THE SALMON. 201 



pike, and, with the exception of the desirability of a rather longer rod 

 for salmon, the same character of tackle may be preserved throughout. 

 Of course it is not necessary to use gimp tackle, the ordinary single or 

 twisted salmon gut being sufficient. Indeed, I question if this is not 

 needlessly coarse. In my own case, the usual Thames trout tackle has 

 been sufficient, and I fearlessly assert that he who can play a Thames 

 trout can play and kill a salmon, the finesse and craft of a trout being, 

 in my opinion, greater than that of its lordly congener, size for size. In 

 working the spinning bait, a sort of sink and draw motion should be 

 imparted to it. This seems necessary from the frequent capriciousness 

 of the fish. A salmon will seldom pursue with the pertinacity we look 

 for in a fish of prey. 



No rigid rules can be laid down as to the best seasons for spinning for 

 salmon. In the Tweed, April and May, and sometimes March, are pro- 

 ductive, whilst in the Clare, Galway river, Ireland, it is said that the eel 

 tail bait does not kill till late in the season. Generally, it may be used 

 when a flush of water of too discoloured a nature to permit of the fly is 

 coming down. I have known the spoon do great execution at such time. 



Fishing with the worm is often remarkably productive of results. 

 The tackle consists of the poly-hook arrangement for trout, or of one 

 large hook sufficiently long and large to take two or three worms. The 

 last worm should cover the hook, and the two others should only partially 

 be threaded. These hooks should be attached to about a couple of yards 

 of gut, and a swivel may advantageously be placed in its course to 

 prevent a kink or twist of either the gut or line above when the bait 

 rolls over and over on the bottom, as it must do to be effectual. 

 Sufficient split shot, or, better still, one of my small sinkers, described 

 in the chapter on Tackle, should be fixed about 2ft. above the bait. 



There is not much difference in fishing with this bait from worm 

 fishing for trout. The angler selects a pool where he knows the fish are 

 to be found and leisurely works it. The symptoms of a bite are a 

 nervous twitching of the line, and then often a complete cessation of 

 movement. The fish is now probably gorging the bait, and sufficient 

 time should in all cases be allowed him to take it well in his mouth. The 

 strike is as decided and meaning as that in trout fishing, and in order 

 to provide for emergencies, a yard or so of line should be held loosely, 

 unless, indeed, the fisher uses the Nottingham reel, when the danger of 

 a sudden rush is considerably modified. 



Some very pretty sport may be got by reducing the orthodox coarse- 

 ness of the worm tackle until it is but a size or so larger and stronger 

 than that used for trout. I like the barbel rod and Nottingham plait 

 line I use for carp, and with it have succeeded in capturing salmon 



