THE TWEED — KUTHERFORD- WATER. 81 



pools, among which at least a dozen and a half ex- 

 ceeded in weight one and a half pounds each, and as 

 many more were full pounders. I have more than 

 once taken trout there with the parr- tail that weighed 

 well on to three pounds. As an additional proof of its 

 superiority, as well as the esteem it is held in by the 

 anglers of Tweedside, I may mention that the majority 

 of the successful competitors belonging to the Teviot- 

 dale Fishing Club have achieved their triumphs within 

 its confines, and that the panniers produced on the 

 occasion of their club meetings, from this portion of 

 the Tweed, have generally excited admiration on ac- 

 count of the size and beauty of the trout contained in 

 them." Owing to the preserving spirit, however, there 

 is now some difficulty in the way of angling in Ruther- 

 ford-water. Some years ago, when Lord John Scott 

 and others became lessees of the Rutherford salmon- 

 Jishings, they gave a book to their keeper, and in- 

 structed him to allow only those persons to angle for 

 t?'outs who signed their names in it. Professor Low 

 and Mr. Spottiswoode, the succeeding lessees, continued 

 this practice ; but Mr. Brown, who now rents the fish- 

 ings, has improved upon it, and issues tickets giving 

 leave to angle, — any person who goes without one of 

 these tickets being turned away from the river-side. 

 That there is no mistake about Mr. Brown's assump- 

 tion of the right to prohibit trout-fishing, is clear from 

 the ticket being left blank, to be filled up (by the per- 

 son in Kelso who is empowered to do so) as giving 

 permission to fish for " salmon" or for " trout." We 

 believe that the lessee of these fishings has not the 

 remotest shadow of a right to impose any such restric- 



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