186 SALMON AND TROUT. 



If the rivers that are frequented by these fish were closed 

 from October i to December 15, and angling only allowed 

 after the latter date, there would be far less harm done than 

 by allowing angling during October and November, when 

 almost every fish hooked is gravid. 



By December 15 every gravid fish will have left the pools 

 for the spawning beds, and the catches will be occupied only by 

 those heavy, fresh-run winter salmon. No doubt there are ob- 

 jections to allowing angling during the winter months, but it is 

 a pity we should lose the sport these splendid fish would afford. 

 It is true they can be caught when the season opens in the 

 spring, but by that time they get * foxey ' and have lost condition, 

 and are only fit for kippering ; as it is, they do an immense 

 amount of mischief among the smolts in their downward journey 

 to the sea, and we should be far better without them. 



Having introduced the salmon to the notice of my readers, 

 I will now endeavour to describe the best way to catch him, 

 and, as it is the most important part of a salmon fisherman's 

 gear, I will commence my remarks with 



THE ROD. 



I have tried all sorts and sizes of rods, by various makers, 

 but the one I am now using, and have used for many years, is 

 to my mind perfection. It is a greenheart in three splices, 

 made by Farlow, and, if a rod is to be judged by its powers 

 of casting, it should be a good one. It is the one with 

 which I won the first prize at the Fishing Tournament at 

 Hendon, in July 1884, for the longest overhead cast, with 

 a cast of forty-five yards one inch. To cast a long line, 

 a rod requires great lifting power, and my rod possesses this 

 quality to a great extent, although, at the same time, it is not 

 heavy enough to tire one in a hard day's fishing. I am at 

 a loss how to describe it, but its virtue lies in an equal distri- 

 bution of strength, in proportion, from the butt to the point. 



