SALMON RUN
Salmon and sea-trout are again reported running up-river in the flood here in extra- ordinary numbers. There have never been so many in the pools, I am told. Years of plenty freshen old men's memories in the villages along the valley to recall days before records were kept and fish could be taken with a pitch- fork. 'Oh, it wass so, man,' they say. 'The old cows couldn't drink for salmon, and we used to feed fish to the pigs.' Yesterdays always held famine and fabulous plenty, or the tales wouldn't be worth telling. Yesterday, one knows, the river changed course at nearly every flood and had its share of pollution. The modern river flows quickly and its level falls faster than it might, but, by way of com- pensation, spawning is almost a nursery affair, and countless smolts that go down return as grilse in record numbers.
Previous page
