A PLEA FOR TOURISTS. 35 
law of the land throws over them its protective 
shield. But in those days of rapid ascent, what 
sport is open to the fisherman! With a “bit of a 
fresh” in the water, a stiff westerly wind blowing, 
the air as exhilarating as a dram, and tackle in 
order, these running fish will take as gaily as a kelt 
in spring, and there are plenty of them for all. The 
millionaire who rents a river, and who might throw 
open part of it to the fishing public on such terms 
as should prevent the water from being robbed, will 
naturally reserve the best pools; he has thus the 
best chance of sport ; but every angler knows, or will 
come to learn, that with fresh-run grilse the chance 
amounts simply to that of coming over the fish when 
they are ina taking humour. They may be sullen 
in one pool and lively in the next: if they pass on 
scatheless the chance is gone, probably for ever. 
Last summer, in the month of July, there was a most 
opportune flood in the river which passes the writer's 
door. The grilse tasted it afar off, and instead of 
coasting along the shore as they usually do, with the 
certainty of falling into the traps of stake-net and 
bag-net fishers, they struck at once into the channel 
of the estuary, and bounded up stream like school- 
boys to their playground. Great was the sport while 
the “run” lasted. When it was at its height, a friend 
took an evening cast, and literally, as fast as he could 
land them, he laid on the green sward by the river’s 
