SUNNING. 229 



gentleman he keepit looking at Maida, and when he 

 got to Abbotsford, he ordered his carriage and gaed. 

 awa." 



" Well, that was better sport than we are likely to 

 have to-day, Tom, for the clouds are beginning to rise, 

 and the wind is getting up ; more's the pity, for it was 

 the finest morning I ever saw, and now we are late, 

 and have lost twae hours. But here comes the maister 

 and the strange gentleman with him, he that does not 

 know a fish from a cow, and who was broke by ane 

 of thae whitlings." 



The little party being now entirely assembled, agreed 

 that, as the day was beginning to alter, it was a pity 

 to disturb the water till they saw clearly how it would 

 turn out ; so the fishermen remained with the boats 

 and leisters at Craigover boat-hole : and, in the mean- 

 time, I, Harry Otter, thought I could not do better 

 than explain the operation of sunning to my friend 

 Mr. Tintern, as there was now some chance of gaining 

 his attention ; so we sat down, and I commenced as 

 follows : — ■ 



Swrming, as I have told you, is a mode of taking- 

 salmon with a spear by sun light ; and vast numbers 

 are captured in this manner, particularly in the upper 

 part of the Tweed, where fish are more easily seen 

 than in the lower, from the comparative shallowness 

 of the water in which they lie. 



This sport does not begin till the river is quite low 



and clean, and useless for the fly. To succeed perfectly 



requires a bright and calm clay. You cannot see a fish 



lying even at a very moderate depth when the surface 



15 



