64 



strength of the breeze, for the kind and size of 

 flies to be used. The minnow is of little use in 

 the streamy districts of this river. 



The river Aln is the next fishing-stream, as 

 we proceed south. It is full of trout ; and a 

 goodly sprinkling of salmon are caught with 

 the fly, in that section of the river from the flour- 

 mill a little below Alnwick Castle to the sea. 

 The Aln has no great range ; for, at about 

 twelve miles from its mouth, it is a very small 

 rivulet. But there are, I believe, more trout 

 caught in it than, estimating the extent of 

 public fishing waters, are taken in any other 

 stream in the north of England. There are 

 many expert anglers in Alnwick, and the 

 neighbouring villages which skirt the banks of 

 the stream. Red and black-bodied flies, with 

 good pointed drake or woodcock wings, are 

 universal favourites in this river. 



The Aln trout are generally small. The 

 largest one I ever caugiit in it was three pounds 

 and three-quarters. There have some been 

 caught above four pounds, but few in number. 



The river is strictly preserved, from about a 

 mile below Alnwick to its source. It runs 

 through the park of His Grace the Duke of 

 Northumberland. About two miles above Huln 

 Abbey it divides into two branches, one taking 



