WHERE AND HOW TO USE THIS BAIT. 167 



rapid sport. There are, besides, too much hurry and 

 excitement created through the number of parties 

 engaged ; in fact, there exist, at least half-a-dozen cir- 

 cumstances connected with this manner of fishing, all 

 of which operate to its prejudice. I confess, however, 

 that the habits of the bull-trout render it tolerably 

 effective in the capture of that fish, the high impreg- 

 nation of a considerable space of water with roe, acting 

 powerfully upon the senses of the species of trout in 

 question, while on its way up the river. 



As embodying a more approved method of fishing 

 with the salmon roe, I recommend the following in- 

 structions. Let the angler, provided with a stiffish 

 single-handed rod and the tackle already described, 

 sally forth, either alone or consorted at most with one 

 companion in arms. He may either betake himself to 

 one of the accustomed beats, if not previously occupied 

 by another party, or pitch upon some untried piece of 

 water, which, although of limited range, possesses the 

 same qualities of depth, speed, and bottom. Near the 

 head of this, he ought to select his stance or post, on a 

 dry and unexposed portion of the bank. There is no 

 necessity, on commencing operations, that he should 

 bait the spot. This, in the course of a few throws, will 

 be done quite sufficiently, without occasioning, as the 

 other practice does, the gorging and repletion of a 

 portion of the fish further down. In throwing, the 

 angler should generally employ a short line, not much 

 exceeding his rod in length, and occasionally, a good 

 deal shorter. He can always, in that highly discoloured 

 state of water in which the salmon-roe is most effective 

 as a bait, entice his spoil to within a yard's distance 

 from the margin. Accordingly, he loses no advantage, 

 by employing the description of line I have recom- 



