The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-16
LURING HERLINGS BY THE SCORE.
Some Notes Of q Lover Of Fishing In English
Rivers.


Rivers.
A letter which l have just received from
an angling friend on the banks Of the AMMAN
speaks Of the first run OF herling to that
delectable river. Time was when this
word used to puzzle me. A -herling"
conveyed to the mind a fab OF tho migra-
tory order. but that was all; and a reference
to a bulky dictionary did not help me in
determining the species. This wa in the
days when the herring rivers Of the North
and the sewin streams Of Wales were I'M
known to me. Gays a writer in the London
Erening STANDARD and 81. jones Gazette.
Since then l have roved many a day by
Amman Water and lured behring's by tho
score. and during my wanderings in Wales
/ have learned many things about SEWN
and their ways.
A herring is a creature Of Joy and mys-
terry which spends several months Of every
year in fresh water 1t 10 the grilse Of the
sea trout Of Scotland. varying In weight
from half a pound to one pound and bear
ing q close likeness to its relative the sal
mon. This restless migrant Of the sea 10
now making its adventurous way up the
rivers Of Dumfriesshire and the bonnie
streams Of Galloway, urged by that wan
der passion which sei1es IL In the summer
season. Among fab there lie no greater
explorer than the sea trout. unless We ex-
cept the salmon. But a herring will ascend
the smallest burns in time Of spate and
venture into moorland reaches where a
salmon would fear to swim.
When the herring are running at Amman
there are always four or five fishermen on
the town bridge Watching the leaps and gym
nastio antics Of these light hearted fish.
A brown trout is staid in comparison to a
herring. The joy of life is symboiized by
this Grant fish in it's silver armor. with
rainbow CLEANS on the scales. and not even
the salmon In its exuberanoe Upon reach
ing q ~favorite pool gambols more playfully
than the herring up from the estuary.
As the tide comes up at Amman past the
little feet Of shrimp trawlers and rises to
within a foot or so Of the weir below the
bridge the herring swim in shoals and
ascend without showing their forms. But
when in the pool above they begin to
sport and here and there they rise to the
surface. making rings OF the water. or
throw themselves a couple Of feet into
the air. II is one Of the vagaries OF the
herring that it will rarely accept an arti-
fetal fly or a bait when the salt flood min
giles with the fresh water. AS soon as the
tide begins to creep up. from the Solway
every fisherman goes above the bridge to
q point where the flow Is not felt.
It has been proved that sea trout ascend
the river in which they were born for the
process Of spawning after a sojourn in
tidal waters. There is little doubt that
the herring possesses q very complete
knowledge OF a stream when 1t has spent
800 sn ta vNAIn Gpxnnnaa ta 1
herring fishing depends largely, therefore.
the anglers acquaintance with the runs"
and pools to which the fish chiefly resort.
In time Of spate the case is altered. for
then the herring m up the river in big
in the stream. I
The SEWN. or Welsh sea trout, has been
ella ssi1ed by some writer's as O distinct
species and labelled sSalmo Oambicus."
As I have newer had q herring and a sewin
In my basket at the same time I have been
Unable, no, 70 o 81 6issIm Sns w't are inc not o, ys1y
marked. And In their habits the two fish
are much alike. both being restless and
adventurous. Brithyll y NOR is the native
for the sewin Of the Conway. Glaslyn.
Dewey and Towy, and it asoends nearly
every river OF the principally along the
line. Il
Why the SEWN Of the Dee are captured
30 ~infrequently while those Of the Dewey
and Towy take the fly or spinning minnow
eagerness is q problem that I have
never been able to fathom. Only onoe
have I caught a sea trout from the Dee
and that was in winter. out Of season. while
was fishing for grayllng above Corwen. 1t
q lanky fish Of about two pounds.
The fly fisher for herring or SEWN should
remember that these fish are now az vary
and educated as brown trout n that the
Of filing a creel are extremely re-
unless tho river has been fiushed with
food water. For day fishing In clear water
trout flies and a fine cast should be
used. Larger and brighter flies and a
stronger cast may be employed after
a spate or for night fishing.
In a dry season the fisherman who pur-
sues herring or sewin In the lower lengths
of a river stands q better chance than the |
one who is stationed by the upper reaches,
because Just above the tide point there are
hsh awaiting a flood 10 enable them
to ascend. The best hour Of the day 10 ,
when the sun is sinking behind the hills
and the sea trout begin TO glide out Of their
harbors. '