SPINNING AND BAIT FISHING. 307 
15, 4, 6, 16, 10, 9; 4) 3) 55 95 5s 4, II, 2, 13, 8, 17 = 221, with a 
total weight of 1,800 Ibs. or an average of 69 Ibs. per day. This 
list includes several fish weighing over 20 lbs. The six best 
days were 1st of October, ror Ibs. ; 3rd of October, ror} lbs. ; 
7th of October, 1004 Ibs. ; 13th of October, 146 lbs. ; 28th of 
October, 150 lbs. ; and rst of November (the last day of the 
season), 170 lbs, 
THE PRAWN OR ‘SHRIMP BAIT’ FOR SALMON. 
As my experience of fishing for salmon with the prawn 1s 
somewhat restricted, I have asked Major J. P. Traherne to 
give my readers the benefit of his more extensive knowledge 
of the subject, and he has obligingly furnished me with the 
following notes : 
‘Of all baits that are used for catching salmon, the prawn, or 
shrimp as it is sometimes called, is the most deadly. It doubt- 
less forms a part of his natural food during his sea life, and his 
preference for it to any other bait that is offered him in fresh 
water is therefore easily accounted for. 
‘It is often assumed that a salmon will not take a prawn 
except when the water is low and clear. This is a mistake. 
The assumption has probably arisen owing to the majority of 
anglers never dreaming of using anything but the fly as long as 
the water remains in order, and it is not until the fly has ceased 
to kill and the water is dead low and clear that they think of 
resorting to any other method. Salmon will take the prawn in 
almost any height of water as long as it remains clear. 
‘Tn the season of 1884 I was fishing the Aberdeenshire Dee. 
It was in the latter end of the month of February, the water 
bank-high and rising from the melting of the snow. In one of 
the pools there was a great show of fresh-run fish, and after 
essaying all sorts and sizes of flies and bait without success, I 
tried the prawn. I had very soon a brace on the bank... but 
the fish in the pool were “travellers” and soon disappeared, or 
otherwise I might have caught more of them ; the same thing 
