NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PAR. 193 



parts of streams, we may infer them to be a strong 

 little fish. But how do they get up high falls 

 which salmon are obliged to leap ? I take it that 

 salmon only leap the falls because there is not a 

 sufficient body of water to admit of their swim- 

 ming up ; though, if the same force of water came 

 in greater body, they could swim through it with 

 ease. The par cannot leap ; but from their smaller 

 bulk and still sufficient strength, can swim up 

 them. Besides, I assume that there are few falls 

 where salmon can leap, which are not much 

 reduced in height by a heavy flood or fresh of 

 water. But tell me, do you ever fish below Tre- 

 friew ? I was wondering, as I walked by the river 

 side yesterday, whether salmon ever took the 

 fly in the tide-ways, in the sea, or in brackish 

 water. 



Theop/i. I believe that they never do in such 

 sluggish tide- ways as this, for one very good reason 

 that we seldom try. There is but one likely 

 place : that is at Tal-y-cafn, about half-way down 

 towards Conway. A few isolated attempts have 

 been made there by us upper anglers, but without 

 success it is too far to go often upon a chance. 

 Fish are occasionally seen to rise there, it being 

 a shallowish, rocky, rapid bit of stream. In some 

 situations, however, they will take the fly in the 

 sea, in brackish water, and in tide-ways. I once 

 submitted a question on this point to some friends. 



