138 THE SALMON 



calls ' the good season,' he killed in the Ness 120 fish, 

 weighing 972^ lb., and in the Tweed 180 fish, weighing 

 2,651 lb. Besides his salmon-fishing he was well 

 known as a trout-fisher, and a member of the Stock- 

 bridge club. He continued to enjoy his favourite 

 sport until the last. He came down as usual to Ness 

 House on August T, 1887, although he had suffered 

 severely from an illness at Stockbridge in the spring 

 and early summer. Arriving by midday, he fished that 

 afternoon and caught two fish. During the dry season 

 that followed there was little opportunity for fishing 

 but on Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3, he 

 caught nine fish, six of these on Saturday. It was 

 remarked of him that he never threw a better or 

 straighter line than on that Saturday ; but the over- 

 exertion and a chill proved too much for him. On 

 Sunday morning, Sept. 4, he was taken ill, and died 

 in twenty-four hours. His body lies in Ossington 

 churchyard, by the side of his brother Henry. 



I have often heard from his old friend the story 

 of his celebrated encounter with the salmon which 

 eventually defeated him after ten hours' hard work. 

 At six in the evening, on a Friday, in the Holm pool 

 in the Ness he hooked a salmon which he knew to be 

 of immense size. After one long and violent rush, 

 during which angler and gillie had the greatest diffi- 



