114 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



April, and the young fry exhibit a rapid 

 growth. 



After spaAvning, the salmon begin their 

 descent to the estuary, and so enter the sea, to 

 commence their re-ascent in autumn. The 

 salmon fishery, as by enactments oi-dained, is 

 open from the 1st of February to the 14th of 

 September, in the Scottish rivers. Various 

 modes are employed in capturing this fish ; 

 many are taken by the skilful fly-fisher, whose 

 address is tested to the uttermost by such an 

 antagonist as even a moderately sized salmon. 

 Mr. Stoddart relates that on one occasion in 

 the Tweed, a favourite river for the salmon 

 fisher, sir Humphrey Davy struck an immense 

 fish, weighing above forty-two pounds, imme- 

 diately above Yairbridge, and landed him after 

 a severe struggle. Mr. Lascelles records the 

 capture of a fish, weighing fifty-four pounds 

 and a half, by the angling-rod, observing, that 

 it was the largest salmon taken with a fly he 

 ever knew in Scotland. It is not, however, we 

 need scarcely say, by the angling-rod of the 

 fly-fisher that the markets are supplied during 

 the spring and summer. Nets of different 

 kinds are the most effective, and of these we 

 may first notice the stake-net. In the spring, as 

 we have said, the salmon remains in the broad 



