NIPIGON TROUT, EDWARD R. HEWITT 1934

NIPIGON TROUT, EDWARD R. HEWITT  1934

Letter from Edward R. Hewitt, New York, N.Y.

To: Mrs. Girvan, April 17, 1934.

Copy in Nipigon Museum Archives

My dear Mrs. Girvan:

I am very familiar with the Nipigon country having made two trips there.  On the last trip I happened to be there at the end of the season when the Indians were catching their winter fish.  I arranged with them to let me catch them  the fish and I started in and caught all they needed.  They would have taken them anyway.  I got 1500 trout over 3 and a half pounds and 65 over 6 pounds.  I had one 28 inches long and 28 inches girth which would have weighed about 14 pounds.  I saw five trout on this trip which were cleaned which weighed from ten to 12 and a half pounds – their insides were removed when I weighed them.

A friend of mine on the Canadian Survey in 1879 got one near the mouth of the Nipigon weighing 19 and one half pounds. This is recorded in the survey.

At the top of the Virgin Falls I got 13 fish one day none of which was under six pounds and one of them 14 pounds and another 8 and three quarter pounds.  This was in 1889.

I have also gotten a great many along the shore of Lake Superior but they were rarely over 6 and a half pounds and rather blue in color.

It would give me great pleasure to see that country again but I fear I will not get there and my old wild place is spoiled anyway.  I would not care to visit it now.

Signed, Edward R. Hewett ( 9spelling keeps changing)