42 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



addition to the drawback that the trout taken by it 

 are out of condition, — viz. that the practice of it is 

 a strong encouragement to the killing of spawning 

 salmon in close-time. Hitherto a considerable quan- 

 tity of salmon-roe sufficiently developed for curing- 

 has no doubt been obtained by legal fishing before 

 the expiry of the season, but that very fact proved 

 that the season was prolonged beyond the due period, 

 and it is to be hoped that the alteration of the law 

 will amend that greatly in future. Ninety per cent, 

 of the salmon-roe cured is bought from the poachers 

 at a high price, and every pound of that roe represents 

 several thousand eggs, that, but for the deadly leister 

 of the black-fisher, might have helped to stock the 

 border streams with salmon. We trust the exertions 

 of our excellent crony Mr. Mitchell, the active and 

 energetic Superintendent of the Tweed Police, will 

 year-by-year diminish this disgraceful traffic ; and pro- 

 bably it may by-and-by enter his head to strike, as we 

 have no doubt he could legally do, at those who tempt 

 the poachers by paying them 2s. or 2s. 6d. a pound 

 for the fresh roe. He can seize a carrier's cart during 

 close-time, if but a single salmon is found in it, and 

 fine the carrier ; he can follow foul salmon to the 

 uttermost ends of the kingdom, and compel the person 

 in whose possession they are to prove that they were 

 not killed in the Tweed betwen the 15th of October 

 and the 1st of March, or undergo a penalty : — why, 

 then, can he not make a descent upon a vender of 

 salmon-roe, and put him to the same proof as to how 

 and where the article was procured ? If he can, sa7is 

 ceremonie^ lay hold of the sides of a "kipper" hanging 



