SALMON FISHING 105 



fishermen to their own devices. The law is the avowed 

 champion of their lives, and inflicts a penalty of five pounds 

 on anyone keeping a kelt, but yet it sanctions their destruction 

 by the gaff, and so long as the destroyer throws the poor 

 wounded creature back to the water, and does not keep it 

 in his possession, the law is content ; but, surely, this is an 

 anomaly our fishery law-makers should attend to. 



At times unclean fish are landed so well mended, and 

 looking so like the real article, that for a few moments even 

 old hands may be deceived. A peep into the gills will setde 

 the matter, and if there are any white maggots clinging to 

 them it is for certain unclean. From the Dee, the Spey, 

 and the Tay we have landed hundreds of kelt, and have 

 never yet seen one without some of these white parasites, 

 while we have never seen a fresh-run spring fish with any 

 of them. 



The eyes of the kelt are usually not quite wide open, 

 while in a clean fish the eye is full, round, and prominent. 

 This, however, is not an invariable rule, as we have seen 

 quite fresh-run fish with this peculiarity, and we think it 

 possible this drooping of the lid may be caused by the 

 fatigue of the fight against the rod. 



If rivers get very low in the spring diseased kelts may 

 easily be seen, and as at such times there is very little real 

 fishing to be done, an angler may often get a bit of fun for 

 himself, while, by taking such fish out of the water, he will 

 be doing the bailiffs and the river a good turn. A white and 

 diseased fish having been found in an accessible position, cut 

 a long, straight twig, something like the top joint of a rod, 

 wrap the line already attached to the rod a few times round 

 it, bring the hook to the end, and there fix it tighdy by 

 a half hitch, so that thus a miniature gaff is formed. Keeping 

 the rod in the left hand, stick the hook into the kelt wherever 

 fancy dictates, and let the twig go. It will soon be pulled 

 clear of the line, and the diseased one can be brought to 



