176 SALMON FISHING 



that of the open-minded student of a controverted 

 question. 



It would be a mistake to assume, as I did then, 

 that this state of perfect order and no law must be 

 characteristic only of the region in which I was 

 fishing. A very extensive inquiry brings out the 

 fact that it seems almost to be the rule in good- 

 natured Ireland. Here and there, it is true, the 

 reign of unreason takes some other mode. " It is 

 awful," writes Lord Rossmore, in County Monaghan, 

 "the way the pike have ruined valuable waters in 

 Ireland. The country people have actually brought 

 pike and put them into trout lakes, as they can 

 catch the pike but not the trout ! " The survey 

 now to be made must be phrased sedately; but 

 throughout most of it, I fear, signs of the Celtic 

 spirit, destructive though fascinating gnome, will be 

 not infrequent. 



The SHANNON is in a fairly satisfactory state. 

 Mr. J. Odell Vinter, Cambridge, writes : 



"It is not easy to form any conclusion as to 

 whether there is falling -off or improvement in the 

 stock. My experience before 1900 was in respect to 

 years 1893 and 1897. For those years the rod-fish- 

 ing was exceedingly bad. Since 1900 I have been 

 the tenant of two miles of the Clare side of the river 

 from Killaloe downwards. 1900 and 1901, although 

 the take of fish was better than in 1893 and 1897, 

 were not good seasons for the rod. 1902 was a record 

 year for heavy spring fish in May. The average 

 weight of forty of the fish taken from both sides 



