and the smaller salmon. In
the case of the two former it is a matter of experience. The latter are
easily known by the test of the anal fin and tail. Great confusion has
been caused, and always will be, until proper care is taken.

The Coquitlam, Capillano, and other rivers have been much overfished by
legal and probably by illegal means. The sport used to be excellent, and
would soon improve again under proper conditions.

It would be an excellent thing if an anglers' club was formed in
Vancouver, and part of the water preserved. If part of the water was
thus properly treated, and a small hatchery put up, no doubt the fishing
would soon be better than ever, while immense benefit would accrue to
the remaining public water. 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 country. The Kootenay waters have suffered in the same
way, as also some of the rivers near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The
Dolly Varden trout is very plentiful in all these rivers. Some very fine
bags of large fish have been made in the Squamish River in Butte inlet.
On Vancouver Island there is good fishing, easily reached from Victoria.
The Cowichan River and Lake are the best known. Steel-head and rainbow
can both be got on fly and minnow. The flies used are even larger than
those on the Thompson. Personally, I have never fished on Vancouver
Island, but from all that I have heard I should say that sport is not so
good there as on the upper mainland.

CHAPTER VII.

The Salmons of the Pacific--Legends Concerning Them--The Five
Species--Systems of Migration--Powers of Endurance--Absence of
Kelts--Do They Take a Fly?--Terrible Mortality--"A Vivid Red
Ribbon"--Points of Difference Between the Quinnat and _Salmo
salar_--Work of the Canneries--Artificial Propagation.

No account of the fishing in British Columbia would be complete unless
some mention were made of the salmon, though it is only in tidal water
that they can be caught with the rod, and though in the upper country
they are useless from the fisherman's point of view. The annual
migration of the Pacific coast salmon is a wonderful thing, about which
little has been written, and much requires to be learnt. To those who
have seen it, the phenomenon is most striking, and has vividly impressed
the western imagination, wh