NOTES ON BRITISH SALMON IDM 83 



could oppose them. In fact, the sea or the tidal portions of 

 the river itself forms the only resting pool of these oldest and 

 most worthless fish. They spawn not far above tide-mark, 

 if not even in brackish water itself, and they benefit only 

 the very lowest reaches of such rivers. Their flesh is in- 

 ferior, and fetches a smaller price in the market. I do not 

 refer in the above remarks to the numerous bull-trout (Salmo 

 eriox] which run far up the Tweed, and Tweed's tributaries, 

 but to the so-called " Grey-School " which keeps the bad 

 company of these bull-trout both inferior classes of fish. 

 Is there any need for me to instance other rivers of similar 

 character? Let me take one more, the Spey. In Spey, 

 the early " springers " are small and active, rising freely to 

 fly, and ascending rapidly as far as their first resting pools. 

 Such may be caught far up the river : as far, indeed, as 

 Shirramore in far Lochaber. But the true late " running 

 fish " (autumn fish being synonymous in this case) going up 

 to 30 Ibs. or greater weights, though they rise freely on the 

 lowest reaches of the river soon after they come up, quickly 

 cease rising, and become sluggish. They are often seen 

 here, as elsewhere, throwing themselves high out of water, 

 and, as is well known to anglers, at such times they will 

 not look at a fly. The same state of things is to be found 

 on many other rivers known to me ; and not an angler of 

 experience but who could instance many more. 



Before summing up what I have said above, I wish to 

 make one or two side remarks which can scarcely be omitted 

 at this point of our inquiry. I have referred to the large 

 tnte spring fis/i of the Garry and the Oich (auct. Grimble). 

 (Some one may think it worth while to argue that there is 

 a parallel between the large fish of Loch Tay and the 16 

 Ib. fish of the two rivers named, but I think I can show 

 that there really is none.) The large (16 Ib.) spring fish 

 of Garry, etc., run right through Loch Ness, and do not 

 rest in that sheet of water ; and, immediately upon reaching 

 the rivers, their habit of rising freely to fly, judging from a 

 wide-spread analogy in other rivers, and a wide experience 

 of anglers, is distinctly indicative of their true status as 

 " springers." I believe their origin to have been from ova 

 hatched in the newly opened up upper waters of these 



