NORTHUMBERLAND 



the moss. Both are equally clear in normal weather, 

 for the South Tyne, too, comes down from clear 

 uplands, but like the Wear is slightly if not visibly 

 tainted by various mines and works scattered along 

 its lower course, though its Arcadian quaHties and 

 sometimes striking valley scenery are but little affected. 

 At any rate it is an infinitely inferior trout and 

 salmon river to its amber-tinted twin sister. 



In company with a friend, I once fished the South 

 Tyne for a whole day under the most superb conditions 

 of wind and water. The woods, the rocks, the perfect 

 colour of the buoyant stream, the tempered sunshine, 

 the balmy air coupled with our own sanguine natures 

 kept us from flagging. At the close of the day we had, 

 I think, about half a dozen small trout between us. 

 To be sure it was in August, and much must be forgiven 

 that ill-omened month, but I always think of it as one 

 of the pleasantest blank days I ever had. I have no 

 doubt that if we had been up in the higher waters in 

 Allandale we should have killed some fish, but I am 

 talking now of the big river, not of its tributaries nor 

 again of its own infant gambols in the hills. I had had 

 my doubts, to be sure, of the class of river at such a 

 season, despite its fair appearance. But my friend, 

 hailing from a far south-western county, where trout 

 rise after a flood at any and all seasons, egged me on. 

 He added, I expect, to his store of experience I Our 

 luncheon hour upon a pleasant shingly beach with a 

 fine, woody cliff confronting us across the deHcious 

 swirls of the deceptive river was enlivened by the 

 company of a local salmon fisher, obviously a gentle- 

 man-at-large. He stood beside us for a long while 



301 



