HABITS OF THE SALMON. 21 



a favourable flood is sure to bring a grilse or two 

 into every " water ; " and it is during this period that 

 the best salmon-fishing is always had. An occa- 

 sional salmon is also to be got ; and hitherto, in the 

 three weeks' grace that has been allowed to the rod- 

 fisher, if a fresh occurred opportunely, a large number 

 of pretty heavy fish often, however, far advanced to- 

 wards spawning have been captured. It remains to 

 be seen what changes in the sport will result from the 

 alteration of the salmon season in the Tweed ; but we 

 believe experience shows that, in the first fortnight 

 of October, when the nets have hitherto been dili- 

 gently plied, more fish, and those in better condition, 

 have of late years been taken than formerly. So 

 much so, that a very intelligent and careful observer 

 (Mr. Paulin, of Berwick) argued from this that the 

 habits of the salmon, in respect to spawning, were be- 

 coming later, and that therefore there was no necessity 

 for an earlier closing of the riverl In the month of 

 September, the fish used to crowd in large numbers 

 into the Tweed ; and a lull then occurred until about 

 the beginning of November, when a flood brought 

 away the first real shoal of spawners, and every cauld- 

 side was alive with them struggling to get up. The 

 season of grace allowed to the rod-fisher was thus 

 about the very worst in the year. If it should prove 

 that the fish are now running later, and that the last 

 batches of clean fish come in so late as the first fort- 

 night of October, it will, of course, be all the better 

 for the angler. Such, however, was hardly the expe- 

 rience of the season of 1857, respecting which the 

 Kelso Mail, summing up at the close, declared that 



