As early as 1865, gentlemen anglers were found on the Nipigon River. Between 1870 and 1880, Red Rock House, located at the mouth of the Nipigon  River was at the height of its growth and was an important outfitting station (OMNR 2001). Anglers reached Nipigon mainly through the Campbell line of steamers on Lake Superior that stopped regularly in Nipigon (Wilson 1991). Tourists were outfitted for their trips up the Nipigon River by a Hudson Bay Company Trading Post called Red Rock House and by Clarks Trading Post, both located on the Nipigon Waterfront (Wilson 1991).

For a small fee, the tourists hired a Native guide, rented a canoe and traveled up the Nipigon River to fish for the famous brook trout. Those who fished the Nipigon met with great success. By the 1870s, word of the tremendous brook trout fishing was spreading. Famous American outdoor writer Charles Hallock (1873) wrote:

"Passengers, while waiting for the departure

of the steamer, have caught within an hour

or so from off the dock trout ranging from

one and one half pounds to five pounds each.

Of the 150 fish which we have caught, the

average, by actual test, was a little above

two pounds and one half pounds."

    In 1887, the American Forest and Stream magazine named the Nipigon River the finest trout stream in the world. This article, and the 35 other articles published in this journal between 1873 and 1910 about the Nipigon River, served to attract crowds of wealthy and famous anglers from the United States, Canada, and Europe. With all the publicity, and the access to the area made easy with the completion of the railroad in 1885, it was only a matter of time before the fish populations declined. A.R. MacDonough, an American sport fisherman and outdoor writer wrote:

"It is no longer possible, as it was twenty-five

years ago, to take in a day, a barrel of trout

averaging four pounds, nor can the angler

now quickly fill his basket within sight of Red

Rock landing (MacDonough 1889)".

The number of tourists swelled and the costs for outfitting and guides increased. In 1901, landings, improved portages and trails to fishing pools were constructed between Lake Nipigon and Camp Alexander on the Nipigon River (Anon. 1912). In 1898, the federal Department of Marine and Fisheries relinquished their control over the inland rivers and lakes in Ontario. Ontario responded by forming a new Fisheries Branch. In the early 1900s, the Fisheries Branch received reports that the average size of fish had declined and that the fish were not as numerous. Consequently, the new Fisheries Branch singled out Lake Nipigon and the Nipigon River for special protection through a set of separate fishery regulations that were published alongside the regular Ontario fishery laws in an appendix to their 1899 Fishing and Shooting along the lines of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR 1899 ci Thoms 1995). These regulations required anglers wanting to fish the Nipigon River, to purchase special five to twenty-five dollar permits (Thoms 1995).

    Despite the noticeable decline in the Nipigon River fishery, the tourists continued to arrive in Nipigon and the overseers reported steady increases in revenues collected from resident and non-resident anglers. In 1902, Overseer McKirdy estimated that, although only $1095 was spent on permits, $10,000 was spent in Nipigon on guides and supplies (Fisheries Branch 1902). From the revenue generated from the fishing permits rangers were employed to work on the river. By 1912, as many as eight rangers were employed on the Nipigon River to keep the portages clear, provide well-situated landing sites and numerous convenient camping sites (Game and Fisheries Commission 1912).

While the fishing had declined, by world standards, the Nipigon River was still a high quality angling destination. Distinguished visitors continued to descend on the area (Swainson 2001a). In 1913, a New York Herald journalist inspected the Nipigon overseer’s license registry and reported "few towns of its size in the world have sheltered so many of earth’s distinguished ones" (Anon. 1913).

    In 1915 a world record was set when a brook trout was caught at Rabbit Rapids on the Nipigon River. Dr. J.W. Cook of Fort William, Ontario, caught a 6.58kg (14.5lbs) brook trout with a live minnow. This record has yet to be broken and of course served to enhance the legendary appeal of the "Nepigon". This prompted a royal visit in 1919 from Edward, Prince of Wales (also known as Price Albert Edward) and heir to the British Throne, who became King Edward the VIII.

The Nipigon River, served to attract crowds
of wealthy and famous anglers

Early Gentleman Anglers