206 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



Donald Caird, for he had no right to be " bleezing 

 up," where he did. 



For the better understanding of his narrative, I 

 shall give a description of the clodding, or throw- 

 ing leister, or waster, as he was used to term it, the 

 instrument with which he performed his sleights. 

 It differs materially from the one in common use ; 

 a description of which latter will be given hereafter. 



This throwing leister is used chiefly on the 

 upper parts of the Tweed, and its tributary streams, 

 where the water is not deep. The spear has five 

 prongs of unequal, but regularly graduated, length. 

 Those which are nearest the fisherman, and which 

 come to the ground first in throwing being the 

 shortest. The entire iron frame of the spear is 

 double the weight of that in common use. An 

 iron hoop is bound round the top of the pole, as a 

 counterbalancing weight ; and the pole itself has a 



