156 THE SALMON. 



the fishing season ; and, after a long and costly contest in 

 both Houses, the Tweed fishing season was fixed, for nets, 

 from 15th February to 14th September, and for rods, 

 from 1st February to 30th November. In explanation 

 of what may seem the extraordinary or even inordinate 

 extent of grace here given to rod-fishers, may be men- 

 tioned the natural character and circumstances of the 

 Tweed, and the virtual assent of what could scarcely, as 

 to this particular point, be called the opposition party. 

 The Tweed, even taking into account only the main river, 

 is, as to the ground over which salmon range, a very 

 long river, a hundred miles at least, and the salmon 

 not only distribute themselves over it with great slow- 

 ness as compared with most other rivers, so not arriv- 

 ing at its upper reaches till late in the season, but also, 

 for some reason not discoverable, obstinately disregard 

 the angler's invitation to a little dalliance by the way, 

 till they have ascended to distances from the sea 

 which, on almost all other rivers, are found to be above 

 the best angling districts. The difference between 

 the Tweed and other rivers in this respect, has been 

 attempted to be explained by there being in other cases 

 an estuary, through which the fish have passed before 

 reaching the stream, whilst the Tweed tumbles at once 

 as a river into the German Ocean ; but this explanation 

 is not quite satisfactory, seeing that the habits of the 

 Tweed fish do not differ much more from those of the 

 fish of rivers like the Ness, which has an estuary, than 

 from those of the fish of some rivers like the Spey, which 

 have not. But though we cannot tell why it is, so it is, 

 and Parliament made allowance accordingly. Further, 



