248 ON SALMON-FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



instances, the permission of the proprietor as well as that 

 of the lessee of the salmon-fishing ; and, at all times, 

 made a subject of rivalry and disappointment. In fact, 

 to prevent, or rather alleviate the latter feeling, it is 

 necessary, owing to the press of applicants, often to en- 

 gage the water many weeks before one designs fishing 

 it ; and, for this purpose, the fisherman keeps a book of 

 entry, which is frequently, as respects certain months, 

 filled up before the season itself has actually commenced. 

 Of course, in this registry the name of the same indivi- 

 dual, if a resident at hand, or a regular frequenter of 

 Tweedside, may occur statedly, as contracting for a 

 number of days throughout the season ; for instance, it 

 is a common thing, on application to the tacksman, to 

 find that his Monday' s boat on the upper water is en- 

 gaged by General So-and-so ; on the lower streams by 



the Duke of . On Tuesday, Colonel and Lord 



fish ; on Wednesday, Major and the Honour- 

 able Mr. ; the latter days of the week being gene- 

 rally less run upon and monopolised. 



But I come to the description of the sport itself, so 

 termed, although in my opinion but partially entitled 

 to that designation, as far, at least, as regards the pos- 

 session of skill and judgment on the part of the angler, 

 and also, in respect to the kind of salmon forming the 

 majority of those killed, and which, in the spring season, 

 consist, with comparatively few exceptions, of kelts and 

 baggits. These, although they sometimes run long and 

 sullenly, are very far from having the activity of clean- 

 run salmon ; moreover, they are totally unfit, after being 

 captured, for human use, retaining neither the internal 

 curdiness nor rich taste of properly conditioned fish. As 

 exercising, moreover, the ingenuity of the sportsman, 

 they are quite at fault, possessing a voracity that, on 



