AUGUST 213 



Indeed, there are but few fish in the 

 sea that would run even if the nets were 

 off. " The spring run " and " the autumn 

 run" are phrases that conceal a mis- 

 apprehension of the facts of Nature. 

 Undoubtedly there are these runs ; but 

 the truth, unobserved for generations 

 and so (forgotten, is that if Nature had 

 her way there would be other runs 

 as well. The short streams of the west, 

 though without fish for a few months 

 at the beginning of the year, are still 

 almost in a state of nature ; but the great 

 rivers flowing to the east are not in this 

 state, and that is why they are without 

 runs for three or four months in the 

 middle of the year. It is an error to 

 suppose that it is not natural for sea- 

 trout and salmon to run into these rivers 

 in May, in June, in July. Naturally 

 there is a run for every month of the 

 year. There always was such a run 

 before the fisheries became commercial. 

 What has happened is that the tribes 

 of fish which by nature seek fresh water 



