S2 ANGLING 



an oval-shaped tin box with a lid, which contained a small male 

 fish swimming in water, which, he said, was waiting for his mate. 

 Presently the net was shot in the Tay at the mouth of the 

 Almond, when two fine female fish ripe for spawning, from 

 eighteen to twenty pounds weight, along with a small male fish, 

 were caught. Mr. Ramsbottom having taken the largest female 

 in his left hand, drew his fingers down both sides of the belly 

 of the fish, when the ova flowed in a stream into the tin box 

 formerly mentioned, in which there were a few inches of water. 

 The fish was instantly returned to the river, and, after a short 

 time, sailed off as if nothing had happened to it. After the ova 

 had been washed, by water being poured on and off — care being 

 taken never to allow it to be exposed to the air — the male fish 

 was brought (which all this time had been in the river under a 

 fold of the net), and manipulated in the same manner as the 

 female, only a small portion of the milt being required. On the 

 milt being shed, a slight change was seen to take place in the 

 colour of the ova, which became paler. Water was again poured 

 on and off, when the operation was complete. The ova were 

 then poured into round tin cases and carried to the ponds. When 

 we left the riverside, upwards of 400,000 ova in fine condition 

 had been obtained. We observed that a few of the ova, after 

 impregnation, turned white, instead of being a fine sahnon colour. 

 Mr. Ramsbottom said they were barren ova. In the month of 

 March, the fry will have burst their shells, when we hope to 

 report further." 



But leaving these controversial points on the habits 

 and natural history of the salmon — which, however, 

 must be allowed to have a direct bearing on the angler's 

 amusement, as a practical art, seeing that legislative 

 enactments are essentially guided by them — let us 

 direct the reader's attention to the mode of catching 

 this monarch of the streams. First, as to bait. "We 

 shall confine ourselves principally to the artificial fly. 

 This is the only kind of bait, in our apprehension, 

 worthy of the regard of the genuine angler, or which 

 will secure his unvarying success, and confer real plea- 

 sure in his exploits. We have always considered the 

 employment of any other bait or artifice for luring this 

 noble inhabitant of the deep as directly implying 

 something frivolous and debasing, alike unworthy of 

 the angler's reputation and the nature and character of 

 the fish. It must always be borne in mind that the 

 real angler has a certain kind of fame or reputation to 



