SCOTCH RIVERS. — TWEED. 125 



Don I have seen salmon rise, and hooked 

 one, but never killed a fish. In the Spey I 

 enjoyed one of the best day's sport (perhaps 

 the very best) I ever had in my life : it was 

 in the beginning of September, in close time ; 

 the water was low, and as net fishing had 

 been given over for some days, the lower 

 parts were full of fish. By a privilege, which 

 I owe to the late Duke of Gordon, I fished 

 at this forbidden time, and hooked twelve 

 or thirteen fish in one day. One was above 

 oOlbs. who broke me by the derangement 

 of my reel. I landed seven or eight, — one 

 above 20 lbs. which gave me great play in 

 the rapids above the bridge. I returned to 

 the same spot in 1813, the year after ; the river 

 was in excellent order, and it was the same 

 time of the year, but just after a flood, — I 

 caught nothing ; the fish had all run up the 

 river ; the pools, where I had had such sport 

 the year before, were empty. I have fished 

 there since, with a like result, — but this was 

 before the 12th of August, the close day. 

 In the Sutherland and Caithness rivers, 

 many salmon, I have no doubt, may still be 



