238 AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES 



generality of our Scottish peasantry; indeed, I heard it once 

 declared by a sturdy Lowlander, that he ' wud as sune grip an 

 ether as ane o' thae sliddery craturs.' 



Here it was that Billy, twice in the week at least, made a dis- 

 play of his address in laying the set-line, an operation which, 

 although it implied infinitely less labour than the paying out of 

 an Atlantic cable, required some degree of nicety in the execu- 

 tion, as well as an accurate acquaintance with the humours and 

 habitats of the fish he had to deal with. His method of going to 

 work, taken along with the general result, proved this ; and I am 

 inclined to question if, from any Scottish river, there had ever 

 previously been abstracted, by the same means, such numbers of 

 fine eels. Out of this one pool, several huge creelfuls, compris- 

 ing many prime specimens, were taken during the few weeks 

 of my stay at Thirlstane. The result, in fact, of Billy's skill 

 in disposing of his night line, so as to attract these slimy mon- 

 sters, was something very extraordinary, and I retain, in con- 

 sequence, a lively recollection of what took place on such 

 occasions. 



One of them, the last at which I happened to be present in 

 company with the Professor, is remembered by me, the more 

 distinctly, from the circumstance that, instead of the haul of eels 

 we had been led to expect, the only fish which graced the set-line 

 was a splendid trout, the king of the pool, weighing four or five 

 pounds (a rare weight for the Ettrick), which, by its endeavours 

 to free itself, had kept the other baits in a state of constant 

 agitation, and so deterred the muds from showing teeth. The 

 capture of this starry-side was quite a matter of triumph to our 

 friend Billy, and gave excuse, no doubt, for an extra draught, 

 long before sunset, of potent Edinburgh ale, which the old laker 

 relished uncommonly, to the disparagement of every other beve- 

 rage. At the period of my visit to Thirlstane, although to make 

 up a bouncing bag from the slacks and hill- sides, rife with rushes 



