114 FAMILIAR FISH, THEIR HABITS AND CAPTURE 



strike it from any other direction or from a distance. 

 When it takes the hook, a strike with the rod is not 

 made as with other fish. The reason is that the sal- 

 mon strikes hghtly, usually hooking in the lips, and 

 the mouth being very tender, a jerk will tear it loose. 

 For this reason, also, a constant, steady strain must be 

 maintained, not allowing slack at any time. A strain 

 not exceeding two pounds should be kept on the fish, 

 and when it is exhausted it should be led to gaff with 

 a steady pull never in excess of this. 



Usually considerable time is required to tire a 

 large salmon and bring it to gaff, which has a ten- 

 dency to make the fisherman impatient. Patience, 

 and a constant remembrance of the light steady pull 

 required — never increasing it — will lead to success. 

 Salmon always remain in a pool during the day, 

 ascending the river only at night. For this reason 

 they are easily found, when once they have com- 

 menced to run up toward the spavsming beds. It is 

 an unanswered question why these fish take a fly, as 

 they are never known to take food of any kind when 

 in fresh water. Moreover, a fly has never been 

 found in their stomach. Many old salmon fishermen 

 claim, and with some reason, that the moving or 

 fiuttering of the fiy over them as they lie in the pool 

 is an annoyance, and they simply strike to kill it. 

 The fact that they are always hooked in the lips. 



