270 SOUTH TYNE. 



stream, and well adapted for the fly or minnow at any 

 time, being continually broken up into as fine streams 

 and quiet stretches of deep water as can be desired ; 

 while the scenery through which it runs is very pretty, 

 if not the prettiest in Northumberland. That portion of 

 it from Hexham to Bellingham runs through a finely 

 cultivated valley ; but at the latter place it begins to 

 enter the wild district of the Keilder Moors, through 

 which it wends its way to the desolate regions of Carter 

 Fell, probably as unmitigated a desert of barren moss 

 and stunted heather as exists in the three kingdoms. 

 I may here state that the whole length of the river 

 Tyne, in a direct line from its source on the borders to 

 its mouth at Tynemouth, is upwards of sixty miles. 



SPRING-FISHING IN NORTH TYNE. 



The spring-fishing for trout in North Tyne up to the 

 end of May is very superior, the trout coming early into 

 condition, of a fair size in general, and taking both the 

 fly and minnow pretty freely at that season. But as 

 regards salmon-fishing, I am sorry to say that it is 

 extremely capricious and uncertain, and that it is only a 

 few days in the season that any sport can be had ; al- 

 though on one occasion I know of seven salmon having 

 been killed by a single rod in one day ; and on another, 

 I was a witness to no less than thirteen being taken out 

 of Hargrave's Stream, during the two last days of the 

 season. In an ordinary state of the river, there is too 

 little depth of water on the streams for salmon-fishing ; 



