SPRING-RUN OR CLEAN SALMON. 



219 



placed afterwards in a river which empties itself into 

 Loch Shin, in Sutherlandshire, not formerly frequented 

 by salmon. This stream, I understand, is now resorted 

 to by salmon of the Tay breed. 



Although there can be no question that the grilse 

 and salmon are the same fish at different stages of 

 maturity, or that a great proportion of the salmon of 

 this year were the grilses of the one preceding it, still, 

 there is one circumstance bearing in some degree upon 

 this fact, which requires explanation.* 



It is well known that in the spring season, some- 

 times before Christmas itself, what are properly termed 

 clean salmon commence their ascent into fresh-water. 

 These, singular as the fact may appear, are, nine-tenths 

 of them and upwards, female fish, and contain the roe- 

 leaf in an unripe, initiatory state, seldom exceeding in 

 size the dimensions of one's finger. On their first ap- 

 pearance in Tweed they weigh, on the average, lighter 

 than the October grilses, ranging in this respect from 

 four to eight pounds. Occasionally, even smaller ones 



* I cannot resist, in proof of this fact, and in order to convey some 

 idea of the growth of the fish, after its descent as a grilse smolt, extract- 

 ing from Mr. Scrope's volume, entitled " Days of Salmon Fishing," the 

 following record of experiments made on the Shin, and furnished to that 

 gentleman. 



