used sunken bait artificial minnows and in vari- 

 ous ways tried to hook them, but without success, so 

 it seems that it is more in sport they rise to the fly. 

 Tho most wonderful feature of their habits is 

 the instinct which leads them to return to the same 

 river which they left the season before to explore 

 tho mysteries of the sea. They surely must re- 

 member and recognize some peculiarity in the con- 

 dition of the stream as it flows out into the bay and 

 meets them on their annual return to fresh water. 

 We all know that heavy freshets bring good fly- 

 fishing. The reason is that the heavier the volume 

 of water flowing into the bay, the farther out the 

 salmon must meet it and know it to be the water of 

 their home. They then follow it up immediately 

 to the river, and thus escape the nets. Low water, 

 on the other hand, brings a harvest to the net-fish- 

 erman. This would indicate that the salmon, not 

 meeting, as they expected, any fresh water out in 

 the bay, and knowing they had come far enough to 

 find it, seek this fresh water nearer the shore ; and 

 while they are cruising about trying to find it they 

 are caught by the nets. I do not believe in the 

 theory that many salmon are taken in the nets 

 while they are chasing small fish toward the shore 

 for food. They no doubt feed when in the bay, 

 because food has been found in their stomachs; 

 but just as soon as they find fresh water, in they 

 rush on their way to happiness and misfortune. 



89 



