AND ANGLING SONGS. 135 



these were reserved for much later opportunities. The Keltie 

 and Bracklinn Burns, Lochs Lubnaig and Vennachar, the Stank 

 Burn and Achray Waters, are all summoned up at this moment, 

 in connexion with the angling excursions of my boyhood. It 

 was at this time also that I landed my first pike, or jack a fish 

 probably not quite three pounds in weight, but which at that 

 time, no doubt, was regarded by its captor as a perfect monster. 

 I also picked up some knowledge of the art of spinning the 

 minnow, and have distinct recollections of capturing two trout, 

 at least, of excelling dimensions, with that lure. Fully enamoured 

 with the sport, on my return from Callander to Edinburgh 

 scarcely a Saturday or other holiday passed that did not find me 

 by the side of some stream or pool in the vicinity of our Scottish 

 capital. Most familiar to my footsteps were the banks of the 

 Water of Leith, the Almond, the Esks; Gogar, Bavelaw, and 

 Glencorse Burns ; Compensation Pond, Lochs End and Dud- 

 dingstone ; whilst now and then, for variety's sake, I shifted the 

 scene of my sport to the sea- margins, and bobbed for podlies 

 and lucky proaches (Cottus scorpius] from the end of the wooden 

 pier at Trinity, or Newhaven harbour. 



The Water of Leith, however, was my favourite resort on 

 these occasions. With the exception of a few pools above Slate- 

 ford, the whole of this stream was, at the time I speak of, open 

 to the angling fraternity. I was in the habit of thrashing it 

 unchallenged all the way up from St. Bernard's Well to Little 

 Vantage. Although the prime portions of this stream lay above 

 Malleny, on which range I have taken, in the course of a day's 

 fishing, as many as five or six dozens of yellow trout, yet on the 

 very skirts of Edinburgh sport was occasionally met with. At 

 Coltbridge, trout were then not only numerous, but of a respect- 

 able size. I recollect seeing one exhibited at a shop in Rose 

 Street which weighed eight pounds. This fish was taken with a 

 midge-fly at the mouth of a water- course, used for the purposes 



