WITH THE PARR-TAIL, MINNOW, AND WORM. 285 



that Younger makes no mention of the expedient I 

 refer to, esteemed of such importance by many salmon- 

 fishers ; but I am not astonished at the omission, seeing 

 his other directions are scarcely calculated to impress 

 the idea that he knows much of this branch of angling, 

 at least of the finer part of the practice. 



I may state here, that the late Walter Jamieson, 

 one of the best anglers that ever waved a rod on 

 Tweedside, and, as far as regarded salmon, the most 

 scientific of worm-fishers, attached primary regard to 

 the drawing out of the line, as a precautionary mea- 

 sure, and that it was his practice, as well as it is that of 

 others famed in the craft, to employ a single hook, 

 baited as I have already described. Recurring, how- 

 ever, to the subject treated of, I have placed the angler 

 at the head of a cast or salmon-stream. Let him 

 heave his bait across, and, in some measure, with the 

 current, which I take to be so heavy or rapid as to 

 bring round- the weighted line, at a deliberate rate, 

 until it attains its full stretch or tension. It is ne- 

 cessary, during this circuit, that the worm travel deep, 



remarked that, on its seizing, the salmon instantly swallowed the worms, 

 hook and all, but in nine cases out of ten as quickly disgorged them, 

 expelling the whole mass from its mouth with considerable violence, and 

 seldom appearing inch'ned to renew the charge. Accordingly, acting on 

 a different plan from what is the recognised practice on Tweedside, he 

 immediately, on observing the fish seize, struck with vigour, and almost 

 always with success. Under ordinary circumstances, this expedient is 

 almost impracticable ; the fish not being observed, the angler has no 

 direct intimation of its having engrossed the bait, and should such after- 

 wards become vouchsafed to him, it is generally too late, the expelling 

 process (being one of violence, and accordingly more fitted to convey the 

 intimation in question, than the mere act of gulping over the bait) having 

 already commenced. I may remark that, however dissimilar in appear- 

 ance, the two modes of practice are quite reconcileable, and as suited to 

 the habits of the salmon, severally, each in its own locality, deserve 

 attention. 



