THE NOHT1I OP ENGLAND. 113 



seasons of the year. They are all accessible by railway communi- 

 cation. The Coquet is the most celebrated, and has for more than 

 a century been a stream enjoying aristocratic and fashionable 

 notoriety as an angling locality. In former years, before the 

 fashion ran so strongly for distant Scottish rivers, the Coquet 

 used to be the annual rendezvous of all our London literary, 

 scientific, and political rod-fishers ; and even now there are more 

 anglers on its streams, and more fish taken out of them, including 

 the salmon-trout, than in any other half a dozen of chief rivers in 

 the northern counties of England. 



The river springs out of the south-western range of the Cheviot 

 Mountains, and has a range of nearly forty miles, all of which is 

 open water for the angler, with the exception of three or four 

 small sections of it; and these, even, are not very rigidly pre- 

 served. This freedom from constraint of every kind is a pleasur- 

 able element in piscatory recreations. The salmon fishery at the 

 mouth of the river belongs to the Duke of Northumberland, and 

 is let for a considerable yearly rent ; but we have never known any 

 angler called to account for capturing the salmon with the rod and 

 line, wherever he might be perambulating on the Coquet. There 

 are no artificial or natural obstructions for the free passage of the 

 fish from the sea to its highest waters, so that this noble fish can 

 always be found, in more or less abundance, in every section of its 

 waters. 



The river Coquet is a remarkably clear one, and often requires 

 fine tackle. Its trout are likewise very capricious and uncertain ; 

 some days you can get nothing, and on another twelve or fifteen 

 dozen may fall to your share. The trout here run small, and they 

 are likewise of very indiiferent quality. But for real sport, the 

 river, take it all in all, has few to equal it in England. 



The Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Berwick railway crosses ifc near 

 Warkworth, and the angler has then thirty miles of fine angling 

 streams before him ; this is a great facility. All kinds of flies are 

 used on the Coquet, but care should be taken as to the size of the 

 hook. This, however, depends much upon the state of the waters, 

 and the season of the year. Trolling has become quite the rage of 

 late years on this water ; and unquestionably the finest and largest 

 trout are taken by this means. 



The North Tyne is a first-rate water ; it joins the South Tyne a 

 little west of the town of Hexham. This southern branch is nearly 

 denuded of trout, from the effects of the lead mines situated on its 

 higher waters. There are none of these establishments on North 

 Tyne. The river is preserved in some few spots, but there are 

 large stretches of fine water open to all rod-fishers. Trolling has 

 here, too, become quite fashionable. All kinds of lightish winged 

 flies are suitable for summer fishing in this stream. 



The Aln passes Alnwick, the county town ; and there is a range 

 of about five miles of water open for all rod anglers. The New- 

 castle and Berwick railway crosses it near Bilton station, where the 



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