io DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



maxillary bones ; branchiostegous rays, varying in 

 number, generally from ten to twelve, but some- 

 times unequal on two sides of the head of the same 

 fish." YanelL 



This splendid fish leaves the sea, and comes up the 

 Tweed at every period of the year in greater or lesser 

 quantities, becoming more abundant in the river as 

 the summer advances ; that is, provided sufficient 

 rain falls to swell the water to such an extent as will 

 discolour it, and enable the fish to pass the shallows 

 with ease and security. It travels rapidly ; so that 

 those Salmon which leave the sea, and go up the 

 Tweed on the Saturday night at twelve o'clock, 

 after which time no nets are worked till the Sabbath 

 is past, are found and taken on the following Monday 

 near St. Boswell's a distance, as the river winds, 

 of about forty miles. 



This I have frequently ascertained by experience. 

 When the strength of the current in a spate is con- 

 sidered, and also the sinuous course a Salmon must 

 take in order to avoid the strong rapids, this power 

 of swimming must be considered as extraordinary. 



As Salmon are supposed to enter a river merely 

 for the purposes of spawning, and as that process 

 does not take place till September, one cannot well 

 account for their appearing in the Tweed and else- 

 where so early as February and March, seeing that 

 they lose in weight and condition during their con- 

 tinuance in fresh water. Some think it is to get rid 

 of the sea-louse ; but this supposition must be set 

 aside, when it is known that this insect adheres only 

 to a portion of the newly run fish, which are the best 



