THE VALE OF GALA. 45 



away to deeper water and leaves pretty large 

 stones and shingle. In the Tweed and Don 

 these are reckoned the best months for fly, 

 and later in the season, when they do not rise 

 to the fly so readily, the partail may then be 

 resorted to. 



In looking for creepers, get a small tin case 

 like a snuff box, and go to a place of the river 

 where there has been a continuous run of the 

 river, and searching under the stones or gravel, 

 you will soon see the creepers. Catch, then, 

 say a dozen or two, if there be plenty, and 

 put them into your box ; use the same kind of 

 hooks as you would do for minnow, only small 

 wee hookies reversely tied, one above the other, 

 insert one through the shoulder and the other at 

 the tail. In clear water drop it above you, and 

 fish up stream, casting rather diagonally, and 

 letting the bait come down the stream ; when 

 opposite to you, cast again. It is very curious 

 to observe, that, while the creeper and stone-fly, 

 for it follows the other in the course of nature, 

 while the one increases on the ferns the other 

 decreases in the shingle ; while they last in and 

 on the water, few trout are to be had with the 

 artificial fly. I have often heard the remark by 



