THE ANNAN. THE ESK. 425 



It is ascended, during July and August, by the herling 

 in considerable numbers, but not so freely as it would 

 be, were the small mesh-nets completely set aside. Pike 

 are tolerably abundant in the lower parts of the river. 

 Moffat Water, one of the upper tributaries already men- 

 tioned, is connected by the Grey Mare's Tail burn with 

 Loch Skene, which abounds in nice trout, averaging 

 in weight half-a-pound. After the Moffat and Evan, 

 Annan receives the Wamphray, Kinnel, Dryfe, Milk, 

 and Mien waters. Not far from where the Dryfe and 

 Kinnel discharge themselves, lie the Lochmaben lochs, 

 nine in number. In the Castle loch, which is the 

 largest, there are no fewer than fifteen distinct species 

 of fish. Among these are two species, so termed, of 

 loch trout, one weighing from twelve to fourteen pounds, 

 and the other from two to five pounds. There are also 

 bream, roach, chub, pike, perch, and the vendace. Pike 

 have been caught here weighing thirty-five pounds. 

 The two fisheries at the mouth of the Annan, belonging 

 to Mr. Irvine of Newbie and the burgh, are let for 

 nearly six hundred pounds per annum. 



The ESK is formed by the union of the Black and 

 White Esks, at a place called the King's Pool, below 

 Bailliehill. These rivers have their sources in Eskdale- 

 muir parish, and receive, during their conjoined progress 

 to the head of the Solway Firth, numerous tributaries. 

 The principal of these are the Meggat, the Ewes, 

 Wauchope Burn, Tarras Water, Liddel, Glenzier, and 

 Line rivers, the latter two belonging properly to Cum- 

 berland. The common trout of the Esk seldom exceed 

 half-a-pound in weight, and' are by no means abundant, 

 below the junction of the two branches. A few salmon 

 ascend it, along with a sprinkling of sea-trout and herl- 

 ings. Of its tributaries, the Liddel is in good esteem 



