THE DEE ; KIRKCUDBRIGHT. 427 



who achieved the above feat, took in the course of an 

 afternoon, no fewer than three hundred and fifteen 

 grilses. The report drawn out by Mr. Williamson 

 regarding the parish of Tongland, in the Stewarty of 

 Kirkcudbright, will be found highly interesting to the 

 angler. I take the liberty of making the following 

 extract, touching the flies used on the Dee : " Of these 

 there is a considerable variety in point of size and colour, 

 both being determined by the state of the river. When 

 it is swollen, the fly most commonly adopted is a large 

 one, either red (dun ?) or spreckled wings, taken from 

 the feathers either of the common turkey, or of the fish- 

 tailed or Huntingdon kite. The latter bird is not a 

 native of Scotland. It is found in the central or 

 southern counties of England, and used to be so highly 

 esteemed by our anglers that I have known half-a-crown 

 given for a single feather. Of late it has fallen rather 

 out of repute, and given place to the more flexible but 

 less brilliant feathers of the red turkey. When the 

 river is low, small trout flies are used with the finest 

 tackle. To my taste this is by far the best amusement. 

 Large yellow trout rise freely, and the sportsman is 

 certain of an occasional struggle with a salmon. As an 

 illustration of the excellent diversion sometimes had on 

 the Dee, I may mention that some years ago, I took 

 with a small trout fly a finely-grown newly-run salmon, 

 which weighed fourteen and three-quarter pounds. My 

 line consisted of three horse hairs and a single gut. The 

 fly was composed of the red part of the partridge tail 

 feather, a red hackle, and a black worsted body, without 

 tinsel of any kind. On the same day, the same fly was 

 taken by another salmon, which escaped. This, I am 

 inclined to think, is the greatest piscatory exploit ever 

 performed on the Dee. The enthusiastic angler will 



