52 OBSERVATIONS ON A SALMON RIVER' 



Whether a salmon fly in play represents 

 an insect or prawn or whether it resembles 

 a minnow or stickleback is a matter of 

 opinion as is also the question as to whether 

 a salmon rises and takes a fly from playful- 

 ness or because it annoys him. 



The theory that a salmon rises at times 

 from playfulness or annoyance is quite true 

 but in that case he either noses the fly or 

 strikes at it with his tail, which in a measure 

 accounts for many a foul-hooked fish. 



I have never seen a fish of any kind take 

 anything in his mouth from playfulness or 

 because it annoyed him. When he does so 

 it is because he thinks it edible and because 

 he wants to eat it. 



Kelson says in his book " The Salmon 

 Fly " : "I have never yet heard or seen in 

 print any single statement from a first-class 

 salmon angler calculated to support the pre- 

 vailing idea that salmon fancy our flies rep- 

 resent living things on which they feed and 

 fatten in the sea." 



As it is not known where the salmon go 



