SPINNING AND BAIT FISHING. 361 



15, 4, 6, 16, 10, 9, 4, 3, 5, 9, 5, 4, n, 2, 13, 8, 17 = 221, with a 

 total weight of 1,800 Ibs. or an average of 69 Ibs. per day. This 

 list includes several fish weighing over 20 Ibs. The six best 

 days were ist of October, 101 Ibs. ; 3rd of October, 101^ Ibs. ; 

 7th of October, ioo| Ibs. ; i3th of October, 146 Ibs. ; 28th of 

 October, 150 Ibs. ; and ist of November (the last day of the 

 season), 170 Ibs. 



THE PRAWN OR 'SHRIMP BAIT' FOR SALMON. 



As my experience of fishing for salmon with the prawn is 

 somewhat restricted, I have asked Major J. P. Traherne to 

 give my readers the benefit of his more extensive knowledge 

 of the subject, and he has obligingly furnished me with the 

 following notes : 



' Of all baits that are used for catching salmon, the prawn, or 

 shrimp as it is sometimes called, is the most deadly. It doubt- 

 less forms a part of his natural food during his sea life, and his 

 preference for it to any other bait that is offered him in fresh 

 water is therefore easily accounted for. 



' It is often assumed that a salmon will not take a prawn 

 except when the water is low and clear. This is a mistake. 

 The assumption has probably arisen owing to the majority of 

 anglers never dreaming of using anything but the fly as long as 

 the water remains in order, and it is not until the fly has ceased 

 to kill and the water is dead low and clear that they think of 

 resorting to any other method. Salmon will take the prawn in 

 almost any height of water as long as it remains clear. 



' In the season of 1884 I was fishing the Aberdeenshire Dee. 

 It was in the latter end of the month of February, the water 

 bank-high and rising from the melting of the snow. In one of 

 the pools there was a great show of fresh-run fish, and after 

 essaying all sorts and sizes of flies and bait without success, I 

 tried the prawn. I had very soon a brace on the bank . . . but 

 the fish in the pool were "travellers" and soon disappeared, or 

 otherwise I might have caught more of them ; the same thing 



