220 HAKLING. 



before close time, when the loss of fish off the hook is 

 immaterial, as far as regards future sport. 



Ill the Tay, and some other large rivers, there is 

 another method of fishing with a fly in full water, which 

 is called Harling. Two rods are laid in the bottom of 

 a boat, and hang over the stern, with a large fly attached 

 to each line. The boatman then rows against the 

 stream to the right and left of the river in a zigzag 

 direction, but still letting the boat fall gradually down 

 the river, so that he passes over no fish that have not 

 previously seen the flies. The rower judges his pace by 

 the objects on the banks. When fish rise they hook 

 themselves. Those who practise this method are ge- 

 nerally fishermen who have been working the previous 

 night, and like it because they have not the fatigue of 

 holding or throwing the rod. They fancy, also, that 

 having two flies, they have a double advantage ; but 

 this is a deception, because both flies follow each other 

 in the same direction. Without much fear of contra- 

 diction, I pronounce this same harling to be a most 

 prodigiously stupid method of proceeding, and little su- 

 perior to setting night lines. I tried it once in the Tay, 

 but no more harlins; for me. To do the Tweed folks 

 justice, I never saw it practised there ; and I can only 

 recommend it to those liberal persons who wish to drive 

 the salmon from their own waters to those of theu' neigh- 

 bours above. 



What, alas ! becomes of the beautiful wielding of the 

 rod, thrown (albeit heavy, and difficult to manage) with 

 a grace and dexterity that indicates no exertion, the fly 

 not falling like a four-and-twenty pounder, but just 



