FAREWELL FEAST OF ANGLING CLUB. 197 



WINTERHOPE-BURN. MEGGAT- WATER. 



It was a glorious day for stream-angling. The 

 fountains of the hills were gushing over every cavity 

 was charged with water. How full and how finely 

 coloured was Winterhope-burn ! All of its finny 

 dwellers were astir ! The first fall of our flies decided 

 our fortune. We moved at half a mile's distance from 

 each other. It would have been folly to have angled 

 closer, especially along the upper part of the stream, 

 which, although divided into fine promising pools, is 

 still narrow and easily traversed. Lower down, it 

 widens up considerably, and when meeting with 

 Meggat-water, which it does after a run of two or 

 three miles, offers, when in a swollen state, ample 

 room for the closer exercise of two rods. 



The weather had now greatly improved ; there 

 was a glimpse of blue sky over-head, and one of the 

 hills at a distance was covered with sun-gleams. 

 It was milder and calmer. The day's creation of 

 flies was abroad some of them skimming the air, 

 and others, less secure, the margin of the pools. 

 Nimbly and eagerly the trout rose, not in single- 

 ness but by pairs, darting at our deceitful hooks 

 without caution or forethought. We hollo'd to 

 each other on the capture of every fresh dozen, and 

 frequently was our note of exultation repeated. 

 The contents of our creels increased rapidly, and 



