162 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



the Dye, which we will have to notice afterwards, is 

 the nearest place to the Fasney where accommodation 

 can be had. The very head of the Whitadder is nearest 

 to Haddington of any railway station, — from which 

 town, however, Millknow is nine miles distant. 



We could not imagine five miles of finer water than 

 the Whitadder from the junction of the Fasney to the 

 junction of the Dye. Gravelly streams, with here and 

 there a rocky pool, where some aged predator lurks 

 secure, often of no mean weight, — the gush of a little 

 rapid occasionally, that makes eddies just adapted for 

 fly, worm, or creeper, — pretty bends and shallow by- 

 runs by the edge of grassy banks, into which, in the hot 

 summer days, dozens qf trout crowd to watch for food 

 — these are the characteristics of this stretch of the 

 Whitadder, while there are fish enough for a legion of 

 fishers daily. Nor is their size by any means con- 

 temptible : in a flood a large average may be attained 

 with minnow — we have known Geordie Hamilton (of 

 whom anon) kill a three-pounder at Cranshaws, and 

 he used to say he knew where others of even larger 

 size had their haulds, from which he intended to ab- 

 stract them the first favourable day ; and a trout of a 

 pound weight, and several of half-a-pound, may almost 

 be relied upon by any one who fishes the water care- 

 fully with any of the other lures. We have heard 

 that about a mile of the Whitadder near Cranshaws is 

 supposed to be protected by the Marquis of Abercom, 

 but we have never experienced any interruption, al- 

 though we have fished it frequently. This is the only 

 point at which there is even the suspicion of preserving 

 in the whole course of the Whitadder. 



