FISHING-TACKLE
As regards tackle, one rule only must be followed: everything must be
of the best, and the best is to be obtained either in England or New
York.
The choice of a rod is a difficult matter, and depends altogether on
the individual idea of what constitutes sport.
If by sport is meant the taking of the greatest number of fish in the
shortest possible time, in fact the making of a record--no rod is
necessary. Follow the Indian method of fishing with a strong hand-line
and no trace, the spoon being fastened on to the line direct. The
moment the fish is on, if a small one, he is hauled hand over hand up
to the canoe and jerked in--if a tyee, he is played by hand. I have
never seen one allowed to make a race, and when fairly done he is
hauled alongside the canoe, the line held short with the left hand,
while a sharp blow on the head is administered with a wooden club, and
he is then done for and lifted into the boat--no gaff being used.
It is astonishing how quick the Indians are in killing even a large
tyee by this method. The hand playing apparently takes all the life out
of the fish, and the strong tackle does the rest.
I have seen many white men follow this system--but they were all
fishing for business and the Cannery. Only one white man from the
hotel fished in this way, and I don't think any of us envied him his
so-called sport.
The take comes on quite unexpectedly--boats will be rowing backwards
and forwards without a pull. Suddenly the take comes on and nearly
every boat may be in a fish. He, therefore, who can kill his fish
quickest will make the biggest bag, if record breaking be his object.
I have seen one Indian canoe bring in over one hundred fish in a day's
fishing--but is this sport? I think all true fishermen will say it is
not.
After the hand-line comes the rod, and again, if the object be to catch
as many fish as possible while the take is on, a small tarpon rod with
a Vom Hofe multiplying reel and an 18-thread tarpon line, practically
unbreakable, may be used.
One American tarpon fisher, Mr. Griswold, a true sportsman too,
followed this method and naturally defended it. I do not in any way
criticize his methods, I only felt they did not appeal to me. It is
true I have seen him kill three fish while I was killing one, but I did
not feel at all envious.
Generous to a degree, he more than once offered to fit me out and
instruct me in the art of "pumping" fish, but though much tempted, I
did not fall. Had I succumbed, I much fear I should have become an
ardent advocate of tarpon methods applied to tyee salmon.
On the other hand, to fish for tyee with a highly finished 18-foot
split cane, or other make of rod, seemed to me out of place. There were
some who did it and gloried in the fact that they had caught a great
tyee on an ordinary home salmon rod.
It seemed to me a waste of good material, for the rod was likely to be
broken or permanently strained in the process of lifting a great fish
from the depths of the sea--for after one or two rushes taking out
100 to 150 yards of line, the tyee will often go straight down to the
bottom, stand on his head and sulk, and then you want that power to
bring him up which only a very stiff rod possesses.
One of our number who had killed many a salmon at home, fished with an
ordinary 18-foot rod. The fish seemed to do what it liked with him, and
it generally ended in the rod being lowered till the tip touched the
water, and the boat disappearing in tow of the fish, up or down the
Straits with the racing tide.
In fact the fish was being played on the line from the reel without
the power of a hand-line. To give him the butt would have inevitably
resulted in breaking the rod. Yet this good sportsman sometimes got his
fish and came back triumphant, having had him on for a couple of hours.
The local rods, whether those to be obtained in Vancouver or at the
store on the pier at Campbell River, seemed to me most inferior in
quality and workmanship, and the same applies to all other tackle,
except possibly the leads, which are too heavy to carry about and which
can be purchased locally.
As stated before, I used a three-piece Deeside spinning rod, twelve
feet long, built by Blacklaw of Kincardine--but I must confess that
twice my tip was broken by the strain of the weight of a big fish which
had to be brought up to the gaff from the bottom of the sea.
Many a time was this little rod bent double, till I wondered how it
ever bore the strain. On it I had killed all my tyee and most of my
cohoe, but it suffered in the process, and the middle and top joints
had to be replaced on my return home. If I were going again, I should
feel inclined to take a 10-foot rod built on the same lines and of the
very best material and workmanship. Such a rod would give more power
and stiffness than the 12-foot rod.
Besides the 12-foot rod, I had a 14-foot three-piece Castleconnell
rod, an old friend. This I used for fishing for cohoe with the fly,
and grand sport they gave in the racing tide on a rod which played its
fish right down to the reel. An ordinary 12-foot trout rod for the
cut-throat trout completed my rod equipment.
_Reels and Lines._--I started with a large Nottingham reel, but soon
gave it up. It had the advantage, of course, of not rusting, but the
workmanship could not stand the rush of a heavy fish. I lost big fish
by the line slipping over the drum and jamming, though I had fixed up
the usual guard improvised out of the brass wire handle of a tin can
purchased locally. I then came to my largest bronze salmon reel, after
which I had no more trouble--though the salt water caused rusting of
the screws.
The reel should take 200 yards of tarpon line and be of the very
best and strongest make. The Vom Hofe multiplying reels are perfect
specimens of workmanship, and the attached leather drag worked by
pressure with the thumb is an excellent device. In fact, for the big
fish, from tyee to tarpon, I think the American tackle makers beat us
as regards reels and lines.
I purchased two tarpon lines in London; who the maker was I cannot say.
One did good service, the other seemed of inferior quality, for it
broke without any special reason.
I should recommend 200 yards of 18 or 21 Vom Hofe tarpon line, which
now can be purchased in England at Messrs. Farlow & Son's, or in New
York.
One great advantage of this line is that it need neither be washed in
fresh water after use in the sea nor dried. It can remain on the reel
wet without rotting.
_Gaff._--Farlow makes a specially strong gaff lashed into a long ash
or hazel handle. I found this quite satisfactory. On the other hand,
the American fishermen use quite a short gaff, but fishing with a six
or seven foot tarpon rod they can bring the fish much closer up to the
side of the boat.
A good strong landing net capable of taking a fish up of eight or ten
pounds is most useful, and saves gaffing the smaller salmon.
_Flies._--I started with the idea that the ordinary trout fly on No. 11
or 13 hook should be as good in Vancouver as it was in Scotland. I had
very soon to acknowledge my mistake--the trout preferred a small salmon
fly on No. 8 hook; silver grey, silver doctor, Wilkinson and Jock
Scott, I found the best patterns.
The cohoe took a 2-inch silver doctor and rose steadily to the fly.
_Spoons and Minnows._--Spoons can be obtained locally, either in
Vancouver or in the Campbell River Store, but I should recommend their
being purchased in England. The spoon specially made by Farlow is three
inches long, silver on both sides, with a hook attached to the end of
the spoon by a strong wire loop.
Local tastes varied, and in the local store there were many varieties
of spoons. One year dull lead spoons were supposed to be most
killing--another year it would be brass. Each fisherman had his special
fancy.
Mr. Griswold had a silver spoon invented by a friend of his, or
himself, for which a patent was about to be applied. He naturally,
therefore, did not wish to give away the secret. It certainly was a
most killing bait, and Mr. Griswold, between his special spoon and
his tarpon methods, killed more fish than any of us for the time he
remained at the Campbell River.
He most generously lent me one of his pet spoons on a day he was
hauling in fish and I was getting nothing. I was promptly in a big fish
which broke me, owing to the line jamming round the Nottingham reel,
and away went the patent spoon. I did not feel justified in examining
the spoon too closely or taking a drawing of it. It seemed longer than
the Farlow spoon. The hook was suspended by a chain and the bait seemed
to wobble rather than spin. The material was metal with bright silver
plating.
An ordinary large-sized silver Devon Minnow spun from the boat, or
at Cape Mudge from the shore, will take cohoe, and good sport can be
obtained in this way.
A Tacomah spoon is deadly for cut-throat trout, but I preferred the fly.
_Traces._--I took out some specially strong gut spinning traces made
by Farlow, but I do not think any traces are necessary. The line is
quite as invisible as the trace, and a few feet can be made into a
trace by fixing two or three swivels--bronze, if possible, instead of
bright brass--about two feet apart.
For fly fishing, good stout loch casting lines which will land a
five or seven pound fish are sufficient. Very fine trout casts are
unnecessary, except for trout in the river.
_Leads._--These can be purchased locally, and one is saved the trouble
of adding to the weight of baggage.
The method of fastening the lead on to the line all depends on whether
it is decided to lose the lead when the fish is hooked or to fix it
permanently on the line. A six-ounce lead when the fish is being played
takes away considerably from the pleasure, owing to the dead weight on
the rod. On the other hand, if it be decided to lose the lead each time
a fish is hooked, a couple of hundred leads may be required.
In the former case, two methods can be adopted: loop up the line about
twenty feet from the spoon with a piece of thread, on which is hung the
lead; when the strike comes the thread is broken and the lead slips
off--or, as described by Mr. Whitney: Tie two swivels on the line,
nine inches apart; a small ring is soldered to one end of the lead,
join the two swivels by a piece of weak cotton, thread the cotton
through the ring of the lead and shorten it to four inches, which loops
up the line, and when the strike comes the lead is released.
In the latter case, which I adopted, I found the simplest way was to
cut the line about ten feet from the spoon and fasten the lead by two
split rings and two swivels. Starting with a four-ounce lead I soon
came to a six ounce, which I believe to be the most suitable, certainly
in spring tides.
_Odds and Ends._--One must carry out all one's own repairs, therefore
an ample supply of repairing material and spare tackle must be taken.
Strong silk for splicing breakages, cobbler's wax, seccotine or liquid
glue, rod varnish, spare hooks, split rings, bronze single and double
swivels, fine copper wire, snake rod rings, and screws for reels.
A small portable case of tools, such as the "Bonsa," is invaluable, and
with this and a sharp clasp knife most current repairs can be made.
Two good spring balances are advisable, one weighing up to seventy or
eighty pounds, and one up to fifteen pounds. Both should be tested,
which avoids any dispute afterwards as to their accuracy.
TO ALERT BAY