34 HINTS ON ANGLING. 



generally swim pretty close to tlie bottom of the river, 

 and pursue their onward course with rapidity and decision ; 

 and, indeed, some naturalists have affirmed that they 

 frequently run at the rate of five-and-twenty miles an 

 hour, in waters where they encounter no obstacles. 



When the gill, or male fish, finds a proper place, he 

 works in the ground with his nose, until he has made a 

 hole or bed sufficiently large for the reception of the 

 spawn; and when this subaqueous nuptial couch is all 

 prepared, he looks out for his mate; and they jointly take 

 possession of their temporary residence. When the pro- 

 cess is finished, they both return to their haunts in the 

 river; or dash back to the sea on the first favourable 

 opportunity. 



After the roe has been deposited a sufficient length of 

 time in the bottom thus channelled by the industrious 

 fish, it is quickened into life by some inscrutable process, 

 and becomes salmon fry, which attain a length of from 

 four to seven inches by the months of March or April. 

 They then go down to the sea; and, in the months of June, 

 July, or August, return to their native streams, increased 

 by rapid growth and the fattening powers of the salt 

 water, to a weight of from four to seven pounds. 



There is a fact connected with these young salmon- 

 fry, which every fly-fisher who has plied his art in a 

 salmon-stream will verify; namely, that they take the 

 artificial fly with singular voracity in the months of 

 March or April, just before they leave the river for the 

 sea. And what is very curious, sometimes the angler will 

 get nothing almost all the day but these smelts, as the 

 young salmon-fry are called; and sometimes again, he 

 will scarcely catch one, but trout only. The one is 

 often in the finest humour for taking the fly, when the 



