THE USE OF THE CLEIK 153 



It must be owned that fish may occasionally be 

 caught in turbid, and even full water ; but then 

 it must be by a perfect change of system. At 

 such a time the strong streams and usual salmon 

 casts are useless ; and you must throw in the easy 

 cheeks near the land, and in the tails of the streams, 

 where the fish rest in travelling. In this way I once 

 caught five salmon in the Pavilion-water from off 

 the shore, unattended even by a man with a cleik ; 

 whilst my friend, who fished above me in the finest 

 streams in the water, with a boat and all appliances 

 and means to boot, did not rise a single fish ; not 

 from want of skill — for it was Lord Somerville — 

 but simply because the salmon did not lie in their 

 usual seats. 



A word or two I will now say about the 

 management of the cleik, which, although it seems 

 simple enough, requires some address. Take care, 

 most worthy attendant — for it is to you I speak — 

 that in the effervescence of your zeal you steer clear 

 of the line, and that after you have struck the fish 

 you tow him steadily to the shore ; and I beg, sir, 

 to caution you, and just merely to hint, that if you 

 attempt one of your flourishes, and try to do all at 

 one rapid jerk, you will have decidedly the worst of it. 

 There must be two motions — a strike, and a haul. 



By way of illustration, I must tell you of a 

 gentleman who came to visit me whilst I lived on 

 the banks of the Tay, and was desirous of seeing a 

 salmon caught before he returned to the South ; 

 so I launched my boat and set to work. Now on 

 these pressing occasions one has commonly a blank 

 day, instead of a show-off: not so, however, in the 



