54 SALMONIA. 



are seized with avidity by the fish ; and being 

 large flies, take large fish. 



ORN. Surely the May-fly season is not 

 the only season for day-fishing in this river ? 



HAL. Certainly not. There are as many 

 fish to be taken perhaps in the spring fishing ; 

 but in this deep river they are seldom in good 

 season till the May-fly has been on ; and a 

 fortnight hence they will be still better than 

 even now. In September there may be good 

 fish taken here ; but the autumnal flies are 

 less plentiful in this river than the spring flies. 



PHYS. Pray tell me what are the species 

 of fly which take in these two seasons. 



HAL. You know that trout spawn or de- 

 posit their ova and seminal fluid in the end of 

 the autumn or beginning of winter, from the 

 middle of November till the beginning of Ja- 

 nuary, their maturity depending upon the tem- 

 perature of the season, their quantity of food, 

 &c. For some time (a month or six weeks) 

 before they are prepared for the sexual func- 

 tion, or that of re-production, they become less 

 fat, particularly the females; the large quantity 



