lo6 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



tion of spleen — ^produced (who knows?) by the recollec- 

 tion of the contemptible preserving spirit that actuates 

 so many land-owners in Landerdale — we proceed to 

 our work ; but before leaving* Lauder we must pay a 

 passing tribute to one who is not a noble, but is, we 

 believe, something of a tinker, and a " gut-scraper" at 

 fairs.^ James Baillie of Lauder, however, is probably 

 the best fly-fisher in the world. We do not know that 

 he has much more book-learning than Archibald Bell- 

 the-Cat, nor are his abilities, either as tinker or fiddler, 

 much to be talked of; but for several months in the 

 year he is able, by a few hours' trout-fishing in the day, 

 to keep a wife and family, and can pick out from 12 to 

 20 pounds of fishy where most people would find a dif- 

 ficulty in getting any at all. He is weak in consti- 

 tution, and is afraid of cold, or of wetting his feet ; so 

 he usually devotes only the forenoon to the Leader or 

 the Gala. But necessity has sharpened his angling fa- 

 culties, and so perfected his skill, that in that time he 

 can fill his basket. Whether he really was the first to 

 find out the advantages of fly-fishing up-stream, we do 

 not know ; but it is certain that he is the most efiicient 

 practiser of the method, and we believe that he gave 

 the hint to Stewart, who has, after i>ersonally testing its 

 benefits, brought it out in the volume from which we 

 have made so many quotations. There are two brothers 

 of the name of Dryden, of Hawick, who rival James as 

 anglers, but not in the department of fly-fishing ; — we 

 believe, indeed, that he hardly practises any other 

 mode. Casting up-stream, with carefully " waled"' gut, 

 and flies dressed lightly upon the hook, Ja,mes Baillie 

 is unsurpassed. 



