Lippincott's Magazine, page 89 by Various Authors
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rd of our fish were of twenty pounds or over.
Yarrel, in his work on British fishes, says that in 1835 he saw 10 salmon in the London market weighing from 38 to 40 pounds each. Sir Humphry Davy is said to have killed a salmon in the Tweed that weighed 42 pounds: this was about 1825. The largest salmon ever seen in London was sold there in 1821: it weighed 83 pounds. But with diminished numbers the size of the salmon in Scottish waters has also diminished. In the Field newspaper for August and September, 1872, I find the following report of the fishing in some of those rivers: The Severn--average size of catch (considered very large) is 16 pounds; fish of 30, 40 and 50 pounds have been taken. The Tay--one rod, one day in August, 7 fish; average weight, 18 pounds. The Tweed--two rods, one day's fishing, 12 fish; average, 20 pounds. The Eaine--fish run from 12 to 20 pounds.
In Lloyd's book on the Sports of Norway we find the following reports of the salmon-fishing in that country, where the fish are supposed to be very large: In the river Namsen, Sir Hyde Parker in 1836 killed in one day 10 salmon weighing from 30 to 60 pounds. This is considered the best of the Norwegian rivers, both for number and size of fish. The Alten--Mr. Brettle in 1838 killed in fifteen days 194 fish; average, 15 pounds; largest fish, 40 pounds. Sir Charles Blois, the most successful angler, in the season of 1843 killed in the Alten 368 fish; average, 15 pounds: largest fish, 50 pounds. The Steenkjaw--one rod killed in twenty days 80 salmon; average, 14 pounds. The Mandall--one rod killed 35 fish in one day. The Nid--two rods killed in one day 19 fish; largest fish, 38 pounds.
The following records are from Canadian rivers prior to 1871: Moisie--two rods in twenty-five days, 318 fish; average 15-1/7 pounds; three largest, 29, 29 and 32 pounds. Godbout--three rods in forty days, 194 fish; average, 11-1/8 pounds; three largest, 18, 19 and 20 pounds. St. John--two rods in twenty-two days, 199 fish; average