42 Salmon at the Antipodes. 



quality and flavour when in prime condition, 

 and the flesh is firm, sweet, rich, juicy, and 

 high coloured. It also gives good sport with 

 the artificial fly, but the most killing bait in 

 fresh water is the salmon roe. In its native 

 waters on the Sacramento river, a little snow 

 falls occasionally near the sources, but the 

 climate is mild and warm in summer, and 

 very similar to that of the seaward slopes of 

 the great dividing range in Gippsland, and 

 near Cape Otway. 



The Californian salmon frequents bays and 

 inlets, where the water is deep, and spends 

 most of its time in the ocean. There are no 

 salmon in the rivers during the winter months, 

 from November to March, corresponding with 

 May to September in Australia. 



There are three ascents of this fish up the 

 rivers each year. The first is in spring — cor- 

 responding with September and October in 

 Australia — when the largest fish go up to 

 spawn. This takes place at the head waters 

 of the streams, in the months corresponding 

 with January and February. The adult fish 

 all die after spawning, so far as has yet been 

 observed. There is a second ascent of fish 



