THE TOP WATER 93 



gravel-beds for spawning, and gentle rapids and 

 quiet backwaters for the young fry. Perhaps 

 the fact that they now have free access to it 

 accounts for an improvement in the size and 

 number of salmon, which seems to have taken 

 place here of recent years. 



It is necessary in a river of this size and 

 character to use a boat or some other appliance 

 to enable one to get one's fly over the best 

 water. When it is very big, fish will lie close 

 to the shore, and it may be possible to reach 

 them from the bank ; in very low water, a good 

 deal may be done by wading. But under 

 ordinary circumstances, some other means must 

 be adopted in the majority of pools. When we 

 first took the river, fishing in the upper waters 

 was very inadequately provided for. Certain 

 places where bank-fishing seemed possible were 

 rendered useless by trees and thick under- 

 growth. By their agreements, the landowners 

 were bound to cut down any trees within a 

 certain distance of the river, if required. On 

 taking the matter up I found a great unwilling- 

 ness on their part to carry out this undertaking. 

 It seemed that this might be due to a sentimen- 

 tal dislike of denuding their banks of timber to 



