18 FISH AND FISHING IK SCOTLAND. 



'"Iliad," the "History of Animals," and conquered the then- 

 known civilized world, without the advent of Praxiteles, of Homer, 

 of Euclid. Aristotle, and Alexander, I know not. But sure I am 

 that the advent of these men must have assisted somewhat the 

 " patient industry" of Greece. 



Ye model people, who " cannot make a statue," let Industry 

 alone ; she requires no encouragement. Your sham patrons, of 

 noble and ignoble blood, know this well, but it suits their purpose 

 to mislead you, praising your foible as if it were your forte. 

 Industry ! labour ! order ! Excellent claptraps, which admit of 

 a translation into taxation, slavery, discipline. 



After rains, in soft, warm summer weather, trout, and most 

 excellent ones too, may be taken as readily in the water of Leith 

 as in any other stream, notwithstanding the abundance of mills 

 which intercept its course. The village of Currie, about six miles 

 from Edinburgh, used to be a good station, and even much 

 lower. The excellent and kind-hearted angler to whom I have 

 alluded, used to fish the river at the dam-head of Colt's bridge, 

 scarcely two miles from Edinburgh. But on these occasions 

 he fished at night, with the finest tackle and with the smallest 

 midge-flies, dressed on a single hair or gut. With these he 

 caught large trout, weighing occasionally two pounds, and of the 

 finest flavour, for the water of Leith possesses the kind of trout 

 found chiefly in the south of England, and but rarely in Scot- 

 land, " the red-spotted pink-coloured trout of rivers frequenting 

 streams above the influence of the tide."* 



I never met with any par in the Leith, owing, probably, to 

 there being no salmon ; but I will not avouch this to be the sole 

 cause, for I shall speak by and by of rivers in which salmon, or, 

 at least, sea trout, abound, which yet are without par. But of 

 this more hereafter. 



THE ESK. 



There are two Esks the North and the South. I know 

 nothing of the South Esk. The North Esk was an excellent 

 fishing stream in my younger days. Let me describe it. 



* Dr. Knox. MS. 



