TREATISE ON FLY-FISHING. 83 



water. Here, after a time, their strength is re- 

 cruited, when as the spring advances, the strongest 

 fish leave the depths and draw into the streams. 

 They now move down the river in their passage 

 to the sea. When they arrive in the deep pools, 

 near the mouths of the rivers, they take rest for 

 a few days ; here they may be caught by anglers, 

 as they take the fly and other baits freely. March 

 is usually the best month for this sport if indeed, 

 it can be called sport, to kill an animal that is 

 worth a mere trifle and resists but little. 



Having now dispatched the salmon to the sea, 

 it remains to explain what becomes of the spawn, 

 and how, and when, the young fry arrive at matu- 

 rity ; and as there have been various doubts and 

 contradictions on this subject, I think it more 

 prudent to lead the reader to a consideration of 

 the following pages, than to make a positive asser- 

 tion on my own unsupported authority. 



Up to a late period, it was universally thought 

 that the spawn deposited, as described above, was 



