THE SALMON. 57 



cularly when there has been a fresh of water, The best 

 time to angle for them at the bottom, or with the min- 

 now, is from March to June, and from the middle of 

 August to the middle of October, at which period they 

 may be f- mnd in almost every stream. They spawn in 

 the cold months of November, December and January; 

 at which time they are very sickly and thin, with large 

 heads, and of a dark colour ; though to this rule there 

 is an exception, for there are some trout at that season of 

 the year which seem to be well fed and of a good colour, 

 called in my neighbourhood " the maden trout," be- 

 cause they are without either milt or spawn, and may be 

 found in the streams in the winter season ; whereas 

 the others resort to the still deeps, and shelter under 

 roots, rocks, and hollow banks, at which time they may 

 be taken with the red worm or brambling, but they are 

 not worth the labour. 



THE SALMON, 



The salmon may be called the king of the fresh water fish, 

 being the largest we have in our country. It is a handsome 

 made fish ; the head is small with a sharpish nose; the body 

 is rather long and covered with fine bright scales ; the co- 

 lour of the back is a grey-blue, ihe other part of the body 

 is of a pale silvery colour, and is marked with irregular 

 bright brown spots ; but it is a fish so well known to all 

 our anglers, that a further description would be superflu- 

 ous. They begin to leave the sea about January or 

 February ; in some places they will leave sooner, and 



