THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 207 



the sea, and feeding voraciously on all that comes in their 

 way, even devouring their own species. At each return to 

 and from the sea, salmon remain for a time in the brackish 

 water, until they acclimatise themselves. Some of the 

 smolts do not go to the sea the first season, but remain in 

 the river, and do not increase much in size. Many run up 

 the rivers in January, February, and March, and it has 

 been found that they have not undergone the usual change 

 to the ''grilse" state, but are veritable salmon in colour and 

 form, attaining the weight of nine or ten pounds, affording 

 an early supply for the tables of the more wealthy. 

 These fish ascend the higher tributaries of the stream, 

 spawn soon in the autumn, and perpetuate the breed of early 

 running salmon. The muscular power of the salmon is 

 great ; in their passage up the rivers, when they arrive at 

 some of the many weirs or obstructions which bar their 

 progress, they will leap out of the water to the height of 

 several feet in their endeavour to surmount the obstacles. 

 It is manifestly obvious that to increase the value of a salmon 

 river every facility in the way of "gaps," "ladders," &c., 

 should be provided, in order that the fish may get up the 

 stream with as little trouble as possible. It would be 

 difficult to arrive at anything like the value of the salmon 

 fisheries of Great Britain and Ireland, but it may be 

 reckoned by hundreds of thousands of pounds. For some 

 years past salmon were getting rather scarce ; but now that 

 fishery owners recognise and use the means of artificially 

 supplying young fish to the rivers there is a steady increase 

 in the numbers. The last month in the year is about the 

 only time when salmon may not be angled for with rod and 

 line in one or other of the rivers of the country. In the 

 north of Scotland many of the rivers open on New Year's 





