DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON 

 FISHING IN THE TWEED 



CHAPTER I 



CITIZEN ANGLERS 



" John Gilpin was a citizen 

 Of credit and renown." COWPER. 



SALMON fishers do not fall from the clouds all per- 

 fection at once, but generally acquire some skill in 

 river angling for trout, and such -like pigmies, before 

 they aspire to the nobler spoil ; pretty work, 

 indeed, would they make of it, if they began at the 

 wrong end : nemo repente fuitfahissimus. We will 

 venture to say, that many beginners have been 

 frightened out of their wits by the sprightliness of 

 a decent -sized trout: would they then have the 

 presumption to encounter a salmon without fortify- 

 ing their nerves with previous practice of some sort 

 or another ? I would advise each, one and all, to 

 try their hands at something less powerful, before 

 they throw their gauntlet at Entellus. In short, 

 we ourselves, experienced as we are, stand in 

 perfect awe of a salmon to this day ; and think it 



B 



