64 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



and which appears to many persons so mysterious 

 and unaccountable, I venture to think the solu- 

 tion simple enough. 



Assuming the correctness of the generally re- 

 ceived opinion, that all salmon enter fresh waters 

 for the same purpose, and are impelled by no 

 other instinct to leave the sea than the desire 

 of ultimately depositing their ova in the gravelly 

 shallows of their native rivers, we may surely 

 conclude that these early fish are " told off" by a 

 never-erring Providence to occupy at a future 

 time the upper spawning-beds, and, having a long 

 journey before them, are "travelling" on their 

 way to the higher portions of the river, in obe- 

 dience to that first law of Nature, " Increase and 

 multiply." 



Spey flies, properly so-called, are simple and 

 unassuming both in composition and appearance, 

 yet they are tied with as much skill and care by 

 the best native artists as is exhibited in the fabri- 

 cation of the most complicated, gaudy lures, for- 

 merly imported from Ireland, but now equally 

 well known on the Shannon and the Tweed, and 

 many other Scottish as well as Norwegian rivers. 

 It is true that, of late years, some of these showy 

 strangers have been introduced here, and under 

 certain conditions of sky and water are found 



