12 THE SPORTING FISH 



support the greatest stock, a result which could 

 only be obtained by such a provision as the above. 

 It is also doubtless intended to ensure an equal dis- 

 tribution of the fish throughout the whole length of 

 the river. These Salmon, by ascending thus early, 

 before their spawn is at all matured, are vigorous, 

 and able to overcome the obstacles in their up- 

 ward course to the extreme sources of the river 

 to which those fish which remain in the sea until 

 heavy with spawn could never penetrate. But to 

 return. 



During the early part of the season, the Salmon 

 in the rivers, which do not at once ascend, remain 

 in or near the mouths, most commonly advancing 

 with the flood, and retiring with the ebb of the 

 tide unless captured by any of the contrivances 

 hereafter mentioned ; but as the season pro- 

 gresses they get gradually further into the fresh 

 water beyond the influence of the sea, and at 

 about this time will be found to be becoming 

 full of roe, and more or less out of condition 

 and unfit for food, according to their forward 

 state as breeding-fish. In fact, the edible qualities 

 of the Salmon when ascending rivers depend en- 

 tirely upon the state of the development of the 

 milt or roe. Even in the salt water this loss of 

 condition follows upon the maturing of the spawn ; 

 and when fish are precluded from entering rivers 

 by want of a rise in the tide, or other cause, the 

 development takes place as in the stream, and the 



