AMONG THE BORDER STREAMS 203 



except in the wild glen burns, which rage down 

 without an eddy, and sometimes entirely change 

 their channel in the course of a single flood. There, 

 they are thrown out by sheer violence. I have 

 seen the rain-bearing winds blowing down one of 

 these glens, without touching the sources of the 

 main stream. The burn rose rapidly, and swept 

 along "acres braid," entering the unsuspecting 

 Tweed, flowing placidly along at summer level, 

 with the fierce and bristling aspect of a wild 

 boar. 



The brown changes into wine colour, suitable 

 for the minnow, and then resumes its neutral 

 shade. But the increased volume, and scoured bed 

 are favourable for a few days' fly-fishing. 



The first autumn flood is always an event, for, 

 with it, is expected the first run of sea fish. 



The bull-trout rush up in such immense numbers 

 as to choke the smaller tributaries, where it is 

 sometimes almost possible to scoop them out with 

 the hand. There has even been a proposal to net 

 the Whiteadder to give salmon a chance of entering. 

 This is, probably, only the ordinary salmon trout, 

 with certain local peculiarities. Its grilse stage 

 is known as the phinoc or hireling. And I have 

 frequently hooked it in a younger stage, along 



