32 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



through a small portion of the water, and the greater 

 part through the air ; when he brings himself down 

 nearly to the trout's level, the line of vision has to pass 

 obliquely through a quantity of water before it rises, 

 so that though he may be full in view, probably the 

 trout cannot see so far through a medium so dense. 

 Next in importance to concealment of himself, is con- 

 cealment of his tackle, and, to effect this, we shall 

 only advise him to use the very finest stained gut that 

 he can procure, and to drop his flies as gently upon 

 the water as he may. 



Kespecting flies, we must recommend our readers to 

 the Kelso, Sprouston, or Edinburgh tackle-makers. 

 The best authorities on Scotch angling are dead 

 against the English practice of carrying about an ar- 

 tificial entomological museum in a pocket-book, and 

 restrict the flies that may be used with advantage to 

 a very limited number. Red, black, dun, and mottled 

 spiders, made of soft hackles the hair-lug body with 

 wood- cock or greyish wing a yellow-bodied fly, with 

 a brown wing and slight hackle the march-brown 

 (most serviceable in the Tweed) and a few others, all 

 of sober hue, afford sufficient variety for border-angling. 

 Fly-fishing commences in March although, no doubt, 

 trouts will sometimes take the fly in February ; but 

 it is not until about the beginning of April that they 

 begin to recover from the effects of spawning and of 

 the spare diet of winter. In few rivers, indeed, are 

 they in good condition until the end of that month. 

 Flies for the early part of the season should be large, 

 dressed upon No. 10 of Bartlett's or No. 3 of Addling- 

 ton's hooks, and if the waters are discoloured they may 



