54 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Salmon-fishing Salmon ascending Fords Fishers Cruives Right of 

 Fishing Anecdote Salmon-leaps History of the Salmon Spearing 

 Salmon River Poaching Angling Fly-making Eels Lampreys. 



DURING the spring and summer it is an amusing sight to watch 

 the salmon making their way up the river. Every high tide 

 brings up a number of these fish, whose whole object seems 

 to be to ascend the stream. At the shallow fords, where the 

 river spreading over a wide surface has but a small depth of 

 water, they are frequently obliged to swim, or rather wade (if 

 such an expression can be used), for perhaps twenty yards 

 in water of two inches in depth, which leaves more than half 

 the fish exposed to view. On they go, however, scrambling 

 up the fords, and making the water fly to the right and left, 

 like ducks at play. When the fish are numerous, I some- 

 times see a dozen or more at once. They might be killed in 

 these places by spears, or even a stick, and indeed many a salmon 

 does come to his death in this way. The fishermen (when the 

 river is low) save a great deal of useless fatigue, and qf injury to 

 their nets, by working in some pool immediately above a shallow 

 place, where they station one of their number, who watches for 

 the fish ascending, giving a signal to his companions whenever 

 he sees one. They then immediately put out their nets, and are 

 nearly sure to catch the salmon. In this way very few of the 

 fish can escape as long as the water is low, but when a slight 

 flood comes they can get up unperceived. It is as easy to see 

 them in the night time as in the day, the water glancing and 

 shining as they struggle up. Indeed on the darkest night the 

 noise they make is easily heard, and distinguished by the accus- 

 tomed ear of the fishermen. 



There is something wild and interesting in listening during 

 the night to the shout of the man stationed to watch, when he 

 sees fish, and the sound of the oars and boat immediately after- 

 wards, though the object of pursuit is but a fish after all. Some- 



