Lewis and Clark

Lewis, June 13th 1805, Great Falls
Here the river again assumes it's usual width soon spreading to near 300 yards but still continues it's rappidity. from the reflection of the sun on the spray or mist which arrises from these falls there is a beatifull rainbow produced which adds not a little to the beauty of this majestically grand senery. after wrighting this imperfect discription I again viewed the falls and was so much disgusted with the imperfect idea which it conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen across it and begin agin, but then reflected that I could not perhaps succeed better than pening the first impressions of the mind; I wished for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thompson, that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world some just idea of this truly magnifficent and sublimely grand object, which has from the commencement of time been concealed from the view of civilized man

on my return I found the party at camp; they had butchered the buffaloe and brought in some more meat as I had directed. Goodrich had caught half a douzen very fine trout and a number of both species of the white fish. these trout are from sixteen to twenty three inches in length

my fare is really sumptuous this evening; buffaloe's humps, tongues and marrowbones, fine trout parched meal pepper and salt, and a good appetite; the last is not considered the least of the luxuries.

Lewis July 29 1805
we see a great abundance of fish in the stream some of which we take to be trout but they will not bite at any bate we can offer them

Gordon

Complete Fly Fisherman p 235 ", beware of those stiff-winged flies that spin in the air behind you in the back cast, particularly when fishing fine gut."M p 398 After the recent freshet I went out to spot trout. I can make them run at a Bumblepuppy. They won't take it but it is great fun and I spot all their lies. p 430 Dear Mr Skues: Without spending some time in this country, you can have no notion of the extraordinary variety in the conditions to be met, just in trout fishing.

In some parts it is necessary to use big flies full of life and color, more after the style of Loch and Sea Trout flies, in others the small imitations of the natural flies common in those waters.