168 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



Longformacus Inn, on the Dye, which we will have 

 to notice afterwards, is the nearest place to the Fasney 

 where accommodation can be had. The very head of 

 the Whitadder is nearest to Haddington of any rail- 

 way station, from which town, however, Millknowe 

 is nine miles distant. 



We could not imagine five miles of finer water than 

 the Whitadder from the junction of the Fasney to the 

 junction of the Dye. Gravelly streams, with here and 

 there a rocky pool, where some aged predator lurks 

 secure, often of no mean weight, the gush of a little 

 rapid occasionally, that makes eddies just adapted for 

 fly, worm, or creeper, pretty bends and shallow by- 

 runs by the edge of grassy banks, into which, in the 

 hot summer days, dozens of trout crowd to watch for 

 food these are the characteristics of this stretch of 

 the Whitadder, while there are fish enough for a legion 

 of fishers daily. Nor is their size by any means con- 

 temptible : in a flood a large average may be attained 

 with minnow we have known Geordie Hamilton (of 

 whom anon) kill a three-pounder at Cranshaws, and 

 he used to say he knew where others of even larger 

 size had their haulds, from which he intended to ab- 

 stract them the first favourable day ; and a trout of a 

 pound weight, and several of half-a-pound, may al- 

 most be relied upon by any one who fishes the water 

 carefully with any of the other lures. We have heard 

 that about a mile of the Whitadder near Cranshaws is 

 supposed to be protected by Lord Aberdour ; but we 

 have never experienced any interruption, although we 

 have fished it frequently. This is the only point at 

 which there is even the suspicion of preserving in the 

 whole course of the Whitadder. 



