104 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



singular truth that the salmon will not take the 

 fly into his mouth when this change takes place, 

 though he will often rise to it, and leap over it. 1 

 This fact is so well known, that no experienced 

 person on the Tweed thinks of fishing during such 

 an occurrence. This waxing commences sooner 

 or later, according to the violence or quantity of 

 the rain that has fallen, and the situation where 

 the storm breaks. In a moderate spate, with a 

 westerly wind, it is seen at Melrose about ten or 

 twelve hours after the rain, more or less. If the 

 wind is very violent, also, the water which is 

 blown out of the lakes will make the river rise 

 slightly ; but in that case no change of colour will 

 afterwards take place. 



" Ye can no fish the day ; so I wud hae ye 

 advised to gang after the patrigs." 



So indeed I did, auspice Wattie, who, to my 

 surprise, seemed somewhat loth to attend me. 

 We found birds Arno stood we shot to the top 

 of our bent ; and Wattie would have marked well, 

 but for one failing, which, lover as he was of the 

 sport, he could not overcome. This failing, to call 

 it by the mildest name, was an apprehension of 

 evil, which possessed him to that absurd degree 

 that he sculked astern, and lay upon the ground 

 the moment he expected a shot to be fired ; and 

 I verily believe that he stopped his ears also. 

 Once, when a covey spread beautifully amongst 

 some gorse, for a space he eluded my vision, and 



1 This rule does not apply to northern rivers flowing through un- 

 cultivated land. I have known fish killed in the Helmsdale with the fly 

 after the river had risen six inches, and was still rising. ED. 



