SALMON FISHING 209 



Let us return, however, to angling proper. 

 Next in importance after the condition of the 

 water comes the state of the weather. Every- 

 body concludes that there is some connection 

 between the state of the weather and the mood 

 of the fish, but we have never been able to 

 establish it scientifically. Perhaps some future 

 generation will read another Blue Book, which 

 will by chemical analysis explain the effect of the 

 weather upon the mood of salmon, and enable 

 us to arrange our angling accordingly. But at 

 present it does not appear that the united ex- 

 perience and observation of all anglers, past and 

 present, has been able to produce a satisfactory 

 set of rules to guide us. Heavy warm weather, 

 with low bits of cloud sulking about on the sides 

 of the mountains, is generally very bad : a gale 

 of wind is sometimes good, especially when the 

 water is low : extreme heat is much worse than 

 extreme cold. I do not think a high sun matters, 

 unless the water is very clear and low, but I 

 distrust a low sun shining right down a pool, 

 full in the faces of the fish. The angler may 

 be well content if there is a fresh feel in the air, 

 and the clouds are light and high, but the first 



