22 CATCHING THE WILY SEA-TROUT 



or in those rivers which flow into estuaries so contaminated 

 that the passage of fish is impossible. 



Many rivers, which at one time were the happy haunts 

 of both salmon and sea-trout, no longer offer a fair way 

 to either species. On numerous occasions I have seen 

 salmon, which have taken the wrong turning and, enter- 

 ing a sewage infected river, struggle valiantly to force a 

 course through the poisonous filth, eventually only to 

 turn up, succumb and float on the surface of the ebbing 

 tide. 



Usually, both salmon and sea-trout frequent the same 

 waters, but to assume that this association is immutable 

 would be erroneous, as although in certain rivers the run 

 of salmon is plentiful, sea-trout are unknown in those 

 lengths. Further, there are other rivers in which sea- 

 trout abound, but salmon have never been known to 

 enter them. Hence, before deciding on a river in which 

 to seek the sea-trout, inquiries should be made to ascer- 

 tain whether, as a rule, these fish run in the water. 



Of course the seasons vary considerably. One year a 

 river may teem with sea-trout, yet the run in the following 

 year may be most meagre. A difference in the depth of 

 the water is often the reason for these anomalies. One 

 season may see a series of heavy rainfalls, and the follow- 

 ing season may be noted for an abnormal drought, so 

 the angler must always be prepared for disappointment 

 even on his favourite streams. 



In a good season the tributaries are often better than 

 the main channel, as sea trout have a habit of quickly 

 running through the deep waters during heavy spates. 

 Perhaps the chief charm of angling is in trying con- 

 clusions with the unknown. 



I heard of a case recently of a casual angler who had 

 never hooked a salmon and whose catch of sea trout 

 during many years could, in the aggregate, be counted 



