the complete angler-第23章

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　long　discourse；　but　I　must；　and　pass　on　to　tell　you　how　to　take　this　dainty　fish。

First　note；　that　he　grows　not　to　the　bigness　of　a　Trout；　for　the　biggest　of　them　do　not　usually　exceed　eighteen　inches。　He　lives　in　such　rivers　as　the　Trout　does；　and　is　usually　taken　with　the　same　baits　as　the　Trout　is；　and　after　the　same　manner；　for　he　will　bite　both　at　the　minnow；　or　worm；　or　fly；　though　he　bites　not　often　at　the　minnow；　and　is　very　gamesome　at　the　fly；　and　much　simpler；　and　therefore　bolder　than　a　Trout；　for　he　will　rise　twenty　times　at　a　fly；　if　you　miss　him；　and　yet　rise　again。　He　has　been　taken　with　a　fly　made　of　the　red　feathers　of　a　paroquet；　a　strange　outlandish　bird；　and　he　will　rise　at　a　fly　not　unlike　a　gnat；　or　a　small　moth；　or；　indeed；　at　most　flies　that　are　not　too　big。　He　is　a　fish　that　lurks　close　all　Winter；　but　is　very　pleasant　and　jolly　after　mid…April；　and　in　May；　and　in　the　hot　months。　He　is　of　a　very　fine　shape；　his　flesh　is　white；　his　teeth；　those　little　ones　that　he　has；　are　in　his　throat；　yet　he　has　so　tender　a　mouth；　that　he　is　oftener　lost　after　an　angler　has　hooked　him　than　any　other　fish。　Though　there　be　many　of　these　fishes　in　the　delicate　river　Dove；　and　in　Trent；　and　some　other　smaller　rivers；　as　that　which　runs　by　Salisbury；　yet　he　is　not　so　general　a　fish　as　the　Trout；　nor　to　me　so　good　to　eat　or　to　angle　for。　And　so　I　shall　take　my　leave　of　him：　and　now　come　to　some　observations　of　the　Salmon；　and　how　to　catch　him。




The　fourth　day　…　continued

The　Salmon

Chapter　VII

Piscator

The　Salmon　is　accounted　the　King　of　freshwater　fish；　and　is　ever　bred　in　rivers　relating　to　the　sea；　yet　so　high。　or　far　from　it；　as　admits　of　no　tincture　of　salt；　or　brackishness。　He　is　said　to　breed　or　cast　his　spawn；　in　most　rivers；　in　the　month　of　August：　some　say；　that　then　they　dig　a　hole　or　grave　in　a　safe　place　in　the　gravel；　and　there　place　their　eggs　or　spawn；　after　the　melter　has　done　his　natural　office；　and　then　hide　it　most　cunningly；　and　cover　it　over　with　gravel　and　stones；　and　then　leave　it　to　their　Creator's　protection；　who；　by　a　gentle　heat　which　he　infuses　into　that　cold　element；　makes　it　brood；　and　beget　life　in　the　spawn；　and　to　become　Samlets　early　in　the　spring　next　following。

The　Salmons　having　spent　their　appointed　time；　and　done　this　natural　duty　in　the　fresh　waters；　they　then　haste　to　the　sea　before　winter；　both　the　melter　and　spawner；　but　if　they　be　stops　by　flood…gates　or　weirs；　or　lost　in　the　fresh　waters；　then　those　so　left　behind　by　degrees　grow　sick　and　lean；　and　unseasonable；　and　kipper；　that　is　to　say；　have　bony　gristles　grow　out　of　their　lower　chaps；　not　unlike　a　hawk's　beak；　which　hinders　their　feeding；　and；　in　time；　such　fish　so　left　behind　pine　away　and　die。　'Tis　observed；　that　he　may　live　thus　one　year　from　the　sea；　but　he　then　grows　insipid　and　tasteless；　and　loses　both　his　blood　and　strength；　and　pines　and　dies　the　second　year。　And　'tis　noted；　that　those　little　Salmons　called　Skeggers；　which　abound　in　many　rivers　relating　to　the　sea；　are　bred　by　such　sick　Salmons　that　might　not　go　to　the　sea；　and　that　though　they　abound；　yet　they　never　thrive　to　any　considerable　bigness。

But　if　the　old　Salmon　gets　to　the　sea；　then　that　gristle　which　shews　him　to　be　kipper；　wears　away；　or　is　cast　off；　as　the　eagle　is　said　to　cast　his　bill；　and　he　recovers　his　strength；　and　comes　next　summer　to　the　same　river；　if　it　be　possible；　to　enjoy　the　former　pleasures　that　there　possess　him；　for；　as　one　has　wittily　observed；　he　has；　like　some　persons　of　honour　and　riches　which　have　both　their　winter　and　summer　houses；　the　fresh　rivers　for　summer；　and　the　salt　water　for　winter；　to　spend　his　life　in；　which　is　not；　as　Sir　Francis　Bacon　hath　observed　in　his　History　of　Life　and　Death；　above　ten　years。　And　it　is　to　be　observed；　that　though　the　Salmon　does　grow　big　in　the　sea；　yet　he　grows　not　fat　but　in　fresh　rivers；　and　it　is　observed；　that　the　farther　they　get　from　the　sea；　they　be　both　the　fatter　and　better。

Next；　I　shall　tell　you；　that　though　they　make　very　hard　shift　to　get　out　of　the　fresh　rivers　into　the　sea　yet　they　will　make　harder　shift　to　get　out　of　the　salt　into　the　fresh　rivers；　to　spawn；　or　possess　the　pleasures　that　they　have　formerly　found　in　them：　to　which　end；　they　will　force　themselves　through　floodgates；　or　over　weirs；　or　hedges；　or　stops　in　the　water；　even　to　a　height　beyond　common　belief。　Gesner　speaks　of　such　places　as　are　known　to　be　above　eight　feet　high　above　water。　And　our　Camden　mentions；　in　his　Britannia；　the　like　wonder　to　be　in　Pembrokeshire；　where　the　river　Tivy　falls　into　the　sea；　and　that　the　fall　is　so　downright；　and　so　high；　that　the　people　stand　and　wonder　at　the　strength　and　sleight　by　which　they　see　the　Salmon　use　to　get　out　of　the　sea　into　the　said　river；　and　the　manner　and　height　of　the　place　is　so　notable；　that　it　is　known；　far；　by　the　name　of　the　Salmon…leap。　Concerning　which；　take　this　also　out　of　Michael　Drayton；　my　honest　old　friend；　as　he　tells　it　you；　in　his　Polyolbion：

And　when　the　Salmon　seeks　a　fresher　stream　to　find；　（Which　hither　from　the　sea　comes；　yearly；　by　his　kind；）　As　he　towards　season　grows；　and　stems　the　watry　tract　Where　Tivy；　falling　down；　makes　an　high　cataract；　Forc'd　by　the　rising　rocks　that　there　her　course　oppose；　As　tho'　within　her　bounds　they　meant　her　to　inclose；　Here　when　the　labouring　fish　does　at　the　foot　arrive；　And　finds　that　by　his　strength　he　does　but　vainly　strive；　His　tail　takes　in　his　mouth；　and；　bending　like　a　bow　That's　to　full　compass　drawn；　aloft　himself　doth　throw；　Then　springing　at　his　height；　as　doth　a　little　wand　That　bended　end　to　end；　and　started　from　man's　hand；　Far　off　itself　doth　cast；　so　does　that　Salmon　vault；　And　if；　at　first；　he　fail；　his　second　summersault　He　instantly　essays；　and；　from　his　nimble　ring　Still　yerking；　never　leaves　until　himself　he　fling　Above　the　opposing　stream。

This　Michael　Drayton　tells　you；　of　this　leap　or　summersault　of　the　Salmon。

And；　next；　I　shall　tell　you；　that　it　is　observed　by　Gesner　and　others；　that　there　is　no　better　Salmon　than　in　England；　and　that　though　some　of　our　northern　counties　have　as　fat；　and　as　large；　as　the　river　Thames；　yet　none　are　of　so　excellent　a　taste。

And　as　I　have　told　you　that　Sir　Francis　Bacon　observes；　the　age　of　a　Salmon　exceeds　not　ten　years；　so　let　me　next　tell　you；　that　his　growth　is　very　sudden：　it　is　said　that　after　he　is　got　into　the　sea；　he　becomes；　from　a　Samlet　not　so　big　as　a　Gudgeon；　to　be　a　Salmon；　in　as　short　a　time　as　a　gosling　becomes　to　be　a　goose。　Much　of　this　has　been　observed；　by　tying　a　riband；　or　some　known　tape　or　thread；　in　the　tail　of　some　young　Salmons　which　have　been　taken　in　weirs　as　they　have　swimmed　towards　the　salt　water；　and　then　by　taking　a　part　of　them　again；　with　the　known　mark；　at　the　same　place；　at　their　return　from　the　sea；　which　is　usually　about　six　months　after；　and　the　like　experiment　hath　been　tried　upon　young　swallows；　who　have；　after　six　months'　absence；　been　observed　to　return　to　the　same　chimney；　there　to　make　their　nests　and　habitations　for　the　summer　following；　which　has　inclined　many　to　think；　that　every　Salmon　usually　returns　to　the　same　river　in　which　it　was　bred；　as　young　pigeons　taken　out　of　the　same　dovecote　have　also　been　observed　to　do。

And　you　are　yet　to　observe　further；　that　the　He…salmon　is　usually　bigger　than　the　Spawner；　and　that　he　is　more　kipper；　and　less　able　to　endure　a　winter　in　the　fresh　water　than　the　She　is：　yet　she　is；　at　that　time　of　looking　less　kipper　and　better；　as　watry；　and　as　bad　meat。

And　yet　you　are　to　observe；　that　as　there　is　no　general　rule　without　an　exception；　so　there　are　some　few　rivers　in　this　nation　that　have　Trouts　and　Salmon　in　season　in　winter；　as　'tis　certain　there　be　in　the　river　Wye　in　Monmouthshire；　where　they　be　in　season；　as　Camden　observes；　from　September　till　April。　But；　my　scholar；　the　observation　of　this　and　many　other　things　I　must　in　manners　omit；　because　they　will　prove　too　large　for　our　narrow　compass　of　time；　and；　therefore；　T　shall　next　fall　upon　my　directions　how　to　fish　for　this　Salmon。

And；　for　that：　First　you　shall　observe；　that　usually　he　stays　not　long　in　a　place；　as　Trouts　will；　but；　as　I　said；　covets　still　to　g