206 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



balancing weight ; and the pole itself has a slight 

 curve, the convex part being the outermost in 

 throwing : a rope made of goat's hair, called " the 

 lyams," is fastened to the top bar of the spear just 

 above the shortest prong ; this rope is about twelve 

 yards long, and is tied to the arm of the thrower. 

 The spear is cast like a javelin ; and, if thrown by 

 a skilful hand, the top of the shaft, after it has 

 pierced the fish, falls beyond the vertical point 

 towards the opposite bank of the river ; then the 

 fish is pulled to land by means of the aforesaid rope 

 or lyams, so that there is little chance of his escaping 

 in his struggles for freedom. 



The accompanying engraving represents the iron 

 of the clodding waster ; that in general use will be 

 given hereafter. 



Now for Tom Purdie. I should miss the nice 

 points of his character were I to deprive him of his 

 own peculiar way of communicating his feats, 

 though it is but too true, that when he got upon 

 a favourite subject, he was most inhumanly elastic. 



TOM PURDIE'S MUCKLE FISH 



' While I was with Mr. Anderson, and shepherd 

 at West Bold, one Sunday," says Tom, " I did na 

 go up to Traquair to the kirk, but took a walk by 

 the river side ; there were a vast o' fish in the water, 

 and I saw ane or twae great roeners turning, a sure 

 sign there were mickle kippers too. I had dandered 

 down to near the burn fit, and had a pair of good stilts 

 aye lying there. My first wife was then a lass, and 

 lived at Caberston ; and the stilts were ready to 



