62 SALMONID^ OF BRITAIN. 



The existence of lakes near tlie sources of rivers lias been held to influence the 

 carliness or lateness of its waters. In England and Wales we find such conditions 

 present in the Eden, 70.} miles long, ^viih. a catchment basin 916 square miles in 

 extent ; the Dee, 93 miles long, and with 850 square miles of catchment basin ; 



prefer the Eden to the Esk, the Caldew, or the Peteril. The two first rivers enter the same 

 estuary, their mouths being merely separated by a sliarp point of land, yet there is scarcely an 

 instance of a new salmon ever entering the Esk until the middle of April or beginning of May. 

 The fishermen assert that the Eden is considerably warmer than the Esk, the latter having a 

 more stony bed, shallower stream, and broader expanse. When snow-water comes down the 

 Eden the fish will not ascend ; by the beginning of summer the temperature of the two rivers is 

 about the same. The Peteril joins the Eden a little above, and the Caldew at Carlisle ; yet up 

 these rivers the salmon never run unless in the spawning season, and even then in no great 

 numbers. 



As Inspector of Fisheries, Professor Huxley in his Annual Beport for 1884, entered upon his 

 views regarding "early "and "late" rivers. Having quoted Yarrell's observation, "that some 

 rivers are much earlier than others, the fish in them coming into breeding condition and 

 beginning to spawn at an earlier period," he continued: "I am not aware of the grounds on 

 which Mr. Yarrell made this statement, and I am unable to discover any satisfactory evidence 

 that it is well grounded." 



Yarrell's observations on this point, as remarked by himself, were based on those of Sir V/. 

 Jardine, who had remarked in The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal of 1835, from which 

 Yarrell quoted, that "it is a mistaken opinion to suppose that the spawning season is only between 

 October and February. In many rivers it would commence in the end of August, if the grounds 

 and entrance to the rivers were left open and unmolested ; and in some of the Sutherland streams 

 which have been left undisturbed for the last two years, the spawning season has been advanced 

 by a month or six weeks" (pp. 48, 49). But he seems to have subsequently changed his opinion, 

 as, in the Report of the Salmon Commission of 1861, of which he was President, a contrary view 

 was held, as already quoted. 



" All the evidence," continued Professor Huxley, " to which I have access tends to show that, 

 taking all the salmon rivers in England and Wales together, the spawning season covers more or 

 less of November, the whole of December and January, and more or less of February. It is rare 

 for fish to spawn as late as March, and I know of no conclusive evidence that they spawn earlier 

 than November" (p. 28). He concluded that the " earliness " or " lateness " of a river being 

 affected by artificial conditions is devoid of foundation, while there is no evidence that any 

 " early" river was formerly made " late " by late fishing, or that any " late " river has since been 

 made "early" by early cessation of fishing. He instanced the Cumberland Derwent, where the 

 coops at Salmon Hall Weir used to be fished until October 10th, but from 1861 have been closed 

 on September 1st annually ; but there is no evidence that the fish have become any earlier than 

 they formerly were. He considered the problem not so much why some rivers are late, as why so 

 many are early — why fish should ascend months prior to any breeding necessity rendering such 

 advisable. In the same Eeport the Inspector observed, " In the Tamar, peal are said to be ready 

 to spawn in August, and salmon in September. In the Tavy the salmon are said to be ready to 

 spawn in October, but the peal seldom spawn before November. I very much doubt, however, 

 whether anyone ever saw a salmon or a peal actually spawning so early as August, September, or 

 even October. The opinion that they are ' ready to spawn ' is inconclusive. Against this 

 evidence may be cited the case of a neighbouring river, the Plym. I am informed by Mr. Henry 

 Clark, one of the conservators, that the fishermen fishing for herrings and coarse JisJi iji the tidal 

 icaters of the Plym, in December last, caught at the same time spent peal just returned fi'om 

 spawning, and fresh-run salmon going up to spawn ; and that about the same time several salmon, 

 weighing from 14 lb. to 24 lb., killed by otters, were picked up below the weir at Canu Quarry, 

 ' full of peas, nearly ripe ;' while in March last year some fresh-run peal going up, and spent 

 salmon coming back, were caught together between the weir at Cann Quarry and the tidal waters." 

 In these instances it is to be regretted that neither the Inspector of Fisheries or his assistant took 

 any steps to personally ascertain the condition of the fish in these rivers at the period referred to, 

 but acceiDted information received at second hand. 



"As to the cause of early and late rivers for salmon," remarked Mr. Pike, the Secretary of the 

 Dart Fishery Board (Land and ll'ater, March 28th, 1885), " my theory is that a 'late ' river is 

 only caused by the inability or difficulty of salmon getting to the upper waters to spawn. This 

 may arise either upon a small river where the water is insufficient till the winter floods come, or 

 it may arise from artificial obstacles to the passing of the fish, such as weirs. The Dart is a 

 marked instance of the latter cause. The Totnes Weir entirely prevented fish getting up. For a 

 great many years the river had been netted in close time to pass salmon over, but it is only four 

 seasons ago that this netting was permitted before the rod fishing ended on October 31. Ever 

 since the salmon were passed up early in September they have been seen spawning high up on 

 Dartmoor as early as the first week in October, and young salmon have been hatched out the first 

 week in January." 



Mr. Willis-Bund, in Salmon Problems, 1885, remarked: " Mr. Huxley says there is no evidence 

 that it (i.e., salmon which come into the river in January and February) will spawn before 

 November. The evidence of the Severn goes to prove it would spawn in October " (p. 166). "I 

 can only say I have in several years seen fish spa^Yning in October, and the Severn Superintendent 



