SALMON 231 



Caledonian Canal to the distant Garry, in which the barb is fixed. The order 



Entering from the sea on the east to return them to the water is disre- 



they reach, by these inland water- garded, and visiting anglers fill their 



ways, almost to the west coast. dry baskets. 



Among the spawning fishes there Such are the outcome of the eggs 

 would seem to be a spring run, still placed in the trenches on that October 

 young-roed, and months from the or November day. Not one parr sur- 

 redds. A second run of summer grilse, vives for each thousand eggs. Enemies 

 also young-roed, and with weeks of have waited all along the line, corn- 

 waiting ; and yet a third autumnal pared with which the industrious angler 

 run of ripe fish. Some streams num- is an innocent. The heaviest rain- 

 ber all these runs in their annual fall seems to rush down to the sea all 

 calendar. at once. Floods in these days of 



The Ness is doubly interesting. Not rapid drainage scour deep, and send 



only is it one of the few streams chosen the gravel rolling and the eggs dancing 



by the winter salmon, but it roughly on the brown water. Trout love the 



divides the streams which have a full roe, and watch for the hatching, when 



from those which have an imperfect the fry move helplessly about with 



calendar. South of the Ness all the the attached sac. 



great rivers on the east coast of Scot- So many are the risks, and so few 



land the Dee, the Tay, the Forth, the the survivals, that hatcheries have 



Tweed are full-seasoned. North of come to the rescue. Nature was wise 



the Ness and round by the west coast enough to foresee the danger, and is 



of Scotland many of the streams are old enough to watch the working and 



short-seasoned. hold the balance. The multitudinous 



Fishing the Tweed on a summer eggs of a single salmon are meant to 



day is a somewhat painful pleasure, provide against the waste, otherwise 



and needs great evenness of temper, they are themselves a waste. Were 



Almost every cast yields so far so all to survive there would be a struggle 



good. Should three hooks be on the for life, indeed. If the demands of the 



cast, all are filled but not exactly table are in excess of the supply, the 



with the fish one wants. The ten or evil which causes this and the remedy 



eleven dark, transverse bars are tell- are alike obvious. Our methods are 



tale, not to talk of the small mouth at fault. Modern means of capture 



