224 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



In sunning, as in burning, begin at the lower 

 part of the river that belongs to you, so that you 

 may again come across those fish that escape 

 upwards, and may not go beyond your water ; and 

 you will have a more successful day of it, if you 

 wait till your neighbour below has sunned his 

 water. If the river continues low for some time, 

 disturbed fish will be continually coming forward, 

 and you may go over your water two or three times 

 at different periods, till you have caught nearly 

 every fish that takes up his seat in it. 



If a salmon gets off your leister wounded, being 

 weak, you may be sure he will go down the river ; 

 and the eels will come out instantly, if it be hot 

 weather, and follow the blood : if the fish is badly 

 wounded, although not dead, the said eels will soon 

 settle the matter, and eat out his flesh, leaving the 

 skin alone for speculators to make mermaids with. 1 

 You will see the eels by dozens hanging thick on 

 him like the sticks in a bundle of faggots ; but they 

 are too small to be taken with a salmon spear, and 

 do not resemble the fine silver eels in the Kennet 

 and some of our English streams, but are browner 

 in colour, and have large heads. The Scotch have 

 a strong antipathy to them, and never use them 

 for food. But they should be removed from the 

 river if possible, as they make great havoc in the 

 spawning beds. 



This information having been briefly given, Mr. 



1 Some people will remember an exhibition of this sort many years 

 ago in St. James's Street, in London. It was very ingeniously con- 

 structed, though far from alluring. It was placed under a glass, and 

 created some sensation amongst the naturalists, as mermaids ought 

 to do. 



