January 30, 1963

Lumbering Methods To Ruin Salmon Fishing, Is Claim

Present lumbering methods in many parts of Restigouche County are gradually killing off the salmon fishing in the county's rivers, it is claimed in an interview this week with James W. FitzGerald of Tide Head. For many years, Mr. FitzGerald was boss of the annual lumber drive on the Restigouche River and is considered one of the foremost experts on problems affecting the river areas of the county.

It is Mr. Fitzgerald's claim that the methods employed by the lumber operators to use tractors or bulldozers to push the logs into the river during the annual drives also fill the river up with mud and dead trees which soon find their way into the salmon pools. As a result, it is claimed, the salmon no longer use the pools and thereby gradually are leaving the Restigouche River for other resting places on the Atlantic coast. "The Restigouche has always been one of the world's great salmon fishing locations," said Mr. Fitzgerald, "and it is a shame to see this great industry brought to a close."

Mr. Fitzgerald has urged the government to take action in time to save the salmon fishing on the Restigouche. He maintains that hundreds of people earn their living from the annual salmon fishing and this livelihood is also in danger. The salmon pools of the Restigouche "bring hundreds of great people to this county every summer," Mr. FitzGerald says, "and we will gradually lose them also."

In past years, Mr. FitzGerald has guided many top international figures who fished on the rivers that flow into the Restigouche.

H. W. DeForest, a former president of two railway lines in the United States, fished the rivers for many years. Mr. DeForest was against the changing of the natural water runs and wouldnt allow anyone to alter the many salmon pools or water that emptied into the pools.

The Duke of Devonshire, the Governor General of Canada in 1918 also fished the Restigouche waters and was guided by Mr. FitzGerald. During the first five days of fishing, they landed 40 fine salmon.

The Governor General said the Restigouche River was the best river for salmon fishing, and he had fished the best rivers of England and Scotland.

Mr. Fitzgerald has driven lumber down the Restigouche for the Restigouche Log Driving and Boom Company for 28 years. Through that time, he has seen the river pools emptied of the world famous Restigouche Salmon.

He brought the biggest lumber drive on record down the Restigouche River in 1933 with a record drive of 3,333 million feet of long lumber.