166 FISHING WITH THE SALMON ROE. 



made use of along with this description of tackle, and 

 a small quantity of wool reckoned essential, in order to 

 fix and secure the bait. 



Such I observe to be the usual practice and con- 

 trivance of Tweedside fishers, in respect of the hook 

 and manner of baiting. Mine is different, and, coupled 

 with the plan I adopt when using this line, much supe- 

 rior. I always, for instance, employ a double hook, 

 that is, two hooks, No. 6, 7, or 8, tied back to back, 

 and pressed forwards, by means of the finger and 

 thumb, so as to lie at right angles with each other. 

 These serve sufficiently to retain or secure the bait, 

 without resorting to wool or cotton fibres. Leaf-roe I 

 seldom fish with, preferring the mixed paste already 

 described. I also employ strong, round gut, and weight 

 or lead my line largely, in order to keep the bait from 

 progressing too rapidly. In fishing with the salmon- 

 roe, the general practice is to do so, in bands or small 

 companies, including three or four persons. A piece 

 of water, held in repute from year to year as a roivan 

 cast, is pitched upon and baited with leaf refuse, or 

 loose particles of the ingredient. This range or beat 

 generally extends from ten to thirty yards, the depth 

 being from two to five feet, the bottom gravelly and 

 free from impediments, and the current gradual. Each 

 fisher, in his turn, commences at the head of the cast, 

 follows his bait as it is carried onward by the stream, 

 withdraws it at the agreed point of termination, and 

 then repairs, as quickly as possible, back to the starting 

 post. This mode of fishing has certainly the attraction 

 of being very sociable, but I have seldom observed it to 

 prove productive. The trout are held by it over too 

 large an extent of water, or, in other words, they are 

 not sufficiently concentrated so as to insure ready or 



