142 DISCOLOURED STATE OF WATER. 



observations relate to the river Tweed only : for it must 

 be obvious that as rivers vary in their depth and volume 

 of water, no general rule for their being in proper order 

 for the fly can he laid down. 



The waxing, as it is called, and the progress of a 

 flood, has been already explained in a former part of 

 these pages. 



When the Tweed is not clear, but, as it is termed, 

 drumly, salmon that have been some time in the river never 

 take well ; in such case, when there were no clean fish 

 in the water, I have sometimes had fourteen or fifteen 

 offers without taking above one or two fish. They do 

 not see the fly distinctly, and therefore come at it slowly 

 and with hesitation. One would think they had some 

 particular method of holding it awhile by way of ex- 

 periment, just within the point of their noses ; for I 

 have often struck a salmon sharply, and felt as if my 

 hook was firmly fixed in him, when in a moment after- 

 wards it has come away quite easily ; and this has hap- 

 pened two or three times in succession, the water being 

 in the foul state I have mentioned. It must be noted 

 also, that when the river is swoln and discoloured, 

 salmon travel in the daytime, particularly when there 

 is a fresh wind to ruffle the surface of the water ; and as 

 they are intent on their journey, they are not apt to 

 pay much attention to such food as we worthies offer 

 them. Now as this uncertainty of hooking a fish that 

 offers happens to me or to you, so the same thing will 

 occur to every other fisherman that is out on the same 

 day, these animals being all of the same mind ; but I 

 have heard good fishermen in the North say, that they 



