208 FLY FISHING 



the interest of the anglers nor of the netsmen. 

 The nets get fewer fish because an increasing 

 proportion of fish do not enter the river till 

 after the netting season is over ; the anglers 

 have most of their sport crowded into the back 

 end of the season, when the fish are not in 

 first-rate condition ; and the numbers and general 

 quality of the stock of salmon in the river 

 deteriorate. It would be much better for every- 

 body, if the netsmen allowed a longer weekly 

 close time in which salmon might run freely 

 all through the season, and were in return given 

 an extension of time in which to net fish at 

 the end of their season. At present the netting 

 season ends while the fish are still in first-rate 

 condition at the mouth of the rivers. It ought 

 not to be prolonged to the present date of the 

 rod fishing, which now extends to the end of 

 October or even November, but on most rivers 

 there is now a margin of two months between 

 the close of the netting, and that of the rod fish- 

 ing. This margin might very well be reduced 

 by prolonging the netting season in return for 

 a guarantee that anglers should have a larger 

 share of the spring and summer salmon. 



