traver] THE SALMON 155 



fighting Ouananiche, the little salmon of St. John. Here let me 

 chant thy praise, thou noblest and most high-minded fish, the 

 cleanest feeder, the merriest liver, the loftiest jumper and the 

 bravest warrior of all creatures that swim! . . . The old 

 salmon of the sea who begat thee long ago in these inland waters 

 became a backslider, descending again to the ocean and grew gross 

 and heavy with coarse feeding. But thou, unsalted salmon of the 

 foaming floods, not landlocked as men call thee, but choosing of 

 thine own free will to dwell on a loftier level in the pure, swift 

 current of a living stream, hath grown in grace and risen to a better 

 life." All fishermen love a gamey fish, and the Ouananiche is 

 certainlv that. 



No tale of fishes or fishing would be complete without further 

 mention of Izaac Walton and his august and learned opinion on 

 such subjects. So at the last let us turn to him for an all-inclusive, 

 brief description of salmon. 



"The Salmon is accounted the King of fresh water fishes, and is 

 ever bred in rivers relating to the sea; yet so high, or far from it, as 

 admits of no tincture of salt, or brackishness. First, you shall 

 observe that usually he stays not long in a place, as Trouts will, but 

 as I said, covets still to go nearer the spring-head. And lastly, I 

 am to borrow so much of your promised patience, as to tell you 

 that the Trout or Salmon, being in season, have at their first 

 taking out of the water, which continues through life, their bodies 

 adorned the one with such red spots and the other with such black 

 or blackish spots, as give them such an addition of natural beauty 

 as, I think, was never given to any woman by the artificial paint 

 or patches in which they so much pride themselves." 



Fish Fighting 



The Siamese have cultivated a breed of fighting fishes. These little 

 duelists are not two inches long but they are full of grit. When in an amiable 

 frame of mind the fighting fish is dull colored but the moment he sees his foe 

 his fins and whole body shine with mettalic colors that are fairly dazzling. 

 He first sizes up his enemy and then darts at him trying to damage his side 

 or tail fins. Two will often fight until exhausted but still keep at it; and it is 

 sometimes difficult to part them. Often a sum equal to thirty or forty dollars 

 is bet upon a favorite fighting fish. A very interesting account of this fish 

 is given in the January number of Aquatic Life. 



