102 FLY FISHING 



past years, and cannot get away from a sense of 

 regret and discontent caused by the appearance of 

 the fish at that season. It is essential to the per- 

 fect enjoyment of salmon fishing that the fish 

 which is landed after hard work and a long 

 struggle should be brilliantly white, with all the 

 redness and strength and goodness accumulated by 

 rich feeding in the sea still stored in its flesh. 



A Blue Book about salmon was published last 

 year (1898), which contains most interesting but 

 rather depressing information. It has given rise 

 to much controversy, chiefly, I think, because in 

 some comments made upon it the conclusions 

 to be drawn from the book have been stated too 

 absolutely. To say that unspawned salmon 

 never take food in fresh water at once provokes a 

 statement that they take worms and swallow 

 them. We all know this; but the fact that a 

 salmon will often swallow a bunch of worms 

 curling just in front of his nose, or has occasion- 

 ally been seen taking natural March brown flies 

 in spring, and been caught with an imitation of 

 them, does not prove that there is no conclusion 

 to be drawn from the very careful scientific in- 

 vestigations described in the Blue Book. 



