ANGLING FOR SALMON.—The capture of the salmon by rod and line affords the most exciting sport of the kind. The pleasures of it have been descanted on by numerous writers, and whole treatises have been written on the minutia of the art. Among the more modern writers on the subject, we may name Davy, Stoddart, Younger, Stewart, Francis, and Russel. The tackle used is sufficiently described in the article ANGLING; and the general principles of fly-fishing there laid down are applicable in this case. The chief specialty in salmon angling is to lie able to maintain perfect coolness and vigilance when the fish is hooked. The rod must be kept at such an eleva tion as to bring its elasticity into play; and by allowing the line to run out as the fish dashes off, and winding it up as he returns, or by following his motions, if need be, in person, a constant and equal strain must be maintained; a sudden tug at an unyielding line, or a momentary slackening, being equally fatal. After struggling for from a quar ter to half an hour (sometimes, though rarely, for two or three hours) against a stead pull, the fish generally yields to his fate and allows himself to be drawn into the sha low and landed. This is done either with the gaff, or the fisher, winding, his line up within rod length and holding the top landward, without slackening, seizes the fish with one hand by the root of the tail, and lifts or rather slides him head-foremost ou to the gravel or grass.
Those rivers of Britain where the fishing is strictly preserved still afford good sport; hut of late years the take of fish, by rod as well as by net, has greatly fallen off, and many fishers now betake themselves annually to the rivers of Norway and Sweden. In Scotland the Tay, Tweed, Don, Spey, Dee. Thurso, and some others are still preserved in many places, and command high rents from salmon anglers.
SaLmoN-Fisminy LAWS.—Owing to the peculiar excellence of the salmon, it is singled out from all other fish, and protected by peculiar laws in the United Kingdom, but those laws are not the same in the three kingdoms. I. As to England.—The right to fish salmon in the sea and navigable rivers belongs to the public as a general rule; and the right to fish salmon in rivers not navigable belongs to the riparian owner on each bank, the right of each extending up to the center line of the stream. But though the public have, as a rule, the right to fish in the sea and navigable rivers. there are various excep-. Lions, which arose in this way. Previous to maple chaste, the crown, whether rightly. or wrongly, assumed power to make grants to individuals—generally the large proprie tors of lands adjacent—whereby an exclusive right was given to such individuals to fish for the salmon as well as all other fish within certain limits. This right, when conferred,
often applied to the shores of the sea, but generally prevailed in navigable rivers and the mouths of such rivers. The frequency of such grants was one of the grievances redressed by magna (Marta, which prohibited the crown thenceforth front making like giants. lint the then existing grants were saved, and hence every person who at the present day claims a several or exclusive fishery in navigable rivers, must show that his grant is from the crown, and is a sold as magna eharta. It is not however, in any way necessary that he be able to produce a grant or chain of grants of such antiquity; for if he has been in undisturbed possession for a long time—say CO years and upward—it is presumed that such title is as old as magna charts, and had a legal origin. When a per son is entitled to a salmon fishery (and if he is entitled to a salmon fishery he is entitled also to the trout and other fish freqenting the same place), he is nevertheless subjected to certain restrictions as to the mode of fishing salmon. These restrictions are imposed by the salmon fishery acts of 1861, 1865, and 1873, which repealed prior acts of parlia ment. No person is now entitled to use lights, spears, gaffs, strokehalls, snatches, or other like instruments for catching salmon; nor can fish roe be used for the purpose of fishing. All nets used for fishing salmon must have a mesh not less than 2 in. in exten sion from kuoi. to knot, or 8 in. measured round each mesh when wet. No new fixed engine of any description is to be used. A penalty is incurred for violating these enact ments, and also for taking unseasonable salmon, or for taking, destroying, or obstruct ing the passage of young salmon, or disturbing spawning salmon. The close time, dur ing which no salmon shall be fished, extends from Sept. 1 to Feb. 1 following, except that for rod fishing the close season shall not commence till Nov. 1. These periods may by by-laws be slightly varied for each district. During close time no salmon can be legally sold or be in the possession of any person for sale; and such fixed engines as are still legal shall lie removed or put out of gear during close time. Moreover, throughout the year, there is a weekly close time—that is to say, no person can, except with rod and line, lawfully fish salmon between 12 A.m. (noon) of Saturday to 6 A.M. of Monday fol lowing. Though owners of dams need not make fish-passes, there must be free gaps made in fishing weirs of a certain width. For the purpose of supervising the enforcement of the acts, fishery inspectors are appointed for England. Fishery boards were estab lished in 1866, and by bylaws can change close seasons, license duties for fishing instru ments, mesh of nets, and other matter, within limits. See also POACHING.