42 The North Country Angler. 



as if resting himself, and then, in an hour or two, 

 brings up his mate again, and do as before. 



If it is rainy or hazy weather, they will be 

 three or four nights in finishing their work, but 

 frosty weather puts them in a hurry, and they will 

 have done in two nights or less, and hasten down 

 to their holds, and take the first opportunity to 

 get to sea. 



In this manner salmon, salmon-trouts, and I 

 believe all other trouts, spawn; and other fish 

 that spawn in the streams, use much the same, 

 or such like method in making beds, and cover- 

 ing up their spawn. 



I have been the more particular in this article, 

 because I have seen it often done, and in many 

 places, both in the evenings and mornings, and 

 sometimes at night, with light. Sometimes a 

 salmon loses its mate before they have done 

 spawning, it being struck with a leister, &c t and 

 yet the gib fish has brought up another in two or 

 three hours time to spawn with him : Whether 

 there has been any supernumerary she's in the pool, 

 or he has taken, by violence, another's mate, I can- 

 not tell; but I have a better opinion of our noble 

 salmon, than to suspect him of such injustice. 



I have sometimes known the gib fish caught 

 at spawning time, and the she has got a mate ; 

 or else two other salmon have taken possession 

 of their works, and finished, them out. 



A salmon spawn heap will be three yards or 

 more in length, and two feet or near a yard 

 broad, and looks like a new made grave. 



