160 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



one, not a fish would stir. " What is the meaning of 

 this, Robin ? " said the Laird. " Deed, sir, I dinna 

 ken," said Robin ; " for sometimes they will tak' the 

 thoom o' yere mitten, if ye would throw it in, and at 

 ithers they wadna look at the Lady o' Makerstoun 

 and a' her braws." 



Salmon never take well when the weather is about 

 to change ; it is therefore useless to go out when the 

 mercury remains at this point. When it first sets in 

 for a continuance of dry weather the fish will rise 

 about your hook, and only break the surface of the 

 water ; but before a flood they will spring clean out 

 of it, for the purpose, perhaps, of filling their air- 

 bladder before travelling. 



These sportive fellows, however, sometimes get into 

 a scrape by being hooked outside. A salmon of ten 

 pounds was caught in the Skurry-wheel,at Sprouston, 

 in the following curious manner. The fish were rising 

 wantonly, but not taking the fly ; in striking at one of 

 them the line looped over its tail, and the hook catching 

 the line on the upper side the fish was fairly snared, 

 and at length killed, after showing extraordinary sport. 



Sometimes, also, they will leap out for pastime, and 

 at others from fear. Thus if a salmon had been once 

 touched sharply with the hook, when he sees the fly 

 above him on some future day he will often vault into 

 the air. I once saw a marked instance of this. 



A very young friend who was fishing with me saw 

 a fish spring over his line in this manner, and he kept 

 flinging at him with the same result, the salmon always 

 moving forward, till he fairly chased him up the water 



