FISHING IN EDEN 



CHAPTER I 



BOYHOOD WITH THE ROD 



THE counties of Cumberland and Westmorland 

 through which the River Eden flows are not readily 

 realised and understood by the casual visitor. You 

 can seldom travel from point to point as the crow 

 flies. Places are far apart and cannot often be 

 reached without going a long way round. Down 

 the deep centre of the valley you can travel easily 

 by roads that follow mainly the bed of the river. 

 Hamlets on either side nestle in deep hollows right 

 up to the foot of the Pennine Chain of Fells on the 

 east, and to the Lake Mountains on the west. The 

 people of the two counties in the north and east 

 know little of those in the south and west. For 

 many centuries all needs in the way of communica- 

 tion and transport were met by the packhorse tracks 

 across the hills and through remote valleys. Streams 

 were crossed at the shallow waths, and in the more 



difficult places by narrow hump-backed bridges. 



17 B 



