NORTHUMBERLAND 



bottom does it resemble the Lugg or the Teme. Like 

 these rivers, too, when it is absolutely forced, as in its 

 last mile or two, to travel through a gorge on a rocky- 

 bottom, it can play the part of a mountain river as 

 well as any. 



Like the Teme and the Lugg, too, the Till is a great 

 grayling stream. But the adjective in the Till's case 

 requires a deal of qualification. The difference indeed 

 between the two Welsh border rivers and this one is 

 interesting. The former are natural grayling streams 

 in which trout and grayling always flourished side by 

 side, with no perceptible clashing of interests. But 

 less than twenty years ago there was not a grayling 

 in the Till or anywhere near it. It was a very good 

 trout stream indeed. It is now crammed with grayling, 

 which were introduced, and the trouting is almost 

 worthless from below Chillingham down to Ford at 

 any rate. Worse still, the grayling run rather small — 

 three to the pound would, I think, be a flattering 

 estimate. StiU worse, they can hardly be called good 

 risers. Yet in its principal tributary, the Glen, which 

 runs in at Ewart park, and is also full of grayling, the 

 latter rise splendidly. There are two or three miles 

 of association fishing in the TiU below Wooler, at 

 which picturesque Cheviot town I once spent an 

 autumn month. It was a dry season, and consequently 

 perfect grayling weather. I frequently fished this 

 stretch as well as some private water below it with 

 fly — as pleasant and easy a river of its kind to fish as 

 you may find anywhere. I don't think I ever killed 

 ten at one venture, and sometimes my efforts were next 

 to useless though the river was stiff with fish. The 



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