170 FISHING WITH THE SALMON ROE. 



sea, and at an early stage in the decrease of the river ; 

 in fact, when its waters are too thick and large for the 

 common fresh-water trout. Calm, frosty weather imme- 

 diately succeeding a flood is favourable for roe fishing. 

 If fresh and warm, the sport is generally indifferent, the 

 fish seldom, on such occasions, displaying much avidity. 

 They appear also to congregate with greater tardiness, 

 their appetites and perceptions being apparently duller. 

 After ransacking a beat or cast with this bait, it is 

 advisable, on some occasions, to have recourse to the 

 worm, in order to pick up, if possible, one or two of the 

 shy or gorged fish that are likely to remain on or near 

 the spot. By adopting this plan I have more than 

 once hit upon a bull-trout, the only one of the day ; 

 which fish, on such an occasion, I always found replete 

 with the roe-bait. This it managed to pick up on the trail 

 of my hook, or possibly detach from the wire by its own 

 exertions. A combination of the roe and worm is, as I 

 have already stated, frequently resorted to in the ordi- 

 nary mode of practice on Tweedside. It is sometimes 

 also put in force during the summer season, in small 

 clear waters, the roe being used in the bead form, not 

 actually as a bait, but as an incitement. In fact, at 

 such times, it is employed as a mere appendage to the 

 worm, being supposed to attract the trout to the spot 

 and give them an opportunity of seizing the latter or 

 live bait. Before concluding this chapter, I think it 

 proper once more to disclaim all partiality in behoof of 

 the salmon-roe as an angling bait, beyond the favouring 

 of its occasional use in rivers and streams frequented 

 by the salmon tribe. To these solely it ought to be 

 restricted. I would, on the other hand, most strenu- 

 ously discountenance its employment on purely trout- 

 ing waters, urging it as the duty of every true lover of 

 our stream-side recreations to do so likewise. 



