THE TWEED INNERLEJTHEN. 61 



Innerleithen, popularly believed to be the St. Konan's 

 of Sir Walter Scott's novel, is six miles below Peebles, 

 a convenient distance for a day's angling, or it may be 

 reached by an omnibus which runs between it and the 

 Peebles railway- station. It possesses a spa-well, and 

 is a delightful summer resort for invalids. The invalid 

 angler could hardly, indeed, desire a more suitable 

 retreat. There is medicinal water if he wants it, quiet 

 and charming scenery, the Tweed, the Leithen, and 

 the Quair, for the exercise of his rod. We would 

 hardly, however, recommend it to the angler who is in 

 good health. Innerleithen is a 'manufacturing village 

 as well as a watering-place, and its inhabitants are 

 not only inveterate anglers, but we fear we must add 

 inveterate netters. There are about five miles of ex- 

 cellent fishing-water in the Tweed between Peebles 

 and Innerleithen, but for a mile or two on each side 

 of the latter place, the trouts are not very numerous, 

 and besides have far too much experience and know- 

 ledge of gut and feathers to be very easily enticed. 

 Still the skilful angler may overcome these drawbacks 

 so much the more does he deserve honour ; but as 

 a rule, we should recommend him to avoid watering- 

 places, and for ourselves personally we would rather, 

 while angling, cultivate the society of the lower orders 

 of creation, than even of " man made in God's image," 

 especially when he is in the shape of a cockney with 

 a rod in his hand who has gone splashing down a 

 stream before us. It is an illustration, however, of 

 the beneficent fitnesses of things that pervade the 

 universe, that your cockney seldom or never fishes in 

 a burn, and seems satisfied with any sheet of water in 



