264 THE COUNTRY CLERGYMAN". 



perhaps, four months. The salmon shews itself 

 boldly and freely, not trying to conceal itself as 

 most fish do. It has been remarked,* that the 

 greater part of our English anglers make a great 

 fuss about the proper flies for salmon; whereas 

 the Scotch Anglers, who are very skilful, and pos- 

 sess many admirable qualifications for the sport, 

 content themselves with either a heron's or a bit- 

 tern's hackle, or the red feather from the wing of 

 a turkey-cock, which answer for the wings ; while 

 a little fine wool, of a sulphur yellow (sometimes 

 rather deeper) makes the body of such a fly as the 

 salmon will take freely. 



Dr. Hastings having given this account of the 

 salmon, took his friends to a river a few miles 

 distance from his residence, where he hoped to 

 shew them some sport, although he confessed that 

 the fish were by no means abundant. The river 

 itself was wide, and in many places shallow, the 

 water rushing over loose shingle, rippling and 

 sparkling as the sun beams fell on it. Its turn- 

 ings were here and there abrupt, which varied the 

 appearance of it, by presenting to the sight pools 

 which were calm and deep. From these the water 

 again rippled over beds of gravel, 



' With white, round polish'd pebbles spread* 



and then seemed to wend its way to a rocky shore, 



* Captain Williamson. 



