46 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 



the fresh river-water, by reason of its tenuity, es- 

 pecially being so lately weakened by spawning ; 

 and therefore, by instinct, they make the sea their 

 winter habitation, the sea being naturally warm : 

 but if they spawn in the mean time, from thence 

 proceeds a small salmon, called a skegger, which 

 never grows large. The female salmon is distin- 

 guished from the male, because its nose is longer 

 and more hooked, its scales not so bright, and its 

 body speckled over with dark brown spots, its 

 belly flatter, and its flesh not so red, more dry, and 

 less delicious to the taste. 



The principal rivers in England for salmon are, 

 1st, the Thames, whose salmon beats all others 

 for taste and flavour ; the Severn and the Trent ; 

 the Lon, at Lancaster, about Cockersand Abbey ; 

 at Workington in Cumberland ; Bywell in Nor- 

 thumberland, Durham, and Newcastle on Tyne ; 

 the Dee in Cheshire ; and the rivers Usk and Wye 

 in Monmouthshire. Besides the salmon-leap in 

 the river Tivy in Pembrokeshire, there is another 

 in the river Ban in Ireland : this river is in the 

 mountains of Mourn in the county of Down, and 

 it passes through Lough Eaugh, or Lough Sidney, 

 a large lake in the county of Coleraine. Mr. 

 Cambden says, it breeds salmons in abundance, 

 above all other rivers in Europe, because it is 

 thought to exceed alt others for clearness, in 

 which sort of water salmons delight. He bites 

 best about three in the afternoon, in May, June, 

 July, and August, if the water be clear, and a lit- 

 tle breeze of wind stirring, especially if the wind 

 and stream be contrary. You must fish for him 

 like a trout, with a worm, fly, or minnow, or lob- 

 worm is an excellent bait for him, well scoured in 

 moss, which makes him tough, clear, and lively. 



