WADING GEAR 117 



salmon in the evening. This I thought good 

 sport, as partridges are scarce by the river side. 



I rented various houses and large fisheries on 

 Tweed -side for about twenty years after this, 

 remaining there not only during the summer 

 months, but sometimes all the year round except 

 close time ; so that my experience reaches to all 

 the methods of catching salmon during the legal 

 time of the year. I shall now proceed to give as 

 good an idea as I can of the sort of thing to be 

 expected by those who are inclined to follow the 

 same amusement, together with such instructions 

 as I would fain hope may increase their success. 

 And, first, for wading. 



Wading in the water is not only an agreeable 

 thing in itself, but absolutely necessary in some 

 rivers in the North that are destitute of boats ; and 

 that you may do this in the best possible style, 

 procure half a dozen pair of shoes, with large knob- 

 nails at some distance asunder : if they are too 

 close, they will bring your foot to an even surface, 

 and it will glide off a stone or rock, which in deep 

 water may be inconvenient. Cut some holes in 

 the upper-leathers of your shoes, to give the water 

 a free passage out of them when you are on dry 

 land ; not because the fluid is annoying, for we 

 should wrong you to say so, but to prevent the 

 pumping noise you would otherwise make at every 

 step. If you are not much of a triton, you may 

 use fishermen's boots, and keep yourself dry : it is 

 all a matter of taste. When you are wading 

 through the rapids, step on quickly and boldly, and 

 do not gaze down on the stream after the fashion 



