64 SALMONIA. 



are seized with avidity by the fish ; and being 

 large flies, take large fish. 



Orn. — Surely the May-fly season is not 

 the only season for day-fishing in this river ? 



Hal. — Certainly not. There are as many 

 fish to be taken perhaps in the spring fishing ; 

 but in this deep river they are seldom in good 

 season till the May-fly has been on ; and a 

 fortnight hence they will be still better than 

 even now. In September there may be good 

 fish taken here; but the autumnal flies are 

 less plentiful in this river than the spring flies. 



Phys. — Pray tell me what are the species 

 of fly which take in these two seasons. 



Hal. — You know that trout spawn or de- 

 posit their ova and seminal fluid in the end of 

 the autumn or beginning of winter, from the 

 middle of November till the beginning of Ja- 

 nuary, their maturity depending upon the tem- 

 perature of the season, their quantity of food, 

 &c. For some time (a month or six weeks) 

 before they are prepared for the sexual func- 

 tion, or that of re-production, they become less 

 fat, particularly the females; the large quantity 



