THE SALMON. 



that it is regarded, by all true brothers of the rod and 

 reel, in the same light as shooting birds on the ground 

 would be by a genuine shot, as a pot-hunting, if not 

 poaching device, unworthy of the sportsman. 



I do not of course speak of kistering or spearing 

 salmon, as that is an iniquity which can only be per- 

 formed when the fish are spawning, practiced therefore 

 neither by the true sportsman, nor the fair trader, but 

 only by the greedy, wanton, destructive, cruel brute, 

 who slaughters neither for legitimate sport nor for profit, 

 but merely for the wanton love of slaughtering. Nor do 

 I speak of net fisheries, whether stake-net or seine, for 

 these are the methods of capturing salmon for gain, not 

 for sport or pleasure. 



It is a singular thing that very little is known of the 

 true food of the salmon ; for so rapid is their digestion, 

 that when taken their stomachs are always found empty, 

 with the exception of a small quantity of yellowish fluid ; 

 but it would seem quite certain that while in fresh water 

 it must consist principally, if not entirely, of small fish, 

 for the natural water flies, which are the favorite food of 

 trout and of themselves also when in their infancy, before 

 they have visited salt water, they do not condescend to 

 notice on their return to the rivers. 



For what they mistake the large gaudy artificial sal- 

 inon flies, at which they rise so greedily on their first 

 advent into fresh water, it is impossible to conjecture ; 

 since there is nothing under heaven to which they bear 



