OF THE ERNE. 21 



the fisherman should, if he has the power, 

 secure a hoat. This pool contains a great 

 number of native fish — that is to say, fish 

 that were spawned on its shallows ; but, 

 besides these, every fish that enters the river 

 rests for some time in this pool, in order to 

 get rid of the sea-lice, before taking his 

 passage to his native bank : for it should be 

 observed, every fish spawns where he has 

 been spawned himself. From this circum- 

 stance, the fisherman is not only surrounded 

 by shoals of fish, but these fish actually take 

 the fly more readily than they do on any 

 other part of the river. It is a great mis- 

 take to imagine that a salmon is -a bold fish, 

 because he will sometimes rise close to a 

 boat. This is only on his first coming out 

 of the sea ; he very shortly becomes cautious 

 and shy, and, in fact, though the river must 

 necessarily be always full of red fish — that 

 is to say, fish that have been in it for some 

 time — they are very seldom taken. 



On all other throws, where the fish sport, 

 that is to say, throw themselves out of the 

 water, it is an infallible sign of a bad day ; 

 but on this it may be disregarded, because 



