FLY-FISHING ON TILL. 297 



a few hours. But now no such feats can be performed 

 under any circumstances ; and if the angler succeeds in 

 landing ten or a dozen fish, he may be content. Numbers 

 of pike are also becoming generally disseminated over the 

 river, and they doubtless will materially help to reduce 

 the trout. The Weetwood Water, Doddington Bridge 

 Pool, and the Fenton Water near Wooler, as also the 

 stretches of water near Ford Castle and the classic field 

 of Flodden, are favourite haunts of pike, and will afford 

 any sportsman who enjoys a tussle with this tyrant of 

 the streams, ample opportunities to gratify this sort of 

 angling. 



FLY-FISHING ON THE TILL. 



Unless a brisk breeze is blowing, it is almost useless 

 for the fly-fisher to waste his time on the Till, as the river 

 has excavated for itself a narrow bed, sunk deep below 

 the general surface ; and as it is nearly all still water, with 

 the exception of a few streams in certain parts, it is a 

 very difficult matter for the sportsman to keep out of 

 view, unless there is a good curl on the surface ; and it 

 requires rather a strong wind to effect this, as an ordinary 

 breeze, which will put a fine ripple on exposed waters, 

 will scarcely ruffle the surface, so much protected is it by 

 the banks. A few fine fish, however, may be often taken 

 with minnow towards dusk in the summer evenings. 



Flies for the Till must be dressed rather small, as the 

 trout give a decided preference to minute flies. Most of 

 those common to northern localities, if neatly dressed 

 and of small dimensions, will do execution during their 



