WITH THE PARR-TAIL, MINNOW, AND WORM. 289 



While Sir F. was thus employed attempting to recon- 

 cile the monarch of the rivers to the food of the fresh- 

 water tyrant, his friend Mr. W. had judiciously placed 

 himself under guidance of T. Kerss the fisherman, who, 

 as the water was small and the day clear, recommended 

 the use of the worm in preference to fly. Acting 

 according to Kerss's instructions, who stood at his elbow 

 with the gaff-hook, Mr. W., in the course of two or 

 three throws, had the satisfaction of fastening on a 

 moderate-sized grilse. It was evident, however, that 

 he had not been accustomed to deal with fish of great 

 calibre, for no sooner was it hooked than he endea- 

 voured, by a violent effort, to haul it directly to the 

 edge an act of temerity immediately repaid by the 

 snapping asunder of his casting-line, and, of course, the 

 escape of the fish. Being a dun grilse, the loss was by 

 no means severe, and became speedily supplied by the 

 capture of one in better condition. To this succeeded 

 another, and after it a third. In short, within the 

 course of two hours, Mr. W. landed no fewer than 

 eleven fish, salmon and grilse, all within the distance of- 

 one hundred yards from each other an angling feat, 

 under the circumstances of the case, seldom equalled. 

 It may be proper to state that the fish were none of 

 them in the primest condition. Those taken with the 

 worm, at a distance from the sea, seldom are so ; for it 

 generally happens that at least three weeks have elapsed 

 betwixt the running of salmon during a flood, and the 

 reduction of the water down to worm-fishing level. 



Although the true salmon (Salmo salar) will seldom, 

 in a full or swollen state of the river, show regard to 

 bait of any kind, yet it does so occasionally. On the 

 24th of October, 1838, I killed a newly run grilse,, 

 eight pounds in weight, with the salmon roe, when the 



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