80 TWEEDSIDE. 



different pools, you fish in vain. They have 

 come up together by a flood, and have passed 

 your quarters, in fact, they are generally 

 working, while the river continues pretty large, 

 up to the higher spawning beds, and you ex- 

 perience what we sometimes call a vacancy, or the 

 fish have not yet settled in the pools, and if you 

 continue to fish, you may have sport, by casting 

 on the most unlikely places and in thin water. 

 I remember one November afternoon, toward 

 the close of the day, I went out to tiy the How- 

 gate, and pulling on a large fly (for I prefer 

 such, with a good deal of the golden pheasants 

 feathers for evening), at the second or third cast 

 I had him fast, and felt him pretty heavy, he 

 went off nobly down the stream, and out went 

 the line in a whir. He then made a rush up to 

 the old spot, with a most determined persever- 

 ance, tried to break me; but the bold Robin 

 Hood of the waters had met with his match, 

 and we fought hard a long time. I heard foot- 

 steps passing along, and I called up the bank to 

 the road, but it now being dark below, although 

 the sky was clear above,! only alarmed twa gouks, 

 passing by, who declared that they could neither 

 see me nor the fish, which I said I had on my line; 



