100 



The Gentle Art of Angling. 



broken up, and a strike is sure to 

 affix the hook. 



Salmon taken in this way are 

 not encumbered with a mouthful 

 of hooks and give the very best 

 play, a result that cannot be 

 expected with more complicated 

 tackle. Besides, less fish are lost 

 by this method ; that, at least, has 

 been my experience. 



Spinning for salmon is a method 

 much practised on some rivers. 

 Most of the spring fishing is done 

 in that way ; the river in many 



and working the lure. The essen- 

 tial condition to spinning is heavy 

 or discoloured water. This is 

 likely to occur frequently during 

 the season, and if one is not pre- 

 pared for it much precious time 

 is lost, and no fish are caught. 

 There are stages in the coming 

 and clearing of a flood when 

 particular baits may be used to 

 advantage. The first effect of a 

 spate is the condition known as 

 rising water. During this stage 

 the river does not become dis- 



GALWAY SALMON RIVER. 

 Horseshoe Pool and Salmon Ladder. 



places being too heavy for the fly. 

 Large Devon minnows are gene- 

 rally used, and trolled behind a boat. 

 This sort of angling requires little 

 skill, as the motion of the boat 

 keeps the bait spinning. The 

 tiace, a couple of yards long, 

 must be very strong, consisting 

 of double and sometimes treble 

 twisted gut, swivelled in two 

 places. Spinning from the bank 

 or from a boat is different, and 

 needs considerable skill in casting 



coloured ; although its depth in- 

 creases from 6 in. to a foot, it 

 remains perfectly clear. Assum- 

 ing that the angler is using the 

 fly, he will have to mount larger 

 sizes, and possibly different pat- 

 terns to suit the changed condition 

 of things. The rise in the water 

 may be so great that pools are 

 put out of order for the fly, and a 

 minnow may be mounted, a brown 

 or golden rather than a silver 

 pattern. Later in the day the 



