THE EDDLESTONE THE LYKE. 101 



waters are dark and beginning to fall, little skill is required. A 

 red hackle, with or without wings, is the taking bait, or a minnow 

 fresh or even salted. I have no experience of the artificial minnow, 

 but could imagine readily that it may often answer. 



In the Eddlestone are to be found the common trout of both 

 kinds, the parr, the smolt or fry, in April and May, and no doubt 

 towards the close of the year, salmon and sea trout. 



The Eddlestone will conduct the angler to the Tweed, near 

 Peebles, and there he will probably rest for the evening. A 

 short walk up the Tweed will repay the toil, if toil it can be 

 called. The Nidpath Castle in ruins is here; an old holding of 

 the ancient baronial robbers. There is also good angling here : 

 opposite the castle I caught my first trout, whilst carelessly 

 sauntering along and trailing after me the line in the river. The 

 fly was a red hackle, which tempted a noble trout nearly two 

 pounds in weight. 



From this spot the angler may proceed upwards to fish theLyne, 

 a good angling stream, which joins the Tweed several miles higher 

 up : but this stream is more conveniently fished from Noble 

 House, and from a village situated close to the river itself. It 

 is called Romano Bridge, and should he find the waters in good 

 order, I know of few better streams. 



THE LYNE. 



The river Lyne runs through a lonely and somewhat narrow 

 valley, shut in by lofty hills clothed with verdure. The country 

 is in fact a great sheep walk. It contains both kinds of trout 

 common to the rivers of Scotland, that is, the common red-spotted 

 trout, and the trout which, having parr markings even in the adult 

 state, I shall call the parr-trout. But besides these, the true parr 

 is found in abundance ; and, in their due season, salmon and sea 

 trout, and the smolts of both, fall to the lot of the experienced and 

 determined angler. 



In a small stream, which, like a mill race, joins the Lyne a mile 

 or two below the bridge, the pink-coloured, red-spotted trout is 

 said to be found. I fished it, but the day was not favourable. 

 I do not, however, doubt the fact. 



Whilst fishing the Lyne, near the bridge, some years ago, I 



