138 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



place, and in cold spring weather his progress in fresh water 

 is decidedly slow, and it is doubtful if he travels more than 

 seven or eight miles in the twenty-four hours. 



Such being the case, a net ten miles above the mouth 

 of a river has practically no close time at all, for the fish 

 entering on Sunday are still below that net on Monday at 

 six o'clock a.m., and are sure to be stopped by it. 



There is no doubt the poor kelts are very roughly treated 

 by many of the net men ; of necessity they must be caught 

 several times a day, and we have it from eye-witnesses they 

 are often flung or kicked back to the water with violence, and 

 during the night netting many well-mended ones are knocked 

 on the head for clean fish. 



Now, an animal or a bird that had been caught several 

 times and roughly handled would certainly not revisit the scene 

 of torture, and it is quite possible kelts may be imbued with a 

 similar instinct, and so fight shy of returning to their rivers 

 until driven to do so by the laws of Nature ; certain it is that 

 keepers have told us that of late years the autumn fish have 

 not appeared as early as usual, but have arrived in November 

 and commenced spawning operations at once. It is possible 

 that this may be one of the many causes which has made the 

 autumn fishings of the last few seasons so very poor. 



The whole question between upper and lower proprietors 

 has always been a vexed one, and is likely to remain so. For 

 the last five years the latter have had things pretty much their 

 own way, and the only hope for the angler appears to be the 

 somewhat forlorn one, that excessive netting may go so near 

 to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs that Parliament 

 may initiate strong measures for the restoration of the 

 rivers. As to Royal Commissions they are useless, their 

 component parts being made up of gentlemen who from 

 their position as river owners are unlikely to enter into 

 any inquiries with unbiassed minds. We believe that if an 

 extra twenty-four hours' close time was made law, as soon 



