292 THE TILL. 



and in which they are generally found, either cannot, or 

 are not disposed to leave them again ; when the mossy 

 nature of the water, and the scarcity of food, will soon 

 transform them into their present type. 



THE TILL. 



After leaving Bewick Bridge, and becoming Till pro- 

 per, this river soon settles down into a deep sluggish 

 stream, which slowly wends its sullen way between 

 abruptly confined banks of sand and clay, in many 

 places so densely fringed with alder and willow as to 

 seriously impede the operations of the rod, and finally 

 discharges its waters into the Tweed at Tillmouth, nine 

 miles above Berwick-upon-Tweed. 



The Till prope: 1 , upon the whole, is anything but an 

 agreeable river to fish ; the steepness and confined na- 

 ture of the banks, where they are free from wood, ren- 

 dering it very difficult to conceal the person from the 

 fish, while in other places the banks are so much over- 

 grown as to render the use of the rod almost impossible, 

 except for dipping or shade-fishing, by means of which 

 very fine trout may be killed. Were it not that the bed 

 of the river, consisting for the most part of fine sand and 

 mud, was so encumbered in many parts with sunken 

 trees, old piles, and other impediments as to rack the 

 patience of the most Job-like sportsman, the Till would 

 be the beau ideal of a minnow-trolling and worm-fishing 

 water. But as it is, I have lost more sets of tackle in it 

 in one day than I have lost in other rivers in a whole 



