THE TWEED ROB KERSS. 85 



kerstoun Trows is the name of a part of the Tweed 

 where the river has wrought a narrow way for itself 

 through the rock, and, as parts of the original stone 

 have proved too hard to be worn away, and remain 

 jutting up in the middle of the bed, the water foams, 

 and boils, and rushes round them with great fury, more 

 like the violent streams born of the Grampians than 

 the equable gladdener of Tweeddale.* The angler who 

 can play and bring to the gaff a new-run twenty- 

 pounder amongst the Trows may consider himself a 

 master in the craft. In Bob Kerss's time, leave of 

 fishing could be obtained in the Makerstoun-water for 

 payment to him as " guide, philosopher, and friend," 

 the fish being paid for at the current price, or left ; 

 and there were few days during the season on which 

 he had not somebody in his boat, or working a fly into 

 the eddies of the Trows, under his guidance. He was 

 a favourite with anglers of all classes with peer and 

 peasant alike ; and he preserved his self-respect, and 

 asserted his independent and original character, under 

 all circumstances. It is related that a sporting noble- 

 man was on one occasion angling from Rob's boat on 

 the upper part of the Makerstoun-water ; and, as the 

 day was favourable, he hooked and landed several fish 

 in succession. As each salmon was knocked on the 

 head, his lordship refreshed himself from his flask with 

 much self-gratulation, and returned it to his pocket 

 without offering it to the venerable fisherman. Rob 

 gloomily bore this unwonted treatment for some time, 

 but at last, seeing no prospect of amendment, he de- 



* A similarly contracted and rapid part of the Tweed near 

 Yair is called " Yair Trows." 



