i8o SALMON AND TROUT. 



his sojourn there : in tact, he must do so, otherwise he could 

 not grow so rapidly or attain such condition in the short time 

 it is known he has to stay there. Nature has provided him 

 with a formidable set of teeth, and it may be presumed he 

 makes the best use of them. 



When he first enters fresh water he is in his prime, and in 

 the full glory of his strength. Doubtless instinct teaches him 

 not to leave the salt water before he has attained this con- 

 dition that he may be able to surmount the difficulties he will 

 have to encounter before he can reach his spawning ground. 

 A half-conditioned, ill-fed fish could not accomplish this : his 

 strength would be exhausted before half the journey was com- 

 pleted, and he would probably be no more seen. A fish in 

 this condition is seldom caught by nets in fresh water or on 

 the sea-coast. 



There is great difference of opinion as to whether or not a 

 salmon feeds in fresh water. In my opinion there is positive 

 evidence that he does ; otherwise, why docs he take flies, live 

 and artificial bait, worms, and shrimps ? Is it to be supposed 

 for a moment that if he takes these he will not take any other 

 food fresh water affords him ? It is true he deteriorates in 

 condition from the date of his migration from the sea : but 

 this may be accounted for by the fact that the food the river 

 affords is not of that fattening nature which he gets in the 

 sea, and Nature evidently did not intend he should remain 

 in the same prime condition in fresh water as when he entered 

 it. He has to undergo certain changes before he is in a fit 

 state to spawn, and, if he remained in the same prime condi- 

 tion as when he entered the river, this would be impossible. 



It is well known that a newly run salmon will take a. fly or 

 bait sooner than one which has been a longer time in fresh 

 water, and I could quote many instances to prove this. A few 

 years ago I was fishing in the north of Norway, where there 

 was a large pool under a fall which was impassable for salmon. 

 The fish congregated in this pool in vast numbers, but I seldom 

 killed one in it that had not sea lice on him. (The presence of 



