200 AN OPEN CREEL 



the sky was a little brighter, and the fish moved rather 

 better. I replaced the North-Country flies with a cast 

 consisting of a Brunton's fancy as leader, and a red 

 tag and sylph as droppers. The first-named fly proved 

 the most killing, and, indeed, for grayling it is hard 

 to beat anywhere. My biggest fish was one and a 

 quarter pounds, which I should say is a good grayling 

 for the Till, though I saw others here and there that 

 looked heavier. The rest, however, were small, none 

 of them exceeding three-quarters of a pound. My 

 friend, with the same variation of the green insect, 

 had some five brace, averaging about half a pound. 

 This would seem to be the standard size for Till 

 grayling in ordinary that is to say, bad circum- 

 stances. On a really good day the basket might 

 average three-quarters of a pound, and be well filled 

 at that. But no really good day fell to our lot. An 

 interval was spent in fruitless pursuit of back-end 

 salmon on the Tweed (one grilse failed to take a 

 small nondescript fly an exiguous measure of success 

 for three days' fishing), and then we returned to the 

 grayling in disgust. 



As we returned the wind arose in its might, and blew 

 all ways with equal vehemence, making grayling-fishing 

 a matter for ridicule. Also the clouds sat on the hills, 

 and so indirectly revealed to us another of Till's 

 methods of " drooning twae." When a cloud has 

 sat too long on a hill it bursts, and then " she " 

 comes suddenly round the corner (Till is a most 

 sinuous river), increased in stature by six feet, and 

 full of haystacks, cows, and other ill-gotten gains. So, 

 at least, said our informant. " You can hear her 



