LITTLE YAK ROW — THE MEGGAT. 115 



tho south, and is also well supplied with finny teiianis 

 of moderate size. 



The principal contributor to St. Mary's Loch is the 

 Meggat — which, indeed, although it enters the lower 

 loch, is entitled to be considered the true source of the 

 Yarrow, as its course is the longest, and its volume the 

 greatest, of any of the streams issuing from " the hills 

 whence classic Yarrow flows." It rises in Peebles- 

 shire, near the source of the Talla, and, aided by Win- 

 terhope and other burns, enters St. Mary's from the 

 north near Henderland. It is one of the most celebrated 

 of trouting-streams in the south of Scotland, has been 

 a favourite haunt of eminent fishers, and probably as 

 great feats have been performed in it as in any other 

 water. It has been recorded — we are unable to say 

 with what correctness — that a late famous Peeblean 

 angler captured nearly 100 lbs. in it with the worm in 

 one day ; and many anglers have often, long before the 

 day was done, found their baskets all too small for the 

 captives of their rod and of their line in the Meggat.* 

 In a summer flood, there is perhaps no limit to the 

 numbers that may be taken with the worm in the up- 



* Amongst the amusing exaggerations of the Nodes Amhro- 

 siajue, the Shepherd is on one occasion made to say— " Anither 

 day, in the Meggat, I caucht a cart-fu'. As it gaed down the road, 

 the kintra-folk thocht it Avas a cart-fu' o' herrins — for they were 

 a' preceesely o' ae size to an unce — and though we left twa dizzeii 

 at this house — and four dizzen at that house — and a gross at 

 Henderland — on countin' them at hame in the kitchen, Leezy 

 made them out forty dizzen, and Girzy forty-twa-aught; eae a 

 dispute ha'in arisen, and o' coorse a bet, we took the census 

 OHTe again, and may these be last words I shall ever speak, giu 

 they did na turn out to be Forty-Five ! " 



