54 ANGLING Gf ART IN SCOTLAND 



castle of Earlston, standing back on the left bank 

 amongst a cluster of trees — a castle said to have 

 been built by the Earl of Bothwell on the domain 

 presented to him by Queen Mary. This domain 

 of Earlston gives its name to the Linn : for here 

 the river, foaming amongst fantastic rocks, forms 

 a fine cascade and passes through a solemn, 

 narrow gorge, with towering cliffs on either hand, 

 to create a succession of deep, dark pools. A 

 good many salmon lie in these pools, and occa- 

 sionally one may be tempted to rise in the tail 

 of the last — just where the water shallows, before 

 flowing into the rapids beyond. 



How a salmon loves to lie at the very extremity 

 of a pool ! there is always hope for the angler 

 until his fly has passed over into the water 

 below. Somehow, I fancy, a salmon rises with 

 greater vigour when so situated — at least that is 

 what I have observed within the narrow limits 

 of my experience — as though he were afraid the 

 fly might escape into the rugged water beneath, 

 causing him to come up with a great " boil," like 

 a huge trout, most glorious to behold. 



Fish also rise fairly frequently at several 

 points in the slow-flowing water which passes 



