148 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



the edge o' the wick bane. He was a clean sawmon, 

 an' three an' twenty meal pounds/' 



No creature is more capricious than a salmon. 

 One of the Lairds of Makerstoun, many years ago, 

 had a fisherman named Robin Hope, who, like many 

 of his brethren on the Tweed, was an original. At- 

 tending his master on a day that was considered 

 quite a killing one, not a fish would stir. " What is 

 the meaning of this, Robin ? " said the Laird. " Deed 

 sir, I dinna ken," said Robin ; "for sometimes they 

 will tak' the thoom o' yere mitten, if ye would throw 

 it in, and at ithers they wad na look at the Lady o 

 Makerstoun and a' her braws." 



Salmon never take well when the weather is about 

 to change ; it is therefore useless to go out when 

 the mercury remains at this point. When it first 

 sets in for a continuance of dry weather the fish will 

 rise about your hook, and only break the surface of 

 the water ; but before a flood they will spring clean 

 out of it, for the purpose, perhaps, of filling their air- 

 bladder before travelling. 



These sportive fellows, however, sometimes get 

 into a scrape by being hooked outside. A salmon of 

 ten pounds was caught in the Skurry-wheel, at 

 Sprouston, in the following curious manner. The 

 fish were rising wantonly, but not taking the fly ; in 

 striking at one of them the line looped over its tail, 

 and the hook catching the line on the upper side 

 the fish was fairly snared, and at length killed, after 

 showing extraordinary sport. 



Sometimes, also, they will leap out for pastime, 

 and at others from fear. Thus if a salmon has been 



