THE TWEED THE CROOK. 51 



the more enjoy the snug shelter of the Crook, and the 

 sunny uplands of Tweedsmuir, where the prevailing 

 winds are from the soft south and west. He may then 

 stretch himself by the linns of Tala without fear of 

 rheumatism, and think of the days when the perse- 

 cuted people took refuge there amongst the rocks he 

 may splash through the water without wading-boots. 

 nor fear to venture over the moss-hags in search of 

 Gameshope Loch or Loch Skene. 



The trout of hill-burns are always black in colour 

 and poor in condition ; but they are also ravenous and 

 easily caught, if the angler only keeps out of sight. 

 What are properly hill-burns are too narrow for fly- 

 fishing, and can only be fished by dropping a worm 

 into them over a heather-bush. Uncomely are the in- 

 habitants of these waters, and seldom of large size, but 

 they are numerous and unsuspicious. Indeed, wherever 

 water flows in Scotland, it may be predicated that there 

 are trout. We have picked them out of mere holes in 

 moors and hill-sides that had no visible communication 

 with any stream, the water from them percolating 

 through the peat-moss. Of course there would be a 

 run of water there after heavy rain ; and during these 

 temporary floods trout would ascend into the isolated 

 pools, leading hermit lives until another spate gave 

 them an opportunity of returning, if they chose, to 

 the haunts of their species. We can hardly commend 

 the sport usually obtainable in hill-burns, although, 

 when the water is coloured, large quantities may readily 

 be taken in the most unlikely places. It is amusing 

 enough, however, for the passing angler to devote aii-i 

 hour occasionally to pulling out caricatures of the 



