SMOLTS IN THE TEVIOT. 157 



the hook from its mouth, he ought to pull the smolt 

 out as quickly as he likes, but not with a jerk that 

 may involve the risk of killing or seriously injuring it, 

 should it foil on a stone. 



" Take it up tenderly, 

 Lift it with care, 

 Fashioned so slenderly 

 Young and so fair;" 



and return it gently to the water, hoping that it may 

 be your luck in the future, if not to kill it, at least to 

 pay your " devours" to it as a grilse or salmon at some 

 friendly board or Tweedside " kettle." 



The lower part of the Teviot, from the mouth of the 

 Jed downwards to near Roxburgh, is decidedly the best 

 part of the river for trouting. The trout are larger 

 than in the upper streams, and, although capricious, 

 by the use of the finest gut and lightly-made flies of 

 the more sober hues, or of well-scoured worms in sum- 

 mer, bountiful returns for skill and labour may often 

 be obtained. Roxburgh station receives the angler ex- 

 actly at the part of the river where it is most desirable 

 to begin — and, according to the arrangement of the 

 trains, about seven hours fishing may be obtained in 

 the Teviot by any one leaving Edinburgh in the mor- 

 ning and returning to it at night. 



In all the still pools below Mounteviot — from ponds 

 at which they are said originally to have come — there 

 are considerable numbers of pike ; which, unlike these 

 fish in most lochs or other rivers, take readily in early 

 spring, and probably throughout almost the whole 

 year. They are of good quality as compared with most 

 river-pike, and were at one time increasing so rapidly 



