212 NET AND HARPOON. 



never pass a seal, a deer, or a salmon, without having a 

 trial of skill with him." 



To take a fish whose tail alone is seen projecting from 

 the hiding place, provide yourself with a small steel 

 harpoon, the barbs of which shut into the shaft when 

 the point enters and makes the wound, but which spread 

 laterally when you pull it back ; tie a line of small 

 whip-cord to this weapon, and fix the butt of the har- 

 poon itself in the point of a rude rod made for the pur- 

 pose. You may then push it into the tail of the fish, 

 when the little spear will come from the rod ; and you 

 may pull out your salmon with the line attached to it. 



There are some very large stones in the Tweed, some- 

 times two or three lying together, under which salmon can 

 totally conceal themselves ; but you will easily discover 

 if there are any underneath them by the air-bubbles 

 which they cast up to the surface of the water when 

 you poke with your leister shaft. My method of taking 

 these fish was to throw a casting net over the stone or 

 stones that concealed them, and then to poke them out 

 with the pole of the leister. The net should be strong, 

 or they will swim clean through it, as if it were a cob- 

 web ; in throwing the net, you must cast above the 

 hiding stone, allowing for the current, which will take 

 it down some little distance before it sinks to the bottom, 

 according to the depth and strength of the water. Of 

 course this method may also apply to fish partially con- 

 cealed. 



In sunning, as in burning, begin at the lower part of 

 the river that belongs to you, so that you may again 

 come across those fish that escape upwards, and may not 



