140 



SALMON AND TROUT. 



kelts find their way back to the upper reaches of the river as 

 clean fish, having gained in weight during the time from seven 

 to ten pounds. 



The annexed table shows the actual increase of weight in 

 three fish marked by the Duke of Athol when returning to the 

 sea as kelts : 



Retaken ascending the river as 

 clean fish. 



Weight 



No. 21 Aug. 18 -17 Ibs. 



No. 76 Aug. 18 . .17 Ibs. 

 No. 95 Aug. 12 . .19 Ibs. 



Caught as kelts or spawned fish 

 returning to the sea. 



Weight 



No. 21 Feb. 14 , ,10 Ibs. 

 No. 76 Mar. 2 . .11^ Ibs. 

 No. 95 Mar. 29 . 12,^ Ibs. 



Whilst descending to the sea in the spring months kelts are 

 a great annoyance to anglers, as at this time they are ravenous 

 for food, rising greedily at any sort of fly, and though not so 

 strong and obstinate as clean fish, often taking up more time 

 in landing than can conveniently be spared. 



That spawned fish improve greatly before they leave the 

 fresh water there is no room to doubt (although they are never 

 really in prime condition for the table until their return from 

 their sea trip), and hence the expression, 'A well-mended kelt;' 

 which is common amongst fishermen. These kelts are often 

 almost as bright and silvery looking as the really clean fish, 

 and are not unfrequently sold as such in the towns ; but the 

 head is disproportionately large, owing to the body not being 

 filled up, and upon opening the gill covers, the white worm, 

 before mentioned, will almost invariably be found adhering. 



The hatching of the eggs and the growth of the young fry 

 is the next great event in salmon life, and leaving, therefore, 

 the exhausted and more or less ill-conditioned kelts to recruit 

 themselves in their salt-water bath, we return to the spawning 

 bed where the eggs are approaching the time of hatching. 

 Into this bed, during the preceding three months, a dozen 

 females have each poured the germs of, say, from seventeen 

 to twenty thousand salmon, which, if they all arrived at matu- 

 rity, would represent in approximate figures some three million 

 five hundred thousand pounds weight of wholesome food, or a 



