S'^joeden. 



53 



so many thousand acres, or so many miles of water in Norway — yet 

 ■t would not appear such a great renting if he told you the rent he 

 paid, and how many keepers were employed to look after it. 

 Moreover, I cannot yet believe that the Bothnia salmon altogether 

 refuse to look at a fly or a bait ; and I feel certain that if a good 

 salmon-fisher were to come to Stockholm properly equipped, hire a 

 good guide in that town, and fish his way up to Tornea, he would not 

 be altogether disappointed. Anyhow, he would probably gather 

 some interesting facts and information relative to the habit of the 

 salmon on that coast, and throw some light upon an enigma which 

 has hitherto puzzled our best ichthyologists and fishermen. 



There seems, however, to be a very erroneous opinion in England 

 respecting the cheapness of travelling in these Northern countries. 

 I think I can safely say that there is no country in Europe w^here a 

 man can enjoy a little sport so cheaply and freely as in Sweden, 

 when he once gets used to the country. To the casual traveller, I 

 believe, Norway will be found quite, and Sweden pretty nearly, as 

 dear now as any other European country ; and wherever the English 

 have found their way, prices have risen loo per cent., and are every 

 year rising, and good fishing and shooting are both hard to obtain 

 by the stranger, for the simple reason that he does not know the 

 right locality to pitch upon. No man can be more covetous after 

 money than the Northern peasant, and, as he has now begun to find 

 out that the English are always willing to pay for their sport, in 

 Norway he is every year becoming more and more extortionate. 

 It seems a great question to me now whether the English salmon- 

 fisher would not be able to obtain nearly as good sport in many 

 parts of Great Britain as in Norway; for although, doubtless, some 

 men who know and are used to the waters do occasionally kill a 

 great ma r.y fish here, I hardly believe a stranger would find tlie 

 sport compensate him for his trouble and expense — certainly not 

 without a good guide and interpreter, and such a man will be foiiiid 

 a very expensive companion. 



