THE RUTHERFORD FISHINGS. 327 



together extend about four or five miles, the rod fish- 

 ings for salmon are of a superior character. The river 

 runs at a tolerably rapid pace, and takes several abrupt 

 bends or turns. These are favourable to the formation 

 of good salmon casts, especially in such a channel or 

 alveus as that which Tweed possesses, during the 

 greater part of its course. The trouting here is also of 

 a first-rate description. 



A little way below Dryburgh, the Mertoun fishings 

 belonging to Lord Polwarth commence. These, or a 

 portion of them, are rented by Sir Richard Sutton, 

 Bart. They extend about two miles, and are then, on 

 the south-side, joined below Littledean Tower, by the 

 Rutherford water, belonging to Sir Edward Antrobus, 

 Bart., and held on lease by Alexander Low, Esq., 

 Edinburgh, and John Spottiswoode, Esq., London. The 

 Rutherford water forms the commencement of a series 

 of the best rod-fishings for salmon in Great Britain, 

 and as such, along with the streams that succeed it, 

 deserves particular notice. It consists of a succession 

 of casts or pools of various characters one .still and 

 lake-like, another rugged and shallow, a third combin- 

 ing tranquillity with swiftness, and a fourth depth with 

 considerable turbulence. These casts, of course, have 

 all their separate names, descriptive, generally speak- 

 ing, of their external features, or the uses they are put 

 to. The highest up are the Corse-heugh and Lang- 

 stream, at the foot of which there is a ferry-house 

 inhabited by the fisherman or bailiff of the water, John 

 Aitkin, and containing accommodation for the lessee 

 and his friends during the fishing season. Connected 

 with the Lang-stream is the Dub or Cauld-pool, occu- 

 pying a great extent of channel, more so perhaps than 

 any other pool in Tweed previous to its junction with 



