114 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



April, and the young fry exhibit a rapid 

 growth. 



After spawning, the salmon begin their 

 descent to the estuary, and so enter the sea, to 

 commence their re-ascent in autumn. The 

 salmon fishery, as by enactments ordained, is 

 open from the 1st of February to the 14th of 

 September, in the Scottish rivers. Various 

 modes are employed in capturing this fish ; 

 many are taken by the skilful fly-fisher, whose 

 address is tested to the uttermost by such an 

 antagonist as even a moderately sized salmon. 

 Mr. Stoddart relates that on one occasion in 

 the Tweed, a favourite river for the salmon 

 fisher, sir Humphrey Davy struck an immense 

 fish, weighing above forty-two pounds, imme- 

 diately above Yairbridge, and landed him after 

 a severe struggle. Mr. Lascelles records the 

 capture of a fish, weighing fifty-four pounds 

 and a half, by the angling-rod, observing, that 

 it was the largest salmon taken with a fly he 

 ever knew in Scotland. It is not, however, we 

 need scarcely say, by the angling-rod of the 

 fly-fisher that the markets are supplied during 

 the spring and summer. Nets of different 

 kinds are the most effective, and of these we 

 may first notice the stake-net. In the spring, as 

 we have said, the salmon remains in the broad 



