Salmonia; Or, Days of Fly Fishing: In a series of conversations. With some account of the habits of fishes belonging to the genus SalmoDavy, Humphry, Sir
Philosophy
Salmonia; Or, Days of Fly Fishing: In a series of conversations. With some account of the habits of fishes belonging to the genus Salmo
Davy, Humphry, Sir
Fishing
has four spines more, which, I think, enables it to turn with more
rapidity. You will find at dinner, that, fried or roasted, he is a good
fish. His flesh is white, but not devoid of curd; and though rather
softer than that of a trout, I have never observed in it that
_muddiness_, or peculiar flavour, which sometimes occurs in trout, even
when in perfect season.
I shall say a few words more on the habits of this fish. The hucho, as
you have seen, preys with great violence, and pursues his object as a
foxhound or a greyhound does. I have seen them in repose: they lie like
pikes, perfectly still, and I have watched one for many minutes, that
never moved at all. In this respect their habits resemble those of most
carnivorous and predatory animals. It is probably in consequence of
these habits, that they are so much infested by lice, or leeches, which
I have seen so numerous in spring as almost to fill their gills, and
interfere with their respiration, in which case they seek the most rapid
and turbulent streams to free themselves from these enemies. They are
very shy, and after being hooked avoid the baited line. I once saw a
hucho, for which I was fishing, follow the small fish, and then the lead
of the tackle; it seemed as if _this_ had fixed his attention, and he
never offered at the bait afterwards. I think a hucho, that has been
pricked by the hook, becomes particularly cautious, and possesses, in
this respect, the same character as the salmon. In summer, when they are
found in the roughest and most violent currents, their fins
(particularly the caudal fin) often appear worn and broken; at this
season they are usually in constant motion against the stream, and are
stopped by no cataract or dam, unless it be many feet in height, and
quite inaccessible. In the middle of September I have caught huchos
perfectly clean in rapid cool streams, tributary to the Laybach and the
Sava rivers; and, from the small developement of their generative system
at this time, I have no doubt that they spawn in spring. On the 13th of
September, 1828, I caught, by spinning the dead small fish, three
huchos, that had not a single leech upon their bodies, and they were the
first fish of the kind I ever saw free from these parasites.
ORN.—I am so much pleased with my good fortune in catching this fish,
that I shall try all day to-morrow with the bait, for more of the same
kind.
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