210 AN ANGLERS RAMBLES 



souls at Tibby's, the Shepherd generally sallied forth in that 

 direction, thrashing the river upwards from Altrive Cottage, 

 and, on reaching the point of outlet, proceeding by the Bourhope 

 side towards Corsecleugh. On his way along the margin, the 

 choice bays were all regularly traversed with the fly, and a good 

 creel made up, partly of Yarrow, but chiefly of Loch trout, 

 before he arrived at the place of tryst. 



I recollect well the alarm created on one of these occasions, to 

 several of his friends, myself among the rest, who, at the close of 

 the day, were proceeding, on the opposite side of the lake, to- 

 wards their night quarters at Tibby's. The Shepherd, at a 

 point not usually resorted to by fish of migratory habits, had 

 hooked a salmon or large bull-trout (there was no distinction 

 then recognised in the Forest heights betwixt the two species), 

 the lively movements of which, under control of his rod, called 

 into exercise a corresponding demonstration on the part of the 

 bard. Viewed at a distance, this strange display of flurry and 

 excitement, the running to and fro, and backwards and forwards, 

 was naturally enough construed into the conduct of a maniac. We 

 were struck, in fact, with the terrible impression that Mr. Hogg, 

 whom we had recognised as the actor in this singular scene, had 

 become all at once insane ; nor was the mystery cleared up until 

 we met, simultaneously, so it happened, at Tibby's porch ; the 

 Shepherd, as he greeted us, displaying with an air of triumph a 

 fish of some nine or ten pounds' weight. Had any of us at that 

 time been salmon-fishers, we would have been saved, no doubt, 

 the apprehensions under which we hurried up from Surntnerhope 

 towards the cottage. Our ignorance also on the same score led 

 us to consider as a great prize, judging by its silvery appearance, 

 what was in all probability a kelt or lately spawned fish, speci- 

 mens of which, smaller in size, were frequently taken by me in 

 these days, under a similar impression, out of St. Mary's, Yarrow, 

 and Ettrick. It formed, of course, on this occasion, one of the 



