15 



taking the reader is to fish the Yarrow and the 

 Ettrick, two considerable feeders of the main river, 

 and which jointly pour their waters into it, a little 

 ahove Abbotsford. 



Well, the distance from Selkirk to Moffat is thirty- 

 four miles. No coaches, nor railways, nor anything 

 save the limbs, can assist us. Shall we ascend the 

 Yarrow, and come down by the Ettrick, or ascend 

 the Ettrick, and descend by the Yarrow ? It is 

 Hobson's choice ; we decide for the first. We 

 leave Selkirk, and after about a two miles' walk, 

 arrive at the entrance of the Yarrow into the Ettrick. 

 The most magnificent scenery all around, and the 

 landscape down the united streams, with Selkirk 

 in the distance, is very imposing. 



A portion of the Yarrow is preserved for the first 

 few miles after its junction with the Ettrick, but 

 when the angling tourist reaches its free waters, 

 near Broadmeadows, he will not be disappointed of 

 a fair share of sport. But we must confess that the 

 Yarrow is not quite to our fancy ; and one of the 

 chief reasons for placing it low in our estimation is, 

 that it has no long and deep reaches of water. It is 

 too streamy. The declivity of its bed is too great 

 from Loch St. Mary, out of which it fiows. No 

 river can lay claim to first-rate fishing qualifications 

 that does not abound in long stretches of still and 

 deep water. These are the natural places of shelter 

 and protection for fish, and especially for large ones. 

 These still and tranquil pools are the nurseries the 

 preserves the batteaux so to speak, that supply 



