APPENDIX. 333 



clay banks. When the water is high the clay crumbles in, and 

 discolours all the lower part. For instance, at the beginning of 

 July it would have been impossible to have seen a dollar-piece at 

 a depth of three feet in the lower part, whereas above Sasm, 

 though high, it was a beautiful colour. 



The consequence may readily be foreseen. At the beginning 

 of the season, when the big fish are coming up, the lower water 

 is almost certain to be too thick for them to see the flies, and by 

 the time the water clears the best fish have already run up. 

 Consequently I would not give much for a fishing below Ssem. 

 Verbum sap, 



Still, no doubt, some fair sport might be had occasionally below 

 Ssern, by trailing from a boat ; but I do not believe it to be worth 

 much. 



There is a possibility of the Namsen losing its reputation as 

 being a first-class salmon river. Below Fiskum Foss is a bay 

 and eddy which catches a great quantity of the timber which 

 comes down the Foss. Here thousands of logs lie churning 

 and grinding against each other for months. Consequently a 

 great quantity of timber is rendered useless for the market In 

 order to remedy this, the timber merchants talk of digging a cut 

 from above the Foss, which will bring a rush of water into this 

 bay, and so float the timber out. 



But as this cut will have to pass through a clayey soil, it may 

 be a question whether the water will not wash out quite a new 

 channel, leaving the Foss altogether, and carrying down clay 

 enough to spoil the fishing. Of course this may not take place ; 

 but when once water is let loose, there is no knowing what may 

 happen. I regret to hear that some of the lower fishings on this 

 river, as well as some Finmark rivers, have been taken by a 

 London tackle-maker for the purpose of sub-letting. Such a 

 system, in my opinion, will conduce more than anything else to 

 spoil sport in the country. However, if fishermen will do so 

 foolish a thing as to hire water without knowing anything at all 

 about it, they richly deserve disappointment. 



TORRISDAL ELV. (p. 61.) 



This used to be a splendid river some twenty years ago. The 

 fishing is nearly all close to the Foss. Excellent trout-fishing 

 above. 



The saw-mills have been the ruin of the fishing. 



