61 



a longer and more fishable stream. I have found 

 the palmer flies, both red and black, very successful 

 here in the summer season after the rain. The Kirtle 

 trout run rather small, and not of first-rate quality* 

 It may be observed here, that the Caledonian 

 Bailway runs through the South-Eastern portion of 

 Dumfriesshire to five or six miles north of Moffat, 

 and nearly parallel with the river Annan and some 

 of its tributaries. This renders the rivers in this 

 section of Scotland easily and cheaply accessible. 

 The Annan rises out of the same range of hills from 

 which the Tweed and the Clyde derive their first 

 feeders, and it has a run, including its numerous 

 windings, of about forty miles. It flows by the 

 small town of Moffat, now yearly visited by numer- 

 ous persons from all parts of the United Kingdom 

 for the medical springs in its immediate vicinity. 

 But the Annan is not worth much as an angling 

 stream till it comes to what is called the Meeting of 

 the Waters, that is, the junction of the Moffat "Water 

 and the Avon with the main river, about two miles 

 below Moffat. The higher portions of it are exceed- 

 ingly beautiful in the way of mountain scenery, but 

 the fish are both scarce and small in these localities. 

 The angler is, however, earnestly solicited by the 

 poet to ascend these higher waters, and to visit the 

 Devil's Beef Tub. 



" Away to the hollow, among Moffat hills 

 Nam'd the Demi's Beef Tub, wherein three little rills, 

 The Tweed, Clyde, and Annan, pure rippling arise 

 'Mong hold mountain tops, that brave cold growling skies. 



