146 ANGLING. 



If the tourist direct his steps from Berwick towards the 

 Scottish capital, there are few intervening rivers that are worthy 

 of his time and attention. What rivulets there are in this di- 

 rection are small, and the trouting in them both inferior and 

 uncertain. And the same remarks may be applied to the running 

 streams between Edinburgh and Glasgow. They have, all only 

 a local repute, and we need not notice them further. 



There is, however, another great batch of fine waters, which lie 

 in the south-western portion of Scotland. These can be ap- 

 proached either by Glasgow or from Carlisle. Should the rod- 

 fisher set out on this tour from the last city, he must make his 

 way to the river Annan, which flows by the town of the same 

 name, and "which is a tolerably good river, though not, in our 

 humble opinion, of a first-rate character. To fish its higher 

 streams, the station of Wympray, on the Caledonian railway, is the 

 most convenient. The stream can then be fished down to the 

 town of Annan ; where the tourist will find a ready conveyance 

 to take him forward to the river Nith, at Dumfries, an excellent 

 fishing locality. It contains both _salmon and trout, and has a 

 range of waters full one hundred miles in extent. It is navigable 

 for small vessels below the town of Dumfries. The vale through 

 which it flows is called Nithdale, and possesses rural scenery of 

 great beauty and magnificence. The highest waters of the stream 

 He above the town of Sanquhar, which is a good and central 

 situation for the rod-fisher, as he has here the command of several 

 waters that are connected with, and tributary to the^ main river. 

 The Craicick Water, the Kello Water, the Euchaft, the Ken, the 

 Scar, and the Cluden Water, are ^all feeders of the Nith, and 

 abound with fish of considerable size and good quality. Indeed 

 several of these dependent streams are held in higher piscatory 

 repute than even the principal river itself. There are several 

 lochs in this vicinity which are much frequented by anglers ; they 

 contain large trout, pike, bream, roach, perch, chub ; and in one 

 called Castle Loch, there is a scarce fish, called the vendace, which 

 is much sought after. There is a club of anglers in Dumfries who 

 award annual prizes for the taking of this fish. It is said to 

 be known nowhere else, and is of such a delicate organization, 

 that all attempts to transport it to other waters have proved 

 abortive. " It is a beautiful fish, from four to six inches in length, 

 and of a bright silvery appearance, with a slight tendency to a 

 light blue along the back and sides. Upon the top of the head 

 there is a very delicate shape of a heart, covered with a trans- 

 parent substance of a brownish colour, resembling a thin lamina of 

 mica slate, through which the brain is visible. _ Nothing to the 

 naked eye is found in the stomach, though a late inquirer has said 

 that their food consists of incredibly minute entromostracea. 

 Overlooking the fact that the vendace dies the moment it is 

 touched or brought to the air, and has hitherto defied transports- 



