty-four hours ride of New York, these Canadian Adirondacks are as accessible and convenient in all ways as are the Adirondacks of New York State. Ouananiche fishing is found only in Lake St. John, the various rivers flowing into it, and the Grand Discharge. None of the surrounding lakes, unless in direct connection with the rivers, con- tain them. At the first glance this is apparently a small and circumscribed territory. How quickly, however, will the first visit dispel that idea; the magnitude of the lake, the length and breadth of the rivers, will prove that there is ample room for the multitude of fishermen who may visit it. All this territory, beginning some lo or 12 miles soufh of the lake, including 12 miles of the Grand Discharge, and extending north to the watershed of the great rivers mentioned, embracing all the territory drained by them, in extent over 100,000 square miles, is owned by, or leased to, Mr. H. J. The Leaping Ouananiche Beemer of Montreal. Upon the completion of the railroad from Quebec, jMr. Beemer, recognizing- the' value of the country to sportsmen, erected the magnificent Hotel Roberval, and threw open with- out charge this immense preserve to patrons of the house. Three years later, the Island House at the Grand Discharge was built under the same manacrement, for the convenience of fishermen at that point. A daily communication across the lake, between the two hotels, is maintained by the large sidewheel steamer " Mistassini." Naturally the most convenient place to visit, and affordinof at all seasons orood average fishino-, the Discharge attracts the greater number of vis- itors, but the fishing pools are numberless, and there is ample room for all. The supply of ouananiche is in reality inexhaustible, and it is certain that this and the succeeding generation of anglers will fail to deplete them. For trips up any of the rivers, the start is usually made from the vicinity of the Roberval, guides and canoes being engaged there. Provisions, tents, blankets, camp kits — in fact, everything needed for a com- fortable camp — are furnished at the hotel. 23 The Leaping Ouananiche To those intending- to visit Lake St. John, I would advise that nothing except necessary cloth- ing and tackle should be taken, and nothing dif- ferent in clothinor from that used in the New York Adirondacks. Althouo-h much further north than the Adirondacks, the weather is quite warm, with occasional very hot days, the nights only proving cold. The country is so vast, the sport both in hunting and fishing so varied, the facilities for reaching- it so good, the conveniences for comfort so complete, that it seems impossible for one to make a trip there and return dissatisfied. How different is all this from the Adirondack region of New York, which formerly offered plenty of fishing and hunting; and from its nearby loca- tion, so easy of access, has been, and is the Mecca of thousands of sportsmen. The relentless lumber- man, a railroad dividing this region in twain, other connecting roads under way, have all con- spired to bring about the early clearing of the forest, and the rapid disappearance of the deer and trout, formerly so abundant. Many preserves have been taken up by clubs for the use of their members only, thus reducing a territory alreaciy 24 :i mhS- <. *'..'- .vC 'bv" ^°-'.^. .0 •^0^ ■^^0^ h'^'^^. W\' <^^- ^^-;^, '. c°< '. ■t.o^ ; ■a? '^^ i^W^ N. MANCHESTEI INDIANA '^^ %T:n.^ .V