16 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



When the female first commences making her 

 spawning bed, she generally comes after sunset, and 

 goes off in the morning : she works up the gravel 

 with her snout, her head pointing against the 

 stream, as my fisherman has clearly and unequivo- 

 cally witnessed, and she arranges the position of 

 the loose gravel with her tail. When this is done, 

 the male makes his appearance in the evenings, 

 according to the usage of the female ; he then 

 remains close by her, on the side on which the 

 water is deepest. When the female is in the act 

 of emitting her ova, she turns upon her side, with 

 her face to the male, who never moves. The 

 female runs her snout into the gravel, and forces 

 herself under it as much as she possibly can, when 

 an attentive observer may see the red spawn coming 

 from her. The male in his turn lets his milt go 

 over the spawn ; and this process goes on for some 

 days, more or less, according to the size of the fish 

 and consequent quantity of the eggs. 



During this time, trout will collect below to 

 devour the spawn that floats down the river ; and 

 numerous parrs, so called, are always seen about 

 and in the spawning beds, an explanation of which 

 will be found in the sequel. If a strange male 

 interferes, the original one makes at him, and 

 chases him with great fury, and in these combats 

 they often inflict great injury on each other. John 

 Crerar once had his attention attracted by a great 

 noise of dashing and plunging, at King's Ford in 

 the Tay, and upon looking round he found it was 

 occasioned by the fighting of two salmon. After a 

 short contest one of them set off; and the water 



