110 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 



from the redds to the first deep and quiet 

 part of the river they can find, where they 

 remain until they have recovered some strength. 

 They then continue dropping down the river, 

 descending from pool to pool, avoiding the rapid 

 running places as much as possible. At this 

 time they feed greedily, and are a great annoy- 

 ance to anglers, during the spring months, as 

 they rise at any sort of fly; and, although not so 

 difficult to land as a strong clean fish, they some- 

 times take more time to land than the angler 

 is willing to spare. Being at this time such 

 voracious feeders, there is no doubt but, like 

 Saturn, they devour their own offspring, for a 

 parr is a good bait for them. This was one of 

 the excuses of the fishermen for . not returning 

 them to the river after being taken in their nets, 

 for, within a few years back, almost all the kelts 

 caught were not returned to the river, and of 

 course large salmon were becoming scarce. Mat- 

 ters now, we are glad to say, are changed, as far 

 as the Tay is concerned, since the passing of the 

 last Act of Parliament, and the result is that the 

 large fish are getting more plentiful. There is no 

 doubt that kelts or spawned fish improve much 

 in condition in the fresh water before they reach 



