I04 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



in his own hands, tells me he caught, in Pol Veri, a fish 

 weighing 54^ lbs.* 



While on the subject of big fish, we believe that Mr. 

 Arthur Prior's monster is still the heaviest authenticated 

 capture to the rod, and he writes me as follows on the 

 subject :— 



"The big fish was carted up to the Castle (Floors) with 

 his fourteen companions, and it was then weighed by His 

 Grace in the presence of the Duchess, Lord Hardwicke, 

 Lord Kensington, and the late Lord Lovat, and was declared 

 to be just over 60 lbs. The next morning at 10 o'clock, 

 the shepherd, bringing in mutton, re-weighed it, and made 

 it but S7h The Ke/so Mail the next day described the 

 fish as being 60 lbs., so also did ' Steel,' the fishmonger at 

 Kelso, where it was exhibited." 



Mr. Prior has been very lucky in getting big fish, as he 

 also had a forty-pounder, in addition to the big fish, during the 

 same month of November, 1886, and later on in November, 

 1888, another forty-pounder. 



Never permit a kelt to be gaffed, for more often than 

 not the wound will be fatal, and personally we would rather 

 lose our tackle than put steel into one. On many rivers it 

 is, however, a common practice to land all kelts in this 

 way, and then to fling them back to the water. With a 

 little more patience they can be lifted out and returned 

 unhurt, beyond the exhaustion of the fight, which of 

 itself frequently proves fatal. When replacing a heavy, 

 thoroughly beaten kelt in the water, it should be held by 

 the tail for a short time till it has recovered strength enough 

 to swim. While strongly objecting to any law enforcing 

 the carrying of a landing net, which would absolutely 

 necessitate the services of an attendant, we should yet like 

 to see a penalty placed on gaffing a kelt, and then leave 



* Since this was written never a season has gone by without fish of over 40 lbs. 

 being got. 



