io8 THE HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



Stanley water, on the Tay. On several occasions, 

 when the water was in first-rate order and any 

 amount of fresh-run fish were in the pools, I hardly 

 had a rise. One day I could not stir a fin with a 

 fly, nor could I induce a single fish to take a 

 phantom minnow or a prawn. On that particular 

 day only one or two fish were killed by six fisher- 

 men on the Stobhall water, known to be the cream 

 of the Tay. The day was still and muggy, 

 gossamers were floating in the air, and a foggy, 

 blue mist hung over the water's surface. On the 

 other hand, the autumn of 1885 was cold, and 

 the fish took greedily up to the last day of the 

 season. On one occasion I even felt cold enough 

 to light a fire at lunch-time, and yet I had plenty 

 of sport, from morning till night. 



Salmon are less inclined to take a fly in some 

 rivers than in others. Here and there they take 

 either flies or baits greedily, whilst in some localities 

 baits are preferred. Again, there are rivers in which 

 flies alone are taken ; and however much you may 



