“Solomon in his parables saith, ‘that a good spirit maketh a
flourishing age;’ that is, a fair age and a long.” “If a man lack leech
and medicine, he shall make three things, his leech and medicine,
and he shall need never no more. The first of them is, a merry
thought,--the second is, labour not outrageous,--the third is, diet
measurable.”
The writer then proceeds to a comparison of angling, with hunting,
hawking, and fowling, and after enumerating the inconveniences
attendant on the three last, thus recounts the pleasures and advantages
of angling.
“Thus me seemeth, that hunting and hawking, and also fowling, are so
laborious and grievous, that none of them may perform, nor be the means
to induce a man to a merry spirit; which is the cause of his long life,
according unto the said parable of Solomon.
“Doubtless then it followeth that it needs must be the desport of
fishing with an angle, for all other manner of fishing is laborious and
grievous, often making folks full wet and cold, which many times hath
been cause of great infirmities.
“But the angler may have no cold, nor no disease, nor anger, except he
be the cause himself. For he may not lose at the most, but a line and
a hook, of which he may have store plenty of his own making, as this
simple treatise shall teach him. So then his loss is _not_ grievous,
and other griefs may he not have, saving if any fish break away, after
that he is taken on the hook, or else that he catch nought. _Which_ is
_not_ grievous. For if he fail of one, he may not fail of another, if
he doeth as this treatise teacheth; except there be naught in the water.
“And yet, at _least_ he has his wholesome walk and merry at his ease,
and hath a sweet air of the sweet savour of the mead flowers that
maketh him hungry. He heareth the melodious harmony of fowls. He seeth
the young swans, herons, ducks, coots, and many other fowls with their
broods: which seemeth to me, better than all the noise of hounds, the
blast of horns, and the cry that hunters, falconers, and fowlers, can
make.
“And if the angler take fish, surely then, there is no man merrier than
he is in his spirit.
“Also, whoso will use the game of angling, he must rise early; which
thing is profitable to man in this wise, (that is to wit) most to the
health of his soul, for it shall cause him to be holy. And to the
health of his body, for it shall cause him to be whole. Also to the
increase of his goods, for it shall make him rich, as the old English
proverb says, in this wise, ‘whoso will rise early, shall be holy,
healthy, and wealthy.’
“Thus, have I proved in my intent, that the sport of angling is the
very means and cause that induceth a man unto a merry spirit. Which
after the said parable of Solomon, and the said doctrine of physic,
maketh a flowering age and a long.
“And therefore to all you that be virtuous, genteel, and free born, I
write and make this simple treatise following, by which ye may have the
full craft of angling to desport you at your pleasure, to the intent
that your age may be the more flower and the more longer to endure.”
From the first publication of this book to the appearance of “Walton’s
Complete Angler,” there seems to have been no improvement of the
original work; on the contrary, the “doers” of new editions of the
book under new titles seem to have had but little skill in the art
of fly-fishing, and their alterations, as Pinkerton said of Evelyn’s
amendments of his work on medals, “are for the worse.”
In 1653, appeared the first edition of “Walton’s Complete Angler; or,
Contemplative Man’s Recreation:” in small duodecimo, adorned with
cuts of most of the fish mentioned in it. It came into the world
attended with laudatory verses by several writers of the day, and had
in the title page, (though Walton thought proper to omit it in future
editions) this apposite motto, “Simon Peter said, I go a fishing, and
they said, we also will go with thee.” John xxi. 3.
Isaac Walton, was born at Stafford, in August, 1593. He settled in
London as a shopkeeper, in the Royal Exchange; and, as in the year
1624, he was fixed in a different part of the city, it is supposed,
he was one of the first inhabitants of that building; and being then
but twenty-three years, was perhaps one of those industrious young
men whom, as we are told, the munificent founder himself, Sir Thomas
Gresham, placed in the shops erected over that edifice. We next hear of
him in Chancery Lane, where he carried on the trade of a linen draper.
About 1643, he left London with a fortune, very far short of what
would _now_ be called a competency; we are told he subsequently “lived
at Stafford and elsewhere, but mostly in the families of the eminent
clergymen of England, of whom he was much beloved.” He employed his
time in writing several biographical works, and at the advanced age
of eighty-three, (which, to use his own words) “might have procured
him a writ of ease, and secured him from all further trouble in that
kind,” he undertook to write the life of Dr. Robert Sanderson, Bishop
of Lincoln, which was published in 1677. In 1683, when he was ninety
years old, he published “Thealma and Clearchus,” a pastoral history, in
smooth and easy verse. He lived but a short time after the publication
of this poem; for, as Wood says, “he ended his days on the fifteenth
day of December, 1683,--in the great frost at Winchester, at the house
of Dr. William Hawkins, a prebendary of the church there, where he lies
buried.”
The “Complete Angler” has passed through several editions; and,
although the art has greatly improved since Walton’s day, its perusal
will afford much information and amusement, as well to the sportsman
as the general reader; for, in the words of one of the editors, “let
no man imagine, that a work on such a subject, must necessarily be
unentertaining, or trifling, or even uninstructive; for the contrary
will most evidently appear, from a perusal of this excellent piece,
which, whether we consider the elegant simplicity of the style; the
ease, and unaffected humour of the dialogue; the lovely scenes which
it delineates; the enchanting pastoral poetry which it contains; or,
the fine morality it so sweetly inculcates; has hardly its fellow in
any of the modern languages.”
These remarks are very applicable to other treatises which have
appeared on the same subject, more especially those of Shaw, Scrope,
and Sir H. Davie; indeed, there are few works more beautifully written
than “Salmonia,” wherein the talented author thus alludes to his
favorite recreation.
“The search after food, is an instinct belonging to our nature; and
from the savage in his rudest and most primitive state, who destroys
a piece of game, or a fish, with a club or spear--to man in the most
cultivated state of society, who employs artifice, machinery, and the
resources of various other animals to secure his object, the _origin_
of the pleasure is similar, and its object the same; but that kind of
it requiring most art, may be said to characterise man in his highest
or intellectual state; and the fisher for salmon or trout with the
fly, employs not only machinery to assist his physical powers, but
applies sagacity to conquer difficulties; and the pleasure derived
from ingenious resources and devices, as well as from active pursuit,
belongs to this amusement. _Then_ as to his philosophical tendency;
it is a pursuit of moral discipline--requiring patience, forbearance
and command of temper. As connected with natural science, it may be
vaunted as demanding a knowledge of the habits of a considerable
tribe of created beings--fishes, and the animals that they prey upon;
and an acquaintance with the signs and tokens of the weather and its
changes, the nature of waters and of the atmosphere. As to its poetical
relations, it carries us into the most wild and beautiful scenery of
nature; amongst the mountain lakes, and the clear and lovely streams
that gush from the higher ranges of elevated hills--or that make their
way through the cavities of calcareous strata.
“How delightful in the early spring, after the dull and tedious time of
winter, when the frosts disappear, and the sunshine warms the earth and
waters, to wander forth by some clear stream, to see the leaf bursting
from the purple bud, or scent the odours of the bank perfumed by the
violet, and enamelled, as it were, with the primrose and the daisy;--to
wander upon the fresh turf below the shade of trees, whose bright
blossoms are filled with the music of the bee,--and on the surface of
the waters to view the gaudy flies sparkling like animated gems in the
sunbeams, whilst the bright and beautiful trout is watching them from
below;--to hear the twittering of the water-birds, who, alarmed at your
approach, rapidly hide themselves beneath the flowers and leaves of
the water-lily;--and as the season advances, to find all these objects
changed for others of the same kind, but better and brighter, till the
swallow and the trout contend as it were for the gaudy May fly, and
till, in pursuing your amusement in the calm and balmy evening, you
are serenaded by the songs of the cheerful thrush and the melodious
nightingale, performing the offices of maternal love, in thickets
ornamented with the rose and the woodbine.”
Sir H. Davie’s researches in natural history, are exhibited in many
parts of this interesting work, and his suggestions with reference
to the migration of animals, will account for those phenomena, which
direct the operations of the sportsman whether armed with gun or rod.
He is of opinion that the two great causes of the change of place of
animals is the providing of food for themselves and resting places and
food for their young. The great supposed migrations of herrings from
the poles to the temperate zone, he considers to be only the approach
of successive shoals from deep to shallow water, for the purpose of
spawning.
The migrations of salmon and trout are evidently for the purpose of
depositing their ova--or of finding food after they have spawned.
Swallows and bee-eaters, decidedly pursue flies half the globe over;
the snipe tribe in like manner, search for worms and larvæ--flying
from those countries where either frost or dryness prevents them from
boring--making generally small flights at a time, and resting on their
travels where they find food. A journey from England to Africa is no
more for an animal that can fly with the wind one hundred miles in an
hour, than a journey for a Londoner to his seat in a distant province.
The migration of smaller fishes or birds always occasions the migration
of larger ones, that prey on them:--thus, the seal follows the salmon
in summer, to the mouths of rivers--the hake follows the herring
and pilchard--hawks are seen in great quantities in the month of
May, coming into the east of Europe after quails and landrails--and
locusts are followed by numerous birds, that fortunately for the
agriculturists, make them their prey.
The reason of the migration of sea-gulls to the land is their security
of finding food. They may be observed, at this time, feeding greedily
on the earth worms and larvæ, driven out of the ground by severe
floods, and the fish, on which they prey in fine weather in the sea,
leave the surface when storms prevail, and go deeper.
The different tribes of the wading birds always migrate, when rain is
about to take place. The vulture, upon the same principle, follows
armies, and there is little doubt, that the augury of the ancients was
a good deal founded upon the observation of the instinct of birds.
There are many superstitions of the vulgar, owing to the same cause.
For anglers, in spring, it is always unlucky to see single magpies, but
two may be always regarded as a favorable omen; and the reason is, that
in cold and stormy weather one magpie alone leaves the nest in search
of food, the other remaining sitting upon the eggs or the young ones;
but when two go out together, the weather is warm and mild, and thus
favorable to fishing.
I shall dismiss Sir H. Davie for the present, with the following
remarks which he offers on the whale, as they may be interesting to
those who have remarked the comparatively easy capture of an animal,
possessed of such enormous strength and activity.
The whale, having no air-bladder, can sink to the lowest depths of the
ocean; and mistaking the harpoon for the teeth of the sword fish or a
shark, he instantly descends, this being his manner of freeing himself
from these enemies, who cannot bear the pressure of a deep ocean: and
from ascending and descending, in a small space, he puts himself in the
power of the whaler; whereas, if he knew his force, and were to swim on
the surface in a straight line, he would break or destroy the machinery
by which he is arrested, as easily as a salmon breaks the single gut
of a fisher, whose reel is entangled.
Mr. Scrope’s work entitled “Days and Nights of Salmon fishing,” is most
interesting; his description of this enticing sport is so vivid, and
given with such spirit, that even those who never saw a rod, except
that in Oxford-street with a golden perch hanging from its point and
for ever turning on its axis; or whose knowledge of fish is confined
to the unfortunate inmates of a glass globe, are led to take a lively
interest in his various piscatory adventures, and cease to wonder that
some of the wisest and best of men have been enthusiastic admirers of
the art. His apology for fly fishing is ingenious, and may be quoted
when the angler is rallied by his tender-hearted neighbour.
“I take a little wool and feather, and tying it in a particular manner
on a hook, make an imitation of a fly; then I throw it across the
river, and let it sweep round the stream with a lively motion. This
I have an undoubted right to do; for the river belongs to me or my
friend,--but mark what follows. Up starts a monster fish, with his
murderous jaws, and makes a dash at my little Andromeda. Thus _he_ is
the aggressor, not I; his intention is evidently to commit murder. He
is caught in the act of putting that intention into execution. Having
wantonly intruded himself on my hook, which I contend he had no right
to do, he darts about in various directions, evidently surprised to
find that the fly, which he hoped to make an easy conquest of, is
much stronger than himself. I naturally attempt to regain this fly,
unjustly withheld from me. The fish gets tired and weak, in his lawless
attempts to deprive me of it. I take advantage of his weakness, I
own, and drag him, somewhat loth, to the shore; where one rap at the
back of the head ends him in an instant. If he is a trout, I find his
stomach distended with flies. That beautiful one called the May fly,
who is by nature almost ephemeral--who rises up from the bottom of
the shallows, spreads its light wings, and flits in the sunbeam, in
enjoyment of its new existence--no sooner descends to the surface of
the water to deposit its eggs, than the unfeeling fish, at one fell
spring, numbers him prematurely with the dead. You see, then, what a
wretch a fish is; no ogre is more blood thirsty, for he will devour his
nephews, nieces, and even his own children, when he can catch them, and
I take some credit for having shown him up. What a bitter fright must
the smaller fry live in! They crowd to the shallows, lie hid among the
weeds, and dare not say the river is their own, I relieve them of their
apprehensions, and thus become popular with the small shoals.”
I must now hasten to offer those suggestions which I deem so requisite
for the attainment of that popularity to which Mr. SCROPE alludes;
and although I may in some respects appear tedious, I beg to assure
the novice that a good day’s fishing is often lost for lack of some
trifling appendage, and many a leviathan has escaped from the neglect
of some simple rule.
The dress of a fisherman should be as sombre as possible--a darkish
grey or lightish brown is probably the best, as these colours
assimilate with that of the bark of trees, and the mosses and lichens
which encrust the rocks. Shining metal buttons must be avoided. Laced
boots or shoes and stout leather gaiters are needed, as vipers resort
to the rivers in warm weather, and their teeth readily penetrate the
unprotected stocking. By the bye, if the sportsman should unfortunately
be bitten, a little carbonate of soda, or sweet oil should be applied
to the part as speedily as possible. I have found the former most
efficacious when my dogs have been bitten by those reptiles. Our moors
abound with them in August and September; it is well therefore to be
provided with a bottle of these simple antidotes, if a lengthened
excursion is contemplated by the angler or shot. A drab hat is
preferable to black, especially in hot weather, when the latter will
be found to heat the head considerably more than the former. Worsted
socks are less apt to chafe the feet than cotton, and a small portion
of yellow soap rubbed on the instep and heel will keep the feet in good
order during the longest day’s fag.
The next question is, what is the fitting time for adopting this
costume? Fishing may be pursued from the first week in March until the
last week in October. During the months of March, April, September, and
October, from ten to three or four, will be found the most profitable
hours; during the intervening months it is necessary, to ensure sport,
to be early on the banks--from six to eleven, and from three till dusk,
are generally the best hours. Before starting, be careful that your
tackle is complete and in good order. The rod, the fly-book, the reel,
the basket, must be examined, that nothing be left behind. It is justly
considered one of the greatest miseries of life to find oneself, after
a long ride or walk, minus either the above articles. These necessary
appendages should be of the best quality, to ensure which, purchase
them from a maker of known celebrity. In the first place, procure a
twelve-foot rod, which has a uniform even play; avoid a cheap, second
rate article, nine times out of ten it will be found to warp, crack, or
snap off; or if it escapes these calamities, the ferrels will become
loose, or the rings through which the line passes will check or chafe
it at every throw. Let your reel and line be of the best workmanship,
the size of the former and length of the latter the maker will inform
you; the twelve-foot rod indicates a narrow river, requiring the other
articles in proportion. The casting lines should be seven or even eight
feet long, made of round gut, small by degrees, and beautifully less to
the end, where the stream-fly is attached. They must be stained light
blue, for clear; brown, for red or pale ale coloured water: our rivers
are frequently of this colour, occasioned by the rain percolating
through the bogs with which our moors abound. Never use more than
two flies, one at the end of the collar, called the “stream-fly,” the
other about three feet from it, called “the bob.” It may be as well
to observe that when our rivers present the beerish appearance above
described, and the day is fine, with occasional clouds, a good day’s
sport may generally be depended on. The wind however must be consulted
as well as the water--if the weathercock indicates any portion of East
wind, relinquish the rod, and seek some other occupation. Fish have a
peculiar aversion to cold wind, and will not be tempted to expose their
noses within some distance of the surface; the fly, therefore, though
thrown with skill and judgment, will sport on the water in profitless
gambols. A Southerly wind and a cloudy sky are as welcome to the
fisherman as the fox-hunter: indeed the wind in that quarter generally
promises well for all field sports. West, if the weather is settled,
is also good; but from W. by N. to N. by E. it becomes less and less
favorable.
The choice of flies is the next consideration: as a general rule, when
the day is bright, use a dark fly, when gloomy, a bright one. The
Devonshire and Cornish fish are particular in their food--preferring
simple, plain viands; hence I have often seen sportsmen unsuccessful
in their efforts to move our trout--they present them with food which
instinct tells them is not congenial; they rise probably, look at the
monster, and depart to rise no more.
Neither do our fish desire much change of diet: the flies enumerated on
the annexed leaves are sufficient for all their wants, and if thrown
with skill, will surely repay the labour.
Purchase a Russia leather fishing book for the reception of these
gay deceivers. I recommend this material, because the moths will not
intrude within its folds. Let the article be no larger than sufficient
to carry a small collection of flies, four casting lines, a penknife,
and scissors to repair damages, a skein of strong black silk, and
forget not a small piece of Indian rubber, with a piece of white tape
attached thereto; the former to pass your casting line over, twice or
thrice, which immediately straightens it, the latter enables you to
recover the former, if through carelessness it falls to the ground.
Immediately above the flies, when placed in their respective loops,
write their numbers and the period when they are to be used; this will
save you much trouble, and your friend also should he borrow the book.
Each fly is entitled to a distinct appellation, but it frequently
happens that the dun of Mr. A. differs materially from that of Mr. B.;
thus the sportsman is disappointed in his application--when the packet
arrives he scarcely recognises one of his old acquaintances. To avoid
this inconvenience, I have adopted figures, and have furnished Mr. W.
H. ALFRED, No. 54, Moorgate Street, and 41, Coleman Street; Messrs.
BEN. CHEVALIER and Co. Bell Yard, Temple Bar, London; and Mr. J. N.
HEARDER, 28, Buckwell Street, Plymouth; with full particulars. Those
persons have engaged to keep a good stock on hand, so by sending to
either of them for any No. required, no mistake can arise.
No. 1.
FEBRUARY, MARCH, and APRIL, at all times; after rain, at any time
throughout the season.
No. 2.
FEBRUARY, MARCH, and APRIL.
No. 3.
A good fly through the season, especially on windy days. Makes an
excellent bob.
No. 4.
Latter end of FEBRUARY, the entire of MARCH, and the early part of
APRIL.
No. 5.
From the second week in APRIL to the end of the season, particularly
under bushes, and on the moors.
No. 6.
For dark, gloomy, windy days, from the middle of MARCH to the end of
the season.
No. 7.
Good fly from the last week in APRIL to the first of _August_, in hot
days especially.
No. 8.
In hot weather, during the months of MAY, JUNE, and JULY, no fly will
equal it.
No. 9.
Excellent moor fly at all times. Makes a good bob, particularly on
chilly days.
No. 10.
After rain throughout the season. Take this for the stream fly, and No.
1, for the bob, where the waters are the colour of small beer.
No. 11.
Latter end of AUGUST, all SEPTEMBER, to the third week in OCTOBER.
No. 12.
Very good moor fly, especially in MARCH, APRIL, and AUGUST. Use this
for bob, and No. 5, for stream.
No. 13.
From the latter end of MAY to the last week in AUGUST. Later in the
season if the weather is warm.
No. 14.
In hot days, in MAY and JUNE, a most killing fly.
No. 15.
A very superior fly in JUNE and JULY, or hot sultry days. A good bob,
with No. 8, as stream.
No. 16.
In sultry weather, after rain in JUNE, JULY, and beginning of AUGUST.
No. 17.
From the second week in JUNE, to the second week in AUGUST, a very
certain killer in hot days.
No. 18.
A good fly from the second week in JULY to the end of the season. A
superior bob on the moors.
[Illustration]
A black fly with silver twist may occasionally be substituted for No.
13. They are sold at all tackle makers.
The white moth is sold at all tackle makers, and is a good fly on
moon-light nights in JUNE and JULY.
Although Eighteen sorts are enumerated, it is by no means necessary
that the _occasional_ fisherman should be provided with the full
complement.
It will generally be found that Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 17, are
certain killers. The others, however, must be procured by the more
indefatigable sportsman; especially if he is undaunted by wind or
weather.
Every thing being now in readiness for a start, be careful to commence
fishing with the sun in your face, and if possible, keep it so during
the day. By adopting this precaution, the shadow of yourself and rod
will not be cast upon the water, and your presence consequently is
less likely to be observed by the fish than if a contrary position were
adopted. Let me urge the great importance of keeping out of sight of
your prey as much as possible. If the banks are high and open, crouch
down, and if needs be, creep on, as you would if a duck and mallard
were the object of your pursuit, until you find you can command the
pool in your prostrate position. If bushes intervene, of course you may
approach with boldness: less caution is also needed when the banks are
nearly even with the surface of the water.
As a general rule, I am in favour of fishing up the stream for trout;
the heads of the fish being always against the current, their eyes are
pointed in the same direction, looking for flies, &c., which may be
floating down on the surface; your approach therefore is not so readily
perceived, and your fly when taken is pulled against the jaw, and not
from it as is often the case when fishing down the stream. The casting
the fly well and lightly is a knack which can only be acquired by
experience. The spring of the rod should do the chief work, and not the
labour of your arms. To effect this, you should lay the stress as near
the hand as possible, and make the wood undulate from _that_ point,
which is done by keeping the elbow in advance, and doing something with
the wrist which is not very easy to explain. Thus, the exertion should
be chiefly from the elbow and wrist, and _not_ from the shoulders.
A little practice will enable you to determine the length of line
required to reach a given spot: until this knowledge is acquired,
rather throw too _short_ than too _long_ a line. In the latter case, it
will bag in the water and scare the fish, or if per chance one rises,
it will most probably escape, before you have power to strike.
The stream fly should fall lightly on the desired spot, and the line,
being just of sufficient length to allow of the exact point being
reached, the bob fly will rest on the surface of the water, and by
imparting to the rod a slight tremulous motion, from right to left, the
stream fly will appear to be struggling in the stream, whilst the bob
will occasionally bob up and down, (from which circumstance its name is
derived) exhibiting the movement of the natural fly, when it alights,
rises, and again alights.
After some experience, the eye will apprize you when the fish rises to
seize the hook; you are doubly prepared to strike, if your line is on
the stretch, in which case, you feel, as well as see your prey.
Striking, signifies a sudden jerk of the rod, at the _instant_ the fish
has taken the hook, and forms a very important feature in the art of
fishing. If the jerk is too violent, the hook will probably be torn
from its hold, or if it be too slight, the hook will not enter the jaw,
and the fish escapes. The happy medium must be aimed at, remembering
that our small fish require gentler treatment, than those of greater
weight, whose capacious mouths afford a firmer hold, and may be treated
with less ceremony.
[Illustration]
Commence by throwing the fly across the tail of the stickle, thus:--A.
is the fisherman, B. B. the banks of the river, C. the tail of the
stickle, D. its commencement. A. first throws his fly across to E. then
draws it with a kind of tremulous motion to F. then to G. and back to
H. A. then moves on, and takes up his position at J. casts over to K.
and across to L. tries again at M. and hooks a fish. If it is small,
as too many of our West Country fish happen to be, it may be raised
instanter, gently out of the water, and deposited in the basket. A.
then advances a few paces, and finishes the pool between M. and D.
If by good luck a large fish is hooked, don’t attempt to jerk him out
of the water, which frequently snaps the gut or tears the hook from its
hold; but to use a technical term, “play him,” that is, let him swim
about with your fly well embodied in his jaw, until he is sufficiently
exhausted to enable you to take him out, either by lifting him over
the bank, by taking the casting line in your hand, or by drawing him
upon the sand or gravel. Whilst the fish is engaged in endeavouring to
rid itself of the disagreeable customer in its mouth, be careful to
maintain a steady, uniform strain, upon the line; don’t jerk at one
time and slack at another. If the fish is unusually large, the butt
of your rod must be held forward, which throws the point back; and
thus the line presses against the entire length of the rod, and offers
greater opposition to the fish than if the top were kept down and the
butt up. The following hints, from the pen of an experienced fisherman,
are deserving special notice.
“If your fish misses the fly in making his offer, wait awhile before
you throw a second time, and if he rises at all, he will come more
greedily for this delay. When he returns to his seat, after the
unsuccessful sortie, he will say mentally, ‘What a donkey I was to be
so awkward! By St. Antonio, if he comes again, I’ll smash him!’ But if
you keep lashing away at him immediately, he will probably treat you
with contempt, and will have no intercourse with your gay deluders for
the rest of the day. It is some time, perhaps, since he has taken up
his seat in the water, without ever having seen an animal like that
which you are so obliging as to tender him; all of a sudden come a
swarm of locusts, as it were, one after another over his nob, which
astonish and alarm him exceedingly. Thus, it is apparent that you do
not do justice to his sagacity, or instinct, or whatever you please to
call it, if you set to work in such an intrusive manner.”
The preceding hints on trout fishing may with some exceptions, be
adopted by the salmon and salmon peal fisher; before I proceed
however to offer a few observations on the mode of fishing for these
fish, a brief notice of the natural history of the trout may not be
unacceptable.
The common trout is an inhabitant of most of the rivers and lakes of
Great Britain. It is a voracious feeder and is vigilant, cautious, and
active. During the day, the larger sized fish move little from their
accustomed haunts, but towards evening and during the night, they rove
in search of small fish, insects, and their various larvæ, upon which
they feed with eagerness.
The young trout fry may be seen throughout the day, sporting in the
shallow gravelly scours of the stream, where the want of sufficient
depth of water, or the greater caution of larger and older fish prevent
their appearance. Though vigilant and cautious in the extreme, the
trout is also bold, and active. A pike and a trout put into a confined
place together, had several battles for a particular spot, but the
trout was eventually the master. This fish varies considerably in
appearance in different localities; so much so, as to induce a belief
that several species exist. Lord Home, however, who has paid much
attention to the subject, remarks, “I am much inclined to think there
is but one kind of river trout; the large lake trout may be different.”
Sir Wm. Jardine, in a paper on Salmonidæ, has described at considerable
length, the variations observable in the trout of some of the lakes of
Sutherlandshire. The fish in these lakes are reddish, dark, or silvery,
according to the clearness of the water.
Mr. Neil, in his tour, notices the black moss trout of Loch Knitching,
and Loch Katrine, is said to abound also with small black trout; an
effect considered to be produced in some waters by receiving the
drainage of boggy moors. In streams that flow rapidly over gravelly or
rocky bottoms, the trout are remarkable for the brilliancy and beauty
of their spots and colours. Thus, in our immediate neighbourhood, we
find that the trout caught between Shaugh Bridge and Plym Steps, on
the river Cad, are generally very dark, approaching in some instances
almost to a black; whilst on the Tavy, below Denham Bridge, they will
be found of a light silvery hue; so also on the Yealm--those taken
below Lee Mill Bridge, are of a bright sparkling appearance, whilst
others caught in Horns and Dendles, or on the moor above, are generally
very dark, and in some of the pools which seldom enjoy the rays of the
sun, are almost black.
The author of the “Wild Sports of the West of Ireland” remarks, “I
never observed the effect of bottom soil upon the quality of fish so
strongly marked as in the trout taken in a small lake, in the county of
Monaghan. The water is a long irregular sheet, of no great depth: one
shore bounded by a bog, the other, by a dry and gravelly surface. On
the bog side, the trout are of the dark and shapeless species peculiar
to moory loughs, while the other affords the beautiful and sprightly
variety, generally inhabiting rapid and sandy streams. Narrow as the
lake is, the fish appear to confine themselves to their respective
limits: the _red_ trout being never found upon the bog moiety of the
lake, nor the black where the under surface is hard gravel.”
Sir H. Davie gives the following account of their spawning; and his
remarks on some of the flies upon which they feed will be found
interesting.
“Trout spawn or deposit their ova and seminal fluid in the end of
Autumn or beginning of Winter, from the middle of November till the
beginning of January: this materially depending upon the temperature of
the season, their quantity of food, &c. For some time (a month or six
weeks) before they are prepared for the sexual functions, or that of
reproduction, they become less fat, particularly the females, the large
quantity of eggs and their size, probably affecting the health of the
animal, and compressing generally the vital organs in the abdomen. They
are at least six weeks or two months after they have spawned before
they recover their flesh, and the time when these fish are at the
worst, is likewise the worst time for fly fishing, both on account of
the cold weather and because there are fewer flies on the water than
at any other season. Even in December and January there are a few small
gnats, or water flies on the water in the middle of the day, in bright
days or when there is sunshine. These are generally black, and they
escape the influence of the frost, by the effects of light on their
black bodies--and probably, by the extreme rapidity of the motions of
their fluids, and generally of their organs. They are found _only_
on the surface of the water, where the temperature must be above the
freezing point.
“In February a few double winged water flies, which swim down the
stream, are usually found in the middle of the day--such as the willow
fly, and the cow-dung fly is sometimes carried on the water by winds.
In March there are several flies found on most rivers, and in April,
the blue and browns come on--the first in dark days--the second in
bright. These lay their eggs in the water, which produce larvæ that
remain in the state of worms, feeding and breathing in the water, till
they are prepared for their metamorphosis, and quit the bottoms of the
rivers, and the mud, and stone, for the surface, and the light and air.
“The brown fly usually disappears before the end of April--but of the
blue dun there is a succession of different tints, or species, or
varieties, which appear all the summer and autumn long. The excess of
heat seems equally unfavorable, as the excess of cold, to the existence
of the smaller species of water insect, which during the intensity of
sunshine seldom appear in summer, but rise morning and evening. Towards
the end of August the ephemera appear again in the middle of the day.
To attempt to describe all the variety that sport on the surface of
the water at different times of the day, throughout the year, would be
quite an endless labour. Some of them appear to live only a few hours,
none have their existence protracted to more than a few days. Of the
beetle, there are many varieties fed on by fishes.--These insects are
bred from eggs, which they deposit in the ground, or in the excrement
of animals. The cock-chafer, the fern fly, and gray beetle, are common
in our meadows in the summer, but there is hardly any insect that
flies, including the wasp, the hornet, the bee, and the butter-fly,
that does not become at sometime, the prey of fishes.”
Mr. Stoddart mentions an interesting experiment made with trout some
years ago, in the South of England, in order to ascertain the value
of different food. “Fish were placed in three separate tanks, one of
which was supplied daily with worms, another with live minnows, and
the third with those small dark coloured water flies, which are to be
found moving about on the surface, under banks, and sheltered places.
The trout fed with worms grew slowly, and had a lean appearance; those
nourished on minnows, which it was observed they darted at with great
avidity, became much larger; while, such as were fattened, upon flies
only, attained in a small time, prodigious dimensions, weighing twice
as much as both the others together, although the quantity of food
swallowed by them was in nowise so great.”
In the new Sporting Magazine for Nov., 1840, a writer on fishes says,
“An acutely-observing friend of mine, who has paid great attention to
the growth of trout, states that they are rarely visible the first
year, that they congregate with minnows and other small fry; the
second, are found on shallows; the third summer, about seven or eight
inches long; and subsequently increase rapidly to a pound or a pound
and a half, dependent on the quantity and quality of their food, the
season, and other circumstances.”
This gentleman has for years kept trout in a kind of store stream, and
having fed them with every kind of food, has had some of them increase
from one pound to ten pound in four years.
Steven Oliver, in his agreeable scenes and recollections of fly
fishing, mentions a trout taken in the neighbourhood of Great
Driffield, in September, 1832, which measured thirty-one inches in
length, twenty-one in girth, and weighed seventeen pounds.
A few years since, a notice was sent to the Linnæan Society, of a trout
that was caught on the 11th January, 1822, in a little stream, ten feet
wide, branching from the Avon, at the back of Castle-street, Salisbury.
On being taken out of the water, its weight was found to be twenty-five
pounds. Mrs. Powell, at the bottom of whose garden the fish was first
discovered, placed it in a pond, where it lived some time.
The age to which trout may arrive, has not been ascertained. Mr.
Oliver mentions that in August, 1809, a trout died which had been for
twenty-eight years an inhabitant of the well, in Dumbarton Castle.
A trout died in 1826, which had lived 53 years in a small well in
the orchard of Mr. William Mossop, of Board Hall, near Broughton, in
Furness.
The trout in our streams rarely exceed a pound in weight: this may, in
some degree, be accounted for from the circumstance, that the Devon and
Cornish rivers are very rapid, consequently, the insects which fall
from the bushes, are carried so swiftly down the stream, that whilst a
fish is engaged in seizing on one, the others pass rapidly by: the same
remarks may, in times of flood, apply to worms, &c. In more tranquil
rivers a fly seldom escapes; it lights, or is blown on the water, is
immediately espied, and the fish, whilst occupied in seizing one, has
half-a-dozen in his eye, each awaiting his leisure in calm repose. That
our trout _will_ increase rapidly, under favorable circumstances, I can
testify from my own experience. I knew several that were placed in a
pond, in August, which averaged from eight to ten ounces; in the July
following, I caught the same fish with a fly, which averaged from one
pound to one pound and a half.
Before taking leave of trout, I must notice a fly which may be used
with success after sunset, in the months of July and August. It is
called the white moth, and has often given me sport as late as ten and
eleven on fine moon-light nights. Choose an open place on a tranquil
portion of the river; the fly may be thrown with less nicety than in
the day-time, and catching a fish does not alarm the neighbouring fry,
who will frequently seize the moth immediately after the water has been
disturbed by the efforts of the captured fish to rid itself from the
hook.
Fly-fishing for salmon is seldom pursued in these counties. The fish
meets with such a host of formidable enemies as soon as it quits
the sea, that comparatively few ascend our rivers. The intent of
the proprietors of our fisheries appears to be the annihilation of
this prince of fishes. The most impracticable weirs are constructed,
over which it is almost impossible for a fish to leap; in the pools
immediately below, the rapacious fisherman casts his net every tide;
whilst above, if perchance a fish does succeed in evading the cunning
of his netting foes, a host of spearmen are on watch by night, as well
as by day, to immolate the persecuted wanderer.
Laws exist, restricting the capture of salmon, within certain months;
but that which in this case is truly everybody’s business, is
considered nobody’s; consequently, in season and out of season are they
caught, sold, and devoured, as openly as if no penalties were incurred
by the act. _That_ food, which under proper regulation would soon
become abundant and reasonable, can only now be placed on the tables of
the affluent.
The preservation of salmon I hold to be a question of national
importance; so much so, that I consider conservators should be
appointed to protect them, as well from the unlawful proceedings of
the owners of fisheries, as from the unscrupulous acts of the poacher.
Weirs should be so constructed as to admit of their ascending whenever
the waters are swollen by floods; hutches should be kept open at least
forty-eight hours during the week.
Besides the perils which await the parents on their journey _from_ the
sea, their young are also in imminent danger on their route towards the
sea. The millers take them in traps, by thousands, and dispose of them
by the gallon to the neighbours; indeed, at times they are taken in
such vast quantities that pigs are regaled upon their delicate flesh.
Man is not content with employing his own ingenuity in capturing
this delicious fish, he calls to his aid the sagacity of the dog,
which we find becomes, by practice, as expert a fisherman as his
master: numerous instances of this are on record. The following are
well-established facts:--In the work by the Reverend William Hamilton,
an interesting account is related of the assistance afforded by a
water-dog to some salmon fishermen, when working nets in shallow pools.
The dog takes his post in a ford where the water is not very deep,
and at a distance below the net; if a salmon escapes the net, the fish
makes a shoot down the river, in the direction towards the sea; the
dog watches, and marks his approach by the ripple on the water, and
endeavours to turn the fish back towards the net, or catch him; if he
fails in both attempts, the dog then quits the water, in which the
pace of the fish is too fast for him, and runs with all his speed down
the bank to intercept the fish at the next shallow ford, where another
opportunity, and a second diverting attempt, occurs.
Dogs are occasionally used in Glamorganshire, when trying for salmon.
They appear to take great pleasure in the pursuit, exhibiting by turns
the most patient watchfulness, persevering exertion, or extraordinary
sagacity, as either quality may best effect the wishes of the master.
In some parts of Wales, where the rivers are narrow, the salmon are
caught in a net drawn by men on each bank; dogs are trained to swim
over from side to side, with the head and ground lines of the net, as
required.
A clever poacher at Totnes, allows that he has killed many salmon in
the night, on the Dart, by setting a trammel net at the lower end of
the deep pools, by sending in a dog at the upper end of the pool, which
dog he had trained to dive like an otter. The fish, as soon as the dog
dived, immediately dashed down the stream, and were taken in the net at
the lower end of the pool.
The Earl of Home, in a letter to the Earl of Montague, dated 10th
January, 1837, relates the following history of a Newfoundland dog,
which belonged to his uncle. He knew the Monday mornings as well as
the fishermen themselves, and used to go to the mill dam at Fireburn
Mill, on these mornings. He there took his station, at the opening in
the dam, to allow the salmon to pass, and has been known to kill from
12 to 20 salmon in a morning: the fish he took to the side. The then
Lord Tankerville instituted a process against the dog. This case was
brought before the Court of Session, and the process was entitled, “The
Earl of Tankerville _versus_ a dog, the property of the Earl of Home.”
Judgment was given in favor of the dog.
Hoping the time may arrive, when the salmon in our rivers will afford
similar opportunities for the display of canine sagacity, I shall, in
anticipation of such good days, proceed to offer a few brief hints,
which our grand-children may find useful, when tempted by a strong
breeze and a dark gloomy sky, to cast the fly over a salmon run.
Follow the advice given with reference to the purchase of trout tackle;
go to the best, which you will find the cheapest market.
Let the manufacturer know the average width of the river, and he will
provide the rod, &c., accordingly.
In the selection of your flies, be guided by the suggestions of a local
fisherman--obtain patterns, and get them fac-similied by a well-reputed
maker, whose hooks are known to stand a long-contested struggle.
Commence fishing at the head of the pool Z., instead of at the tail, as
in trout fishing.
Throw the fly directly across the river, from where the fisherman
stands at A., to B. Let it sink a little below the surface; then guide
it from B. to G., forming the segment of a circle; give it, during this
passage, a jerking or sliding motion, such as water-spiders exhibit
when sporting on still pools by the side of rivers; at each jerk draw
the fly gently towards you, two feet or two and a half for salmon,
seven or ten inches for peal. For instance, your fly having lighted at
B., draw it to C., then pause a moment, when the stream will carry it
down to D. again; draw it to E., and let it fall back to F.; pursue the
same process until the curve from B. to G. is completed. By giving this
motion to the fly, it appears to be struggling against the stream. In
drawing it towards you the wings collapse, when you pause they expand.
[Illustration]
Having cast five or six times from B. to G., move on a few paces, and
throw over to H., forming a curve to I., and so on until the pool is
carefully tried.
If a fish has been moved, note the place, and try him again in a few
minutes. Be careful, not to throw immediately over the spot where he
rose; but let the fly approach him in one of the glides made in the
curve. Should the fish _then_ take the fly, don’t strike directly, but
allow a second or two to intervene, when you will find the fish well
hooked. Don’t be frightened--keep perfectly cool--hold your rod well
back, the butt end rather from you; indulge the fish with as much line
as he requires, taking care however to bear well and steadily against
him, so that he encounters much resistance in drawing the line over the
rod and off the reel. When the fish slackens his pace, reel up as much
of your line as you can do with safety; this economy may be most useful
when he again rushes off. The length of time occupied in playing the
salmon depends somewhat upon the nature of the adjacent banks, and also
upon the size and disposition of the fish, some being more lively than
others; and a small fish will frequently afford better sport than one
of twice or thrice its weight.
A gaff, or landing net, is necessary, as no gut will stand the strain
of lifting a large fish out of the water. The foregoing remarks will be
found applicable to peal fishing, which may be obtained in some of our
rivers, and is justly considered very excellent sport.
To enter more into the detail of this amusement is not my present
intention, I must be content with this rough sketch, leaving others to
complete the picture. It is proper however to remark, that the flies
used in peal fishing are about twice the size of those used for trout:
they should be purchased under the advice of an experienced fisherman,
as they differ materially from these which are applicable to the Irish
and other rivers.
The ingenuity of the sportsman has been taxed to vary the means of
capturing the salmon. Sometimes they are shot whilst leaping the weirs,
at others they are speared by torch lights from the banks of rivers, or
from boats. The otter has been trained to catch and bring the fish to
his master; and, in “Red Gauntlet,” we find a lively sketch of a salmon
chase, which is thus described by Darsie Latimer, in one of his letters
to Allan Fairford.
“The scene was animated by the exertions of a number of horsemen, who
were employed in hunting salmon. Aye, Alan, lift up your hands and eyes
as you will, I can give their mode of fishing no name so appropriate,
for they chased the fish at full gallop, and struck them with their
barbed spears, as you see hunters spearing boars in the old tapestry.
The salmon, to be sure, take the thing more quietly than the boars; but
they are so swift in their own element, that to pursue and strike them
is the task of a good horseman with a quick eye, a determined hand,
and a full command both of his horse and weapon. The shouts of the
fellows, as they galloped up and down in the animating exercise--their
loud bursts of laughter, when any of their number caught a fall--and
still louder acclamations, when any of the party made a capital stroke
with his lance--gave so much animation to the whole scene, that I
caught the enthusiasm of the sport, and ventured forward a considerable
space on the sands.”
In the Arms of the city of Glasgow, and in those of the see, a salmon,
with a ring in its mouth, is said to record a miracle of St. Kentigern,
the founder of the see, and the first Bishop of Glasgow.
“They report,” says Spotswood, “that a lady of good place, in the
country, having lost her ring in crossing the Clyde, and her husband
waxing jealous, as if she had bestowed the same on one of her lovers,
she did mean herself unto Kentigern; entreating his help for the safety
of her honour; and that he, going to the river after he had used his
devotions, willed one, who was making to fish, to bring him the first
fish that was caught, which was done. In the mouth of this fish, he
found the ring, and sending it to the lady, she was thereby freed of
her husband’s suspicion.”
The classical tale of Polycrates related by Herodotus, a thousand years
before the tale of St. Kentigern, is perhaps the earliest version of
the fish and the ring. “This ring,” says Herodotus, “was an emerald set
in gold, and beautifully engraved;” and this very ring Pliny relates,
was preserved in the Temple of Concord, in Rome, to which it was given
by the Emperor Augustus.
It is somewhat singular, that the Natural History of a fish, which
constitutes so important an article of commerce--that adds so much to
the wealth of a country where it abounds--that forms so nutricious and
delicate a food--that affords an amusement which rivals that truly
British sport of fox-hunting, should have remained for centuries in
considerable obscurity.
Of late, Jardine, Shaw, Scrope, and others, have investigated the
subject with much success; still, many points require further
elucidation, especially with reference to the causes which induce this
fish to quit its more congenial quarters, and resort to the fresh
water, which is evidently distasteful to them, as they decrease in
weight and become much weakened after they have frequented the rivers a
few months.
Some of the recent experiments, touching the young of the salmon, are
very curious, and exhibit much patient and minute enquiry.
Mr. Scrope, in his very interesting work entitled “Days and Nights
of Salmon Fishing,” observes, “This splendid fish leaves the sea and
comes up the Tweed at every period of the year, in greater or lesser
quantities, becoming more abundant in the river as the summer advances.
It travels rapidly, so that those salmon which leave the sea, and go
up the Tweed on the Saturday night, at twelve o’clock, (after which
time no nets are worked till the sabbath is passed) are found and
taken on the following Monday, near St. Boswell’s, a distance, as the
river winds, of about forty miles. When the strength of the current is
considered, and also the sinuous course a fish must take, in order to
avoid the strong rapids, this power of swimming is most extraordinary.”
As salmon are supposed to enter a river merely for the purpose of
spawning, and as that process does not take place till September, one
cannot well account for their appearing in some rivers so early as
February, and March, seeing that they lose in weight and condition
during their continuance in fresh water. Some suppose it is to get
rid of the sea louse, but this supposition must be set aside, when it
is known that this insect adheres only to a portion of the newly run
fish, which are in the best condition. I think it more probable they
are driven from the coasts near the river by the numerous enemies
they encounter there--such as porpoises, and seals, which devour them
in great quantities; however this may be, they remain in the fresh
water till the spawning months begin. In the cold months, they lie in
deep and easy water, and as the season advances, they draw into the
principal rough streams, always lying in places, where they can be
least easily discovered. They prefer lying upon even rock, or behind
large blocks of stone, particularly such as are of a colour similar
to themselves. At every rise of the river from floods, the fish move
upwards, nearer the spawning places, so that no one can reckon on
preserving his particular part of the river, which is the chief reason
of the universal destruction of those valuable animals. Previous to
a flood, the fish frequently leap out of the water, either for the
purpose of filling their air bladder, to make them more buoyant for
travelling; or from excitement; or perhaps to exercise their powers
of ascending heights and cataracts in the course of their journey
upwards. Mr. Yarrell places their power of leaping at ten or twelve
feet perpendicularly, but I do not think I ever saw one spring out of
the water above five or six feet. Large fish can spring much higher
than small ones; but their powers are limited or augmented, according
to the depth of water they spring from. They rise rapidly from the
bottom of the water to the surface, by means of rowing and sculling,
as it were, with their fins and tails; and this powerful impetus bears
them upwards in the air, on the same principle that a few tugs of the
oar make a boat shoot onwards, after one has ceased to row.
The fish pass every practicable obstruction till they arrive at the
spawning ground; some early, some late in the season. The principal
spawning months are December, January, and February; but in some rivers
the season is much earlier.
Salmon are led by instinct to select such places for depositing their
spawn, as are least likely to be effected by the floods. These are the
broad parts of the river, where the water runs swift and shallow, and
has a free passage over an even bed. Here they either select an old
spawning place, or form a fresh one, which is made by the _female_.
Some fancy, that the elongation of the lower jaw in the male, which is
somewhat in the form of a crook, is designed by nature to enable him
to excavate the spawning trough; certainly it is difficult to divine
what may be the use of this very ugly excrescence, but observation has
proved that this idea is a fallacy, and that the male _never_ assists
in making the spawning place. When the female first commences making
her spawning bed, she generally comes after sun set, and goes off in
the morning: she works up the gravel with her snout, her head pointing
against the stream, and she arranges the position of the loose gravel
with her tail. When this is done, the male makes his appearance in the
evenings, according to the usage of the female; he then remains close
by her, on the side on which the water is deepest. When the female
is in the act of emitting her ova, she turns upon her side, with her
face to the male, who never moves. The female runs her snout into the
gravel and forces herself under it as much as she possibly can, when
an attentive observer may see the red spawn coming from her. The male,
in his turn, lets his milt go over the spawn, and this process goes on
for some days, more or less, according to the size of the fish, and
consequent quantity of the eggs.
If a strange male interferes, the original one chases him with great
fury, and in their combats, frequently inflict great injury upon each
other. When the female has spawned, she sets off and leaves the place;
the male remains, waiting for another female, and if none comes in
twenty-four hours, he goes away in search of another spawning place.
When the spawning is finished, the fish become very lank and weak,
and fall into deep easy water. Here, after a time, their strength
is recruited, when as the spring advances, the strongest fish leave
the depths and draw into the streams. They now move down the river in
their passage to the sea. When they arrive in the deep pools, near the
mouths of the rivers, they take rest for a few days; here they may be
caught by anglers, as they take the fly and other baits freely. March
is usually the best month for this sport--if indeed, it can be called
sport, to kill an animal that is worth a mere trifle and resists but
little.
Having now dispatched the salmon to the sea, it remains to explain
what becomes of the spawn, and how, and when, the young fry arrive at
maturity; and as there have been various doubts and contradictions
on this subject, I think it more prudent to lead the reader to a
consideration of the following pages, than to make a positive assertion
on my own unsupported authority.
Up to a late period, it was universally thought that the spawn
deposited, as described above, was matured in a brief time, and that
the young fry of the winter grew to six or seven inches long; were
silver in colour; and went down to the sea in this state with the first
floods, early in the May of the coming spring.
Mr. Shaw’s ingenious experiments, which have been continued with the
greatest care and attention for a long period, disprove the correctness
of this opinion. This gentleman constructed three ponds, the banks so
raised, and otherwise formed in such a manner, that it was impossible
for any fish to escape, or for any other fish to have access to them.
On the 4th of January, 1837, some fresh spawn was deposited in one of
these ponds, on the 28th of April, one hundred and fourteen days after
impregnation, the young salmon were excluded from the egg. On the 24th
of May, twenty-seven days after being hatched, the young fish had
consumed the yolk which remains attached to the lower part of the body,
and which serves them for nourishment; the characteristic bars of the
parr had then become distinctly visible. From an unforeseen accident,
his experiments upon this brood were abruptly terminated. With a
second, however, he was more fortunate. On the 27th January, 1837,
he deposited some spawn in one of his ponds; on the 21st March, the
embryo fish were visible to the naked eye. From a minute inspection, he
found that they had some appearance of animation, from a very minute
streak of blood which appeared to traverse for a short distance the
interior of the egg, originating near two small dark spots, not larger
than the point of a pin. These two spots ultimately turned out to be
the eyes of the embryo fish. On the 7th May, (one hundred and one
days after impregnation) they had burst the envelope, and were found
among the shingle in the stream; at this period the head is larger in
proportion to the body, which is exceedingly small, and measures about
five-eighths of an inch in length; of a pale blue or peach blossom
colour. But the most singular part of the fish is the conical, bag
like appearance, which adheres by its base to the abdomen. This bag
is about two-eighths of an inch in length, of a beautiful transparent
red, very much resembling a light red currant. The body also presents
another singular appearance, namely, a fin or fringe, resembling that
of the tail of the tadpole, which runs from the dorsal and anal fins
to the termination of the tail, and is slightly indented. This little
fish does not leave the gravel immediately after its exclusion from the
egg, but remains for some time beneath it, with the bag attached, which
contains its supply of nourishment.
On the 24th June, Mr. Shaw found the bag had disappeared, but the
symmetry of the form was as yet but imperfect. At the end of two
months, (7th July) the shape was much improved. At the age of four
months (7th September) the characteristic marks of the parr or samlet
were partly developed. Two months later (six months old 7th November)
the average length was three inches. On the 10th May, 1838, the fish
being then twelve months old, were improved in condition, and measured
four inches: they had changed their winter coating for that which may
be called their summer dress. On the approach of autumn, the whole of
the salmonidæ, while resident in fresh water, acquire a dusky exterior,
accompanied by a considerable increase of mucus or slime. As the summer
advanced, they continued to increase in size; and on the 14th November,
being then eighteen months old, they measured six inches in length, and
had attained that stage, when all the external markings of the parr are
strikingly developed. On the 20th May, 1839, the fish being then two
years old, they measured six inches and a half long, and had assumed
the migratory state.
This change commenced about the middle of the previous April; the
caudal, pectoral, and dorsal fins assuming a dusky margin, while the
whole of the fish exhibited symptoms of a silvery exterior, as well as
an increased elegance of form.
The specimens in question, so recently a parr, exhibited a perfect
example of the salmon fry, or smolt. Mr. Shaw having thus traced the
spawn of the salmon up to this point, it will now be necessary to
pursue our inquiries until we find the matured fish. The descent of
these little fish takes place much about the same time in all rivers,
commencing in March, and continuing through April, and part of May.
They first keep in the slack water, by the side of the river; after a
time, as they become stronger, they go more towards the mid-stream;
and when the water is increased by rain, they move gradually down the
river. On meeting the tide, they remain for two or three days, in that
part where the water becomes a little brackish from the mixture of salt
water, till they are inured to the change, when they go off to the sea
all at once. There their growth is very rapid, and many return to the
brackish water, increased in size, in proportion to the time they
have been absent. Fry, which were marked in April and May, have been
caught on their return at the end of June, weighing from two to three
pounds in weight. These are sold in our markets as salmon peal, when of
a larger size they are called gilse. A second visit to the sea gives
these another increase, when they return to the rivers as salmon.
By the term “gilse,” is meant young salmon that have only been to the
sea once. It seems worthy of remark, that salmon are sometimes smaller
than gilse; but although such gilse have only been once at sea, yet
the period they have remained there, must have exceeded the two short
visits made by the _small_ salmon, and hence their superiority of size.
It has been a constantly received opinion, that all the young fish,
after their first visit to the sea, return to the rivers in which they
had been bred; numbers of marked fish have certainly been retaken in
their native rivers, but from the observations of Dr. Heysham, and Sir
William Jardine, it is evident, that if the fish happen to have roved
far from the estuary of their native rivers, they run at the proper
season, up any stream, even the first they encounter, the temperature
and condition of which are congenial to them.
The growth of salmon, from the state of salmon fry or smolt, to that
of salmon peal and gilse, has been shown to be very rapid, and the
increase of weight, during each subsequent year, is believed to be
equal, if not to exceed the weight gained within the first. That
this fish is a voracious feeder may be inferred from the degree of
perfection in the arrangement of the teeth; yet few, of the many
observers, who have examined the stomach, have been able to ascertain
the exact nature of that food which must constitute its principal
support.
Faber, in his “Natural History of the Fishes of Iceland,” remarks,
“The common salmon feeds on small fishes and various small marine
animals.” Dr. Fleming confirms this, when he states that their favorite
food in the sea is the sand eel.
In a Prize Essay, published in the transactions of the Highland
Society, Mr. Morrison says, “I have taken salmon within flood mark,
some of which had two, and others three, full-sized herrings in their
stomachs.”
Mr. George Dormer, of Stone Mills, in the parish of Bridport, put a
female salmon which measured twenty inches in length, into a small
well, which measured only five feet by two feet four inches, and there
was only fifteen inches depth of water. In this confined place she
remained twelve years, she would come to the top of the water and take
meat off a plate, and would devour a quarter of a pound of lean meat in
less time than a man could eat it. She would allow Mr. Dormer to take
her out of the water, and when put into it again, would immediately
take meat from his hands. Some time since, a little girl teased her by
presenting the finger and then withdrawing it, till at last she leaped
a considerable height above the water, and caught her by the said
finger, which made it bleed profusely. At one time a duck approached
the well, and put in its head to take a draught of the water, when
Mrs. Fish, seeing a trespasser on her premises, seized the intruder by
the bill, and a desperate struggle ensued, which at last ended in the
release of Mr. Drake from the grasp of Mrs. Fish, and no sooner freed,
than Mr. Drake flew off in the greatest consternation and affright;
since which time to this day, he has not been seen to approach the
well, and it is with great difficulty he can be brought within sight of
it.
Salmon differ materially, both in flavor and weight, according to the
localities in which they are taken: thus, the Irish salmon seldom
exceed ten or twelve pounds. At two great fisheries which I have
visited, namely, Ballina and Ballinahinch, nine pounds is their
average weight; whereas in Scotland, they run considerably larger. The
Dart salmon is very superior to that taken in the Tamar; and the Thames
is esteemed the best flavored in England.
The epicure considers, that to eat this fish in perfection, it should
be dressed immediately after it has quitted its native element; it then
boils quite solid, and the flakes are covered with a white substance
resembling curd.
At Galway, the salmon, when taken out of the traps, in which they
are caught in ascending from the river to Loch Corrib, are placed
in a reservoir, through which a small stream is constantly flowing;
they remain here, until a customer seeks a particular sized fish;
by experience, the keeper knows the weight of each to a quarter of
a pound, the required salmon is immediately gaffed, and may be seen
floating in parsley and butter, within five minutes after its decease.
The bridge which crosses the river in the centre of the town, is
frequently lined with persons watching the salmon, which are to be
seen three or four deep in the pools below, they look like waving
weeds, and remain in the same position for hours. Boats are moored
about one hundred feet above the bridge, from whence sportsmen catch an
occasional fish with a shrimp, impaled on a good sized hook; the tackle
being necessarily fine, in consequence of the clearness of the water,
some skill is required to secure the prey; the spectators from above,
enter with much glee into the sport; applauding the piscator, when by
patience and adroitness, he is successful, and are equally bountiful
in their raillery, when for lack of these necessary qualities the
fish escapes. I remember watching with great interest, the manœuvres
of one of these waiters upon providence. He had hooked an unusually
large fish, and played him admirably for some time; it appeared quite
exhausted, and allowed itself to be guided within a few feet of the
boat, the well directed gaff was ready for its deadly purpose; in
another second, the fish would quiver on the barb, when in a twinkling,
the promised prize darted off with renewed energy, and rushing down
the river, passed beneath the centre arch, and could be seen on the
other side, struggling against the stream and the steady line of his
opponent; the man holding in his right hand his trusty rod, slipped
with his left, the rope which kept his boat in her position, which
quickly followed in the fish’s wake, when as a last effort, the salmon
doubled upon its pursuer, and darted through the second arch from that
which the boat had just entered; the line came of course in contact
with the pier, the fish gave one desperate plunge, the next moment the
line floated lightly on the surface of the water. The man cast his rod
in anger on the bottom of his boat, looked daggers at the laughing
crowd above, and quitted the scene of his disappointment, to seek
better fortune elsewhere.
The capture of a large fish, is a fatiguing operation, and requires
the utmost skill and patience; one jerk--one diverted look--the least
slackening of the line--and your labor is lost. The following are a
few instances of well requited proficiency. Although I cannot hold out
much promise of similar good fortune in the present day, as salmon are
now rarely taken, even in nets of equal size, it may be satisfactory to
the aspirant to know, that the largest fish do not necessarily afford
the best sport; they are apt to turn sulky and will lay doggedly at the
bottom of a pool, endeavouring to cut the line, by grating it against
a rock, or other hard substance with the nose; when this occurs, throw
gravel or small stones over the spot, where the fish is thus engaged,
and it will try some other expedient.
In the Thames, on the 3rd October, 1812, Mr. G. Marshall, of Brewer
Street, London, caught and killed a salmon with a single gut, that
weighed twenty-one pounds, four ounces.
Sir H. Davy, used occasionally to visit the Tweed. Upon one occasion,
he killed a salmon, that weighed forty-two pounds.
Mr. Lascelles, in his letters on sporting, says, “The largest salmon I
ever knew taken with a fly in Scotland, weighed fifty-four pounds and a
half.”
Sir Hyde Parker killed one in Sweden, that weighed sixty pounds; and
the Earl of Home killed one in the Tweed, which weighed sixty-nine
pounds and three-quarters.
The season of 1835, was remarkable for large salmon. A notice appeared
in the papers of one that weighed fifty-five pounds. Mr. Mudie has
recorded one of sixty pounds. In a note in several editions of
Walton, one is mentioned that weighed seventy pounds. Pennant has
noticed one of seventy-four pounds. The largest I have heard of was
in the possession of Mr. Groves, the fishmonger, of Bond street, it
weighed eighty-three pounds. It is not recorded how the last four were
captured, but I conclude those mentioned by Walton, and Pennant, were
also taken with the fly.
Page ninety-eight warns me, that my observations have exceeded the
limit I originally assigned them; I trust however they have not been
written in vain, but that the hints on fly-fishing, will enable the
uninitiated to commence the sport, fortified with some practical
information, and that his prospect of success will be more cheering
than if he had depended on the assurance so readily given by the vendor
of tackle--that his flies are certain killers, and his rods perfection.
I have written for the purpose of aiding the young in the acquirement
of an art, which if pursued under proper restrictions, will be found
conducive to the health of the body and improvement of the mind.
Knowing that vice too frequently springs up where cheerful recreations
are forbidden, I hold it to be the duty of parents, to encourage the
innocent amusements of their children.
The boy, who has been too severely curbed by the injudicious father,
I have seen, in after life, a sullen, morose, deceitful man; his
pleasures have been sought by stealth; falsehood has been practised,
to evade the censure of those who should have encouraged his youthful
pastimes. Vice, perchance has been courted, because it lurks in
darkness and obscurity, beyond the reach of the parent’s eye, whose
unwise command has forbid the joyous pursuits so congenial to the
unclouded days of youth.
I have also written for the guidance of those of maturer age; who,
fatigued with the drudgery of business, or worn by the anxiety of a
profession, seek some recreation, which may recruit their strength and
invigorate their minds, rendering them more fitted for the wonted task,
and more capable of fulfilling the duties of their respective stations.
That these objects may be obtained, and that good sport may attend
the Devon and Cornish fishermen, is the sincere wish of their fellow
sportsman.