48 FISHING SEASONS. 



About March fly-fishing commences, and a strong and 

 active spring fish will then frequently be killed, if the river 

 is sufficiently supplied with water, and the wind brisk and 

 westerly. As the season advances, the fishing materially 

 improves ; and from the month of April, salmon in the highest 

 condition, with red and white trout, will rise here freely at 

 the fly. 



In June, however, the regular fishing with nets commences, 

 and then the wear is raised to stop the passage of the fish, 

 and the river water vented through a small aperture provided 

 with a trap, or as it is technically called, a box. By these 

 traps and artificial canals, in other fisheries the salmon are 

 principally taken ; but here, except some straggling fish, the 

 box produces little. 



The fishing is confined to the estuary, where the river meets 

 the sea. Here, according to naturalists, the salmon undergo 

 a probationary course, before they exchange the salt for the 

 fresh water, as a sudden change from either would be fatal to 

 the fish, and a temporary sojourn in water of an intermediate 

 quality (brackish) is supposed to be requisite, before they can 

 leave either the ocean or the river. 



The draughting is carried on at the last quarter of the 

 ebb, and during the first of flood five or six boats, with 

 as many men in each, are necessary. When the salmon are 

 seen, the nearest boat starts off, leaving a man on shore, 

 with a rope attached to one extremity of the net, which is 

 rapidly thrown over, as the boat makes an extensive circle 

 round the place where the fish is supposed to lie. Returning 

 to the shore, the curve of the net is gradually decreased. 

 Stones are flung in at each extremity, to prevent the salmon 

 from escaping; the net reaches the bank, the semi-circle is 

 complete, and all within effectually secured. The fish are 

 then carefully landed, and at a single draught five hundred 

 salmon have been taken. This is, however, an event of rare 

 occurrence, and unless the net were powerfully strong, and the 

 fishers skilful, a fracture, and consequently a general escape, 

 would be inevitable. 



The fishing here is exceedingly precarious. If the season 

 be favourable from the 1 st of July to the 1 2th of August, the 

 daily average would be probably five hundred salmon, exclusive 

 of an immense quantity of white trouts. But success depends 

 entirely upon the weather. Should the season prove rainy or 



