New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-06
SCANDINAVIAN SPORT.
Half a Century of Hunting and
Fishing in Norscay.

Pottinger Bart With thirty-three illus5raton nT
from original drawings ano photosdd9 SphS' a.
two volumes. Svo. pp XII, 2Ss; Yll go Aois
mans Green & CO.
II was nearly fifty years ago that Sir Henry
Pottinger made his first excursion TO norway
fishing down the Tana River; and since tnen
he has been q constant and enthusiastic V4sltoF
to the country and the lessee OF extensive Ash
ing and game rights in various parts Of the
Scandinavian peninsula. The present volume,
made ND of his contributions TO periodicals. and
now largely rewritten and revised. covers the
entire period of his sporting activity among
The fiords and forests of the north, but
deals more particularly with what might be
termed his pioneer experiences. Sir Henry 8
fondness for Norway is based on its opportuni-
ties for wild, or rough, shooting. and for fishing
in uupreserved waters. The increasing popu-
Iarity Of the region and the consequent influx
Of sportsmen have accordingly driven him
farther and farther afield in search Of little
known and less frequented spots, where he could
enjoy the fun of camping out, exploring. angling.
shooting and the other pleasures Of the w1lds
undisturbed and unrestricted
It is difficult TO believe that the pscatorial raid
of Englishmen on Norwegian rivers did not be-
gin before 1880. But such, the author assures
us, is the fact, and to Sir Hyde Parker he gives
the credit Of being the first Briton to throw a
line in those waters The matter is of interest,
since from the casting OF that line dates the
great and increasing prosperity which Norway
enjoys under the friendly invasion whereby the
Anglo-Saxon requites the raids OF the old Morse
rovers." Indeed, in the early SOS, that
same pioneer fisherman declared, Eat present it
is not altogether easy to command a first class
stream. I consider the game nearly UP,
at least for an old one like me, and not worth
going the distance" And that was before the
present writer had even visited the land that
was 10 afford him so many summers of exhila-
rating sport. Sir Henry, Of course, had had more
resources, in his fondness for the chase than his
predecessor, who was a devotee of the rod alone.
He is also OF a more open minded disposition.
and can rejoice in the benefit that Norway,
which has given him so much pleasure. receives
from the throngs OF annual visitors, who never
theless drive him ever into more remote dis
tric.s. He writes:
Valleys which remember in my youth as almost
poverty stricken have boomea INTO Prospe III
have rented the sporting rights small roadside sta
IONA U IncTees es yearly In the Bergen dis
trict alone expenditure of tourists amounts in
good season to 100000 kroner; it has been quite
Recently calculated that single Anglo Norwegian
fishing association leaves behind It llo0"O Kroner
are the part evenly divided among the local
population
THE author writes nationally ana without
nrefudice about the best means of catching sal
mon. and ventures the heterodox but reasonable
opinion that there is "a good deal Of false sentl-
-nent talked and written about the use or the
Av" He says truly that by speaking of wings
bodv. tail and so forth. you can keep up the
action that the feathered hook is fly, but you
might as wen call II a bird. It is simply
.can+Iass and tasteless lure, like nothing IN
nature. and no one knows for what the salmon
+ot,as q Certainly not for flying insect 1t
.. +bA casting only which ennObles its use above
4ha. ~ other lines He contends that there are
thar stvles Of angling which are quite as legitl-
,,.+a on OCCASION and quite as artistic FOR
= nvndred men who can throw fly decently
-. continues "there is not one who KNOWS now
IN handle a spinning rod on river bank over
-, with rough heritage" And ne holds tnat
q ,oaan skill Is required in the correct working
~ "tbat deadly lure the prawn. "hlch Is aiIer
-, or1x, a so-caIied salmon fly In the flesh ap-
-, to the piscine senses of smell and taste
as well as vision
Manu- practical hints in regard TO campus
80. arc also incidentally conveyed. In particular
=. ev-Iodes the theory that 1t Is Important IL
-..-,o,a q tent with q trench to carry on the
-,rota- an rainy weather. No experienced camper
.ooanta this constantly reiterated theory or "1
7t takes the trouble TO put IL IN practice'
g. .,a heneht of those who may be niisieu ~
49,. ad,,,ca SO universally rendered only 10 Ai'N
thevnsslves flooded out of their peds SOME ol --s
riob+ II is worth while to print sir aeii' 2