GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 75 



a short gaff or landing-hook, not exceeding in length of 

 handle two or three feet, such, in fact, as may be slung 

 conveniently from, or placed inside of, the pannier. 

 This will be found, on many occasions, greatly to facili- 

 tate the securing of a tired fish, and is not intended, as 

 is the ordinary gaff-hook, for striking with, but merely 

 for inserting below the gill-cover of the salmon and 

 dragging it to the bank. 



In the course of the above instructions, I have touched 

 upon most of the points worthy of notice, in connection 

 with the subject of salmon-fishing. To extend further 

 my line of observations, I feel to be more simple than 

 satisfactory. The matter is far from being exhausted, 

 but I doubt much that I could add anything of avail or 

 interest to what I have already stated or set forth. I 

 shall not, therefore, hamper my code of instructions, 

 however faulty or deficient, with any additional advice, 

 or obtrude into a region of facts what is purely theo- 

 retical in connection with salmon-fishing. A great deal 

 that might not unappropriately have been placed under 

 this head will be found in the chapter upon Salmon- 

 flies, and in other parts of the volume. By no arrange- 

 ment of subject that might have been entered upon, 

 could I have avoided distributing through several por- 

 tions of the work what professed to belong entirely to 

 one ; nor, indeed, apart from this restraint, could I 

 wish, for the mere sake of isolating or giving separate 

 distinctness to the different parts, to break in upon 

 the connection that naturally exists betwixt them. 



Considering, therefore, the entirety of the work as 

 more essential than the entirety of each of its parts, I 

 make no apology for what may be reckoned a loose and 

 scattered treatment of this or that subject; the more 

 especially, as I am shut up, without remedy, to the 



