282 FISHING GOSSIP. 



mind to summon up from the world spiritual shapes 

 and shadows which shall characteristically people 

 those places belonging to the world material, which, 

 under certain aspects, produce a powerful effect over 

 the imagination ; nor in this instance was it possible 

 to exclude the genius loci, moulded out of living re- 

 membrances, from playing a part in my reverie. 



But we have gone off at a tangent from the river 

 to the poet's shrine an episode which will be ex- 

 cused, when the relationship of Tweed to the ruins it 

 environs is taken into full consideration. We now 

 return to our fishing-ground at the point where we 

 left it viz. the Nether Cast in the Dryburgh water, 

 as it is termed. Superintending the Long Stream 

 already referred to, flow the Lessuden Haughs, which, 

 although they form a good hold for kelts in March 

 and April, especially after a freshet, are in better 

 repute as trouting water. Here, during an easterly 

 wind in June, I have frequently, when the river was 

 low and clear, met with excellent sport. Above the 

 Haughs lies a killing run, termed the Birkie Heugh, 

 the fishing of which with the salmon-fly requires some 

 management on the part equally of the boatman 

 and the rod-wielder. I have taken fish on this cast 

 both with fly and minnow ; the term fish, be it under- 

 stood, on Tweedside, is applied solely to salmon. 

 Higher up, at the termination of that bend or curve, 

 which forms on the north side a natural protection to 



