SALMON FISHING 123 



weighing twenty-four, nineteen, twelve, ten, ten, and nine 

 pounds. This was the best take of autumn fish that we 

 have ever seen, as all this dozen were as bright as spring 

 fish, and all had sea lice on them ;* here our joint total for 

 the eight last days of September was forty-three fish, weighing 

 five hundred and twenty pounds. Now, when ceasing to flog 

 the Keith Pool we had fished it with five flies and two minnows, 

 and though there was any quantity of salmon left in it, we 

 think we had an offer from every hungry one, for in addition 

 to the six captured, one more was pricked, while two others 

 "came short." 



There is one great advantage the real minnow has over the 

 fly, and that is in the attraction it possesses for "travellers." 

 These, it is well known, will rarely halt for a mouthful of 

 feathers ; but that is not at all the case when the lure is a 

 big, fat minnow. Also, this bait will take on frosty morn- 

 ings while the ice is yet on the sides of the pools, and all 

 anglers are aware that fly-fishing under such circumstances 

 is nearly useless. Long experience has shown this to be 

 the fact, and anglers accept it as gospel, though why it should 

 be so has ever been a mystery. 



Once when fishing a fly one April over Birkenbad Pool 

 of the Crathes water of the Dee, a small company of running 

 fish came into it, and shortly began to show as they went 

 out at the head of the pool. Quickly discarding the fly-rod 

 for the spinning one, we were in time to capture two of the 

 runners in that pool ; then, racing up stream at best pace, 

 we headed them at the top of the " Floating Bank." There 

 other two were brought to the gaff, while the rest of the school 

 continued their journey ; but once again running forward to 

 " Chapel-of-Ease " Pool, one more was accounted for. Now, 

 with a fly not one of these fish could have been captured ; 

 but, by the aid of the merry minnow, what would have been a 



* Notwithstanding their absolute freshness from salt water, these fish were 

 hardly worth meeting at dinner. 



