98 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



as yet thought it worth his while to dispute, is kept 

 in severe practice against all who infringe upon it. 

 In Sutherland especially you will find it in its fullest 

 force. Belonging, it may be said, to a single pro- 

 prietor, this immense territory is controlled upon a 

 system which infringes very considerably upon Scot- 

 tish privileges. Its numerous lochs and rivers, where 

 the destruction would scarcely be noticed were an 

 army of us scattered among them to angle for a cen- 

 tury, all these are in a manner shut up against the 

 craft, nor is it an easy matter to acquire access to 

 them. 



Wandle. And Ross-shire? Do these innovations 

 upon public rights extend to it also? 



Leister. Partly to every shire in the north of Scot- 

 land. You perceive in our southern districts, how- 

 ever, we are able to keep ourselves free from such 

 unhallowed interference on the part of the landhold- 

 ers, who well know that all measures taken to check 

 anglers in the peaceful exercise of their pastime must 

 prove abortive provided, of course, they have esta- 

 blished I>y usage a right of access to the water-edge, 

 otherwise the tenant of the lands through which they 

 pass has it in his power to pursue them as trespass- 

 ers. In the counties I have alluded to, a mere ac- 

 tion of trespass could scarcely be supported in any 

 court, unless damage had actually and conjointly 

 been effected a thing next to impossible among 

 moorland wastes, and along the unrestrained chan- 

 nels of the rapid rivers. The soil, unless planted 



