The salmon, swimming near the surface, as is their custom,
run their heads through these meshes, and are prevented from going
on through by their larger girth of body, and from going back
because of their gills, which catch in the mesh. It requires two
fishermen to set such a net,--one to row the boat, while the other,
standing in the stern, carefully pays out the net. When it is all
out, stretching directly across the stream, the men make their boat
fast to one end of the net and drift along with it.
As we came upon the fleet of law-breaking fishermen, each boat two
or three hundred yards from its neighbors, and boats and nets
dotting the river as far as we could see, Charley said:
"I've only one regret, lad, and that is that I have'nt a thousand
arms so as to be able to catch them all. As it is, we'll only be
able to catch one boat, for while we are tackling that one it will
be up nets and away with the rest."
As we drew closer, we observed none of the usual flurry and
excitement which our appearance invariably produced.
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