SALMON-ANGLING. 337 



a fish in such a peril should have purposely avoided deep water 

 for shallows which it was so unlikely ever to thread. The 

 shallows, however, led to the body of the river, and to freedom, 

 while the tempting deeps, being enclosed on every side, were 

 certain captivity and death. 



In clear water, two flies on your cast, unless small, will 

 often make salmon shy. There is no more killing bait for 

 trolling than gold or silver fish ; but from their gay look, if 

 salmon do not bolt at them, they will bolt from them. The 

 same may be said of salted herring-fry. When salmon get 

 accustomed to their bright glare, they fly the parts of the river 

 where they are used. 



The wholesale net-murder, in some of our best rod-rivers, 

 must have been noticed with disgust by all salmon-anglers. 

 If a remedy is not found for this slaughter, the rod-fisher's 

 occupation will soon be gone. The lower fishings suffer first, 

 the dearth of fish gradually extending to the higher. As long 

 as the run continues, of course the lower stations have the 

 first chance. The sport is then often good ; but when the 

 run ceases, the tables are turned. I have then seen the lower 

 water nearly empty, when there was good sport twelve miles 

 above. The reason is sufficiently plain. The first of " the 

 run " rush to the top of the river, and occupy it ; those that 

 follow take possession of the next pools and streams ; and so 

 on, till the run is exhausted. In former years, at the proper 

 season, nearly the whole river was tenanted by these " back 

 fish." How stands the case now ? When the run stops, 

 scarcely the half of some of our finest salmon or grilse rivers 

 have a fair complement of " back fish," while only a meagre 

 sprinkling condescend to inhabit the lower water, how inviting 

 soever both stream and pool may appear. I have often noted 

 this on the Dee, where, at the end of a salmon or grilse run, 

 the sport was good at Ballogie and Aboyne, while there was 

 scarcely a fin near Banchory. 



A scarcity of fish is a still greater drawback at the end of 



Y 



