SALMON-FISHING. 127 



Salmon — the new fish, fresh and lusty from 

 his salt-water bath — is often rising, it is true ; 

 but, with all the attention I could give, I never 

 discovered at what he rose ; — a simple case 

 of amusement, in most instances, I strongly 

 suspect. 



Fish will often strike at anything, apparently 

 in mere wantonness, that is floatino^ or moving; 

 along the surface of the water. And when a 

 Salmon is thus sporting, it is not unlikely that, 

 on presenting a fly, he will, unless alarmed, 

 rise at it ; and perhaps the more eagerly, if it 

 be an unaccustomed object. Even Trout will 

 sometimes do this ; no matter what the colour, 

 form, or size. On one occasion I actually saio a 

 trout taken with a daisy, after having rejected 

 several flies which had been presented to his 

 notice. It may be so with Salmon. But 

 even now, in the middle of the nineteenth 

 century, we have far too limited a knowledge 

 of their habits of feeding — marine, as weU as 

 river — for me to assert this as a fact. 



That nothing is ever found in the stomach 

 of a Salmon, save a small quantity of yellowish 



