Highlands of Asturias 299 
fish average about one pound in weight, but in favourable spots, 
such as mill-tails, run up to 10 Ibs. and upwards. 
The Spanish barbel has developed one trait in advance of its 
English cousins, for it will rise to a fly, or at least to a grass- 
hopper. Owing to the abundance of these insects and of crickets 
along the river-banks in summer, the barbel have acquired a taste 
for such delicacies, and a hot June afternoon in Andalucia may be 
worse spent than in “ dapping” beneath the trees that fringe the 
banks of Guadalete and similar rivers. 
The Boga, a little fish of the roach or dace family, seldom 
exceeding a quarter pound, will afford amusement in all the 
smaller trout-streams of Spain and Portugal when trout are 
recusant. The boga is lured with a worm-tail (on finest gut and 
smallest hook) from each little run or cascade, whence five or six 
dozens may be extracted in an afternoon. 
The Grey Mullet (Spanish, Lisa) is a good sporting fish ranging 
from half a pound up to four pounds weight, and caught readily 
in tidal rivers as it comes up from sea on the flood. Native 
anglers are often very successful, using long roach-poles and gear 
similar to that of the roach-fisher at home. The bait is either lug- 
worm or paste, and on favouring days as many as two dozen 
mullet’ are landed during the run of the flood-tide. 
The Shad (Spanish, Sabalo), though not only the handsomest 
but also the best-eating of all tidal-river fish, is of no concern to 
the angler, since it refuses to look at lure of any kind. 
The Tunny (Spanish, Atun) frequents the south-Spanish coasts 
and comes in millions to the mouths of the big rivers (especially 
the Guadalquivir) to spawn. The usual method of capture is by 
a huge fixed net called the almadrava, extending three miles out 
to sea, and placed at such an angle to the coast-line that the fish, 
on striking it, follow along to the inshore end, where they enter 
a corral or enclosed space about an acre in extent. Here the 
fishing-boats lie waiting, and when as many as 500 huge tunnies 
(they average 300 lbs. apiece) are enclosed at once, a scene of wild 
excitement and bloodshed ensues, the great fish darting and 
splashing around their prison, sending spray flying mast-high, 
while the fishermen yell and gaff and harpoon by turns. 
The most successful almadrava is situate at Rota, some seven 
miles south of the mouth of Guadalquivir, the average catch for 
the season (May 1 till August 1) being about 20,000 tunnies. A 
