EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 101 



would my lady-love. I wooed lier gently and 

 considerately, and never asked of her too mucli, 

 I never frightened her with vulgar, glaring, 

 overgrown buzzards or colours, or ruffled her 

 fair surface with strong cables, or shook great 

 glaring poles about her smiling face. Our rods 

 were wands, our tackle the gossamer's web, 

 our flies scarce more than midges ; and then, 

 pleased and enchanted with our entertainment, 

 left her to her soft repose, and never bored her 

 with too much attention, or called too soon 

 to inquire about her. 



Believe me, there is no such mistake made 

 in fishing, if you want a river to remain good, 

 as working at it every day. It does not answer 

 in a large river even, still less in a small one, 

 where every fly you cast in the water is seen 

 by every fish in it. I never fished the Black- 

 water two days running, except in very heavy 

 water. It would be better to give it two days' 

 rest for one of work, and in low water, and 

 when not fishing weather, to leave it alone 

 altogether. You may catch a fish ; but how 

 many do you scare ? Heaven defend me from 

 one of your very keen fishermen, who rushes 

 at a river in all weathers. I have as great a 

 horror of him as ever old Noll had of Sir Harry 

 Vane. "Why is it that a terra incognita in 



