SALMON. 45 



(as far as I know) has ever been tempted to take 

 a bait of any kind in the fresh water above the 

 tideway. The Indians all say that salmon never 

 eat when in the rivers ; and I could never dis- 

 cover that they had any recorded instance, or 

 even tradition, of a salmon being taken with 

 bait. 



I tried every lure I could think of, to tempt 

 these lordly salmon. The most killing salmon- 

 flies of Scotch, Irish, and English ties, thrown in 

 the most approved fashion, were trailed close to 

 their noses ; such flies as would have coaxed 

 any old experienced salmon in the civilised 

 world of waters to forget his caution. Hooks, 

 cunningly baited with live fish, aquatic larva?, 

 and winged insects, were scorned, and not even 

 honoured with a sniff. Others of the Com- 

 mission, also tried their powers of fascination, 

 but with equally unsuccessful results. 



I have opened a very large number of salmon 

 at various Indian fishing-stations, on their 

 first arrival, and during every stage of their 

 wasting vitality, and after death had ended their 

 sufferings ; and not in a solitary instance did I 

 ever discover the trace of food in the stomach or 

 intestinal canal. But in every case where a 

 salmon was taken in the tideway or saltwater, 



