TWEEDSIDE. 81 



having fallen down, and only recovering myself 

 by the assistance of one of them, who endeavoured 

 to gaff him, but in vain. As I had only on 

 single gut, I could use little freedom with him. 

 He did, however, strike him ; and away he went 

 again, in the dark, with the broken gaff sticking 

 in his back, and marking his whereabouts in the 

 water ; and, after a run of nearly two hours, I 

 had the satisfaction of killing a fish, a strong 

 red kipper of 18 or 19 Ibs., under the sweet in- 

 fluences of Orion and the Pleiades. On taking 

 up my rod it felt like a toy in my hands, and 

 my arms were much inclined to rise toward my 

 head all the rest of the evening. I was told, on 

 my return, that the neighbouring shepherd had 

 hooked a large fish in the morning, had run 

 him in all the various ways, and that, worn out and 

 quite done for with the exertion, having swam 

 across the river twice, rather heavy at the time, 

 with his rod in his teeth, he had gone home 

 about three o'clock in the afternoon, to enjoy the 

 poppies of Morpheus. Ye Richmond and Ted- 

 dington fishers, call ye that patience ! ! While 

 I now sit and write this, I see on the opposite 

 side of the river, three or four poachers with 

 leister and rake hooks, ' casting their glamour 



