A BOOK OF FISHING STORIES 



of rough noisy streams and great brown pools clearing after 

 a flood. One stands in thought beside them, and is im- 

 patient to be really there. 



It may be easy to provide the change of scene, if that is 

 the only thing desired, but how can this change be combined 

 with the best of fishing from the middle of July through 

 August and into September ? Some salmon rivers may, with 

 the help of lucky floods, give good sport at this time, but the 

 angler cannot get the best of salmon fishing now. It is only 

 grilse and small salmon that he can expect to get at their best. 

 The bigger fish, with which it really needs a big rod and strong 

 salmon gut to cope, will not, as a rule, be fresh run or in fine 

 condition. There is, however, one sort of angling that is 

 at its best, and indeed is only good at all in the months of 

 July, August, and September. These are the months in which 

 the sea trout run up fresh from the sea, and it is in pursuit 

 of them that the best sport is now to be had. It is not to large 

 rivers that one generally goes in search of sea trout fishing, 

 and the reason for this is to be found partly in the habits of 

 sea trout, and partly in the arrangements made by mankind 

 with respect to rivers and their rents. Large rivers, to which 

 sea trout have free access, will also have numbers of salmon, and, 

 if they are let at all, will be let at rents for which the presence 

 of salmon is entirely responsible, and which are far in excess 

 of what is charged or paid for the best sea trout fishing alone. 

 Sea trout in a large salmon river are not of much more account 

 than grouse in a deer forest, and are even looked upon as a 

 nuisance when they are running and take a salmon fly freely, 



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