222 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



stern : the sculls of horses are in high repute for 

 this service ; and I dare say a stuffed otter would 

 be excellent, though I never tried it. 



When you think you have created sufficient 

 terror by these means, you may look about for the 

 fish, and the sport begins. You may manage your 

 boat with the leister, as in burning by night, of 

 which hereafter : but you do not, as in that case, 

 necessarily work her broadside in front ; and one 

 artist is sufficient for the amusement, though more 

 may partake of it. If the leisterer knows the water 

 well, he puts the boat gently over the rocks and 

 stones, where the fish endeavour to conceal them- 

 selves. Sometimes they get under a large stone 

 and are entirely hidden ; generally they are partially 

 concealed under smaller stones, part of the body 

 and tail only being seen ; so that it requires some 

 dexterity to strike them properly, or indeed at all. 

 Some will lie under the shelf of a rock quite open 

 to the view ; in which case you must be careful, 

 when you strike, that a prong of the leister does 

 not rest upon the ledge of a rock above, instead of 

 on the salmon. Others I have seen lying fair and 

 open in the bare channel ; but these will not lie to 

 the leister so well as those in the situations I have 

 mentioned. If you do not strike a fish near the 

 centre of his body, you are never very sure of lifting 

 him. The late Staffa, before he came to his title, 

 was once sunning the Pavilion-water with John 

 Lord Somerville, and perceiving that the fisherman 

 in their boat had struck a salmon that was likely to 

 get off the spear when he might attempt to lift 

 him, in the true spirit of a Highlander, and without 



