PREFACE xxv 



began to reflect a little ; and although at first I 

 could not help thinking my gentleman some- 

 what hasty, yet I came to the conclusion that he was 

 partly, if not entirely, in the right. So I began to 

 listen a little to reason, and contracted my plan, 

 resolving to treat on Salmon Fishing alone, as it is 

 practised in the Tweed ; for although various 

 authors have written some pages on the sport, yet 

 I am not aware that any one has as yet gone far into 

 the subject, or given any precepts, or treated of the 

 various methods available to the sportsman of 

 killing these valuable animals in the rod-fisher's 

 part of a river throughout the whole of the lawful 

 season. This I have attempted to do in the following 

 pages, having had more than twenty years' practice 

 in that border river alone, above twelve miles of 

 which I rented at different periods. 



To the Tweed I have confined myself ; and I beg 

 my readers to observe, that my remarks and in- 

 structions are meant to apply to that river alone ; 

 and consequently that I am not accountable for 

 what salmon choose to do in other waters, and for the 

 different means that people may employ for catching 

 them there. 



Deer-stalking and salmon-fishing are at the head 

 of field and river sports : having written what has 

 been very generously received upon the first and 

 best of these subjects, I have been encouraged to 

 take up the other. This I have done the more 

 readily, as I have been fortunate enough to bring 

 to my aid the talents of artists, who are amongst 

 the most eminent in their various departments that 

 this country can boast of. I must not, however, 



