Talyn
SAINT
Did fish and fishing alter the fate of Lewis and Clark?
I amused myself in fishing,” wrote Captain Meriwether Lewis the evening of June 15, 1805. The Corps of Discovery was camped below the Great Falls of the Missouri River, and that afternoon Lewis and other men of the expedition had enjoyed catching several cutthroat trout by baiting their hooks with “melt” (deer spleen).The Lewis and Clark Expedition was an angler’s dream trip. On some days, members caught bass, catfish, trout, or other species as fast as they could bait a hook. But fish meant more to the expedition than occasional amusement. Fish were important in the collection of scientific information. Lewis and Captain William Clark recorded 11 species of fish unknown to Americans at the time, and they mentioned more than 30 different species throughout the journey. Fish also staved off extreme hunger, providing the expedition with protein at times when deer and other game were scarce. And it was the sight of salmon on the Lemhi River in today’s Idaho that told Lewis the Pacific Ocean was finally within reach.
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