340 TWEED AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 



off, either in the numbers of the fish or the value of the 

 produce, without giving the particulars of separate 

 fishing-waters, which it would not be proper to do. 

 Taking, however, the number of the boxes shipped, as a 

 sure criterion of the weight of the produce, I should say 

 the quantity of salmon, grilses, and trouts collectively, 

 has been considerably greater, during the last ten years, 

 than in the ten years preceding ; at the same time, the 

 seasons of 1845 and 1846 have been much worse than 

 1844. Last year, especially, was one of the worst grilse 

 and trout-fishings that has occurred for a very long pe- 

 riod of years. The heaviest salmon killed in Tweed 

 that I recollect was one of fifty-six pounds, nearly thirty 

 years ago ; but now, there is occasionally one of twenty- 

 eight or thirty pounds ; and the average for the whole 

 season, I think, will not exceed eleven or twelve pounds. 

 For a week or two, in the height of the grilse-fishing, 

 there are sometimes very large hauls taken near the 

 mouth of the river ; and I have known as many as eight 

 hundred or nine hundred captured in one day at a 

 fishing so situated ; but this is a rare occurrence ; and 

 when two hundred or three hundred are taken in the 

 twenty-four hours, the fishing is considered very good. 

 In stating these large numbers, I mean salmon, grilses, 

 and trouts to be all included; and the proportion is 

 generally about one salmon to ten or twelve grilses, and 

 two grilses to one trout. The principal time of the fish- 

 ing may also be mentioned to be from about the middle 

 of July to the end of August ; after that, the quantities 

 are comparatively small. 1 " 



The EYE, in Berwickshire, was at one time esteemed 

 a good angling stream. It is said, however, to have 

 been much injured of late by railway operations, but 

 will probably, after a time, regain its former reputation. 



