THE HALY WIEL 253 



LXXVII 



Chief among the salmon casts in the Bemersyde 

 water is the Haly Wiel, or holy pool, so The Haly 

 called, probably, because the monks of wiel 

 Dryburgh showed their discretion by annexing it. 

 There is a tale of dread connected with it, in which 

 the present laird of Bemersyde was one of the prin- 

 cipal actors. I never see that honourable gentleman 

 without paying him that tribute of silent respect 

 which is due to one who has passed through an 

 irremediable sorrow. 



Now, the Haly Wiel is a long pool, into which 

 the Tweed, escaping from the unwonted turmoil of 

 Gateheugh, rushes swiftly at right and, turning 

 sharply to the left, sweeps placidly round a steep 

 wooded cliff on the right bank. The channel is full 

 of great stones, among which the good fish harbour, 

 and approach is made to them by dropping a boat 

 quietly down along the wooded side of the cliff. 

 Here, in the gloaming of a November short day, the 

 laird was angling some years ago, and just as his fly 

 was swinging over the Cradle Rock, the welcome 

 pull came, and he was fast in a fish. 



It was soon apparent that it was a fish of no 



