Renting and Letting Salmon Rivers. 133 



of his native land, to which he may not unreasonably 

 consider he has a prior claim. 



Long after British anglers have thrown up a river, 

 on account of the indifferent sport it afforded, I have 

 known Norwegians step in and take a lease, and for 

 several years exercise considerable self-denial in only 

 lightly fishing it, in order to increase the supply of fish, 

 which is a proof that they can, and do, act unselfishly 

 and as sportsmen. 



I have no desire to paint the Norwegian sub-lessor 

 in other than true colours, but I am of opinion that 

 he frequently performs a very useful office, and it is no 

 unusual occurrence for a British angler to sub-lease a 

 river from some one of them for several years in 

 succession. 



I have explained in another chapter how the quantity 

 of winter snow lying around the watershed of a river 

 determines the initial prospects of an angling season ; 

 and I have known British lessors to have sublet their 

 rivers, rather than fish themselves, when the outlook 

 has been indifferent. In such a case, the sub-lessor knows, 

 or thinks he knows, more than the general public, and 

 there may exist a code of honour, which would condemn 

 such conduct. 



In the foregoing lines I have attempted to fairly 

 discuss some of the considerations which arise in the 



