THE SALMON. 179 
that it is regarded, by all true brothers of the rod and 
reel, in the same light as shooting birds on the ground 
would be by a genuine shot, as a pot-hunting, if not 
poaching device, unworthy of the sportsman. 
I do not of course speak of kistering or spearing 
salmon, as that is an iniquity which can only be per- 
formed when the fish are spawning, practiced therefore 
neither by the true sportsman, nor the fair trader, but 
only by the greedy, wanton, destructive, cruel brute, 
who slaughters neither for legitimate sport nor for profit, 
but merely for the wanton love of slaughtering. Nor do 
I speak of net fisheries, whether stake-net or seine, for 
these are the methods of capturing salmon for gain, not 
for sport or pleasure. 
It is a singular thing that very little is known of the 
true food of the salmon; for so rapid is their digestion, 
that when taken their stomachs are always found empty, 
with the exception of a small quantity of yellowish fluid ; 
but it would seem quite certain that while in fresh water 
it must consist principally, if not entirely, of small fish, 
for the natural water flies, which are the favorite food of 
trout and of themselves also when in their infancy, before 
they have visited salt water, they do not condescend to 
notice on their return to the rivers. 
For what they mistake the large gaudy artificial sal- 
mon flies, at which they rise so greedily on their first 
advent into fresh water, it is impossible to conjecture ; 
since there is nothing under heaven to which they bear 
