126 FISHERMEN'S WEATHER 



After saying that salmon often take a 

 fly best in a normal spate following a 

 prolonged period of drought, and with the 

 river rising slowly, Mr. Munro Edwards 

 continues : " Constant spates, keeping the 

 fish, as it were, on the move, render them 

 restless, very seldom inclined to rise to 

 a fly, or take any bait at all. On the 

 other hand, if, after a spate, the river falls 

 rapidly, more rain is portended, especially 

 if the water retains a dark, peaty hue. 

 Under such conditions I have seldom had 

 much sport with either salmon or sewin. 

 On the Mawddach this is especially 

 noticeable. Clearer water after a heavy 

 spate often means fine weather to follow, 

 and if the river falls gradually, salmon 

 and sewin are more eager for the fly than 

 if the river fell rapidly and retained its 

 dark, peaty colour. . . . Sewin will take 

 a bait of worms more readily than salmon 

 or grilse when the river rises gradually in 

 flood. On the other hand, if the rise of 

 water be sudden and heavy, neither salmon 

 nor sewin will take at all. . . . Dull, 



