56 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. IV. 



in warm seasons they are hatched much quicker 

 than in cold. The details I have here given are 

 very imperfect; but perhaps they may induce 

 those interested in the subject to read a little 

 work published by Mr. Young, the result of his 

 observations and experience for many years. 



It is a common opinion that no food is ever 

 found in the stomach of a salmon ; but this is quite 

 erroneous. On first entering the rivers they are 

 often perfectly gorged with small eels ; fry and 

 even good-sized herring are constantly found in 

 them ; showing that the salmon is as voracious a 

 fish as his cousin the trout. When in fresh water 

 they do not seem to have the same voracity. That 

 they do feed on small fish, etc., however, in lake 

 and river, cannot be doubted, as we know that 

 trolling with parr is as efficient a way of killing 

 salmon in several waters as fly-fishing, though not 

 so generally practised : nay, many a salmon dies 

 an ignoble death from taking a worm. 



This year I was fishing on a river in the north of 

 Scotland, near a town where there was plenty of 

 anglers, young and old, good and bad. There was 

 one old piscator, who was most assiduous in his at- 

 tention to the river, and whom I have seen for hours 

 together at one small pool, changing his bait from 

 fly to worm and from worm to fly, as he fancied 



