2 FISH AND FISHING IN SCOTLAND. 



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neither is it in "the highlands," which is not a true angling 

 country, but by the margin of lone and desolate Fastna, or by 

 St. Bathan's ruined abbey, or by Chirnside Bridge, tempting 

 with fly and minnow the spotted trout and silvery salmon. 

 Here on Thames bank I see some one sitting in a boat, holding 

 in his hand what resembles a fishing-rod. Do you call this 

 angling ? Yes; it is angling in England. Be it so ; but it bears 

 no resemblance to angling anywhere else. Even Izaak's angling 

 is rather prosy, but compared with this thing in the punt, it was 

 at least refreshing. Old Izaak ! Model angler of a model nation ; 

 I should like to see one of your disciples fish the lone and desolate 

 Fastna, with no resting-place between its eldrid bridge and Elms- 

 ford. How little does he know of angling who has merely fished 

 the preserved streams and ponds of fat and prosperous England. 

 A word on angling in England. I sojourned for a year or two in 

 the south of England, a short way from the muddy banks of the 

 Southampton water, in Hampshire ; where the vine, uncherished 

 by artificial heat, yet yielded tolerable fruit. Some friends, fond 

 of angling for trout, invited me to accompany them to a preserved 

 stream of the river which, descending from Stockbridge, unites at 

 last with the Itchen, thus forming the Southampton water. 



It was a warm autumnal day. My friend drove us in his 

 handsome chariot and pair to the scene of action. From the 

 proprietor of the estate and of the right to fish we had a hearty 

 welcome, and proceeded at once to the banks of the stream. To 

 me the scene was new, although a perusal of " The Complete 

 Angler" had to a certain extent prepared me for it. 



A gently flowing, quiet muddy stream, deeply fringed with 

 sedge, and full to the brink, somewhat like a ditch about to 

 overflow, meandered, if you will, through fat, artificially irrigated 

 meadows. The pasture was knee deep, rank and marshy. Clumps 

 of willows studded the landscape; here and there little wooden 

 bridges crossing the deep irrigating canals, relieve the listless- 

 ness and monotony of the scene. On one of these there sat a 

 reverend pastor of a class of which Paley was the type. He 

 seemed weighty enough to be an archdeacon. A boy carried his 

 angling apparatus and a seat for him to rest occasionally. He 

 was in accordance with the scenery and the scenery with him. 



