FISHING-STATIONS ON TILL. 299 



obliged to use, he will find it no easy matter to safely 

 land his captives without their assistance. 



The whitling, running from 2 to 4 pounds in 

 weight, and in excellence of flavour nearly, if not quite, 

 equal to the salmon itself, ascends this river in consider- 

 able numbers in the months of August and September, 

 when they occasionally take either minnow, worm, or 

 any large rather gaudily-dressed fly ; especially if lapped 

 with gold or silver twist. 



The pike-troller can scarcely pitch his tent in a 

 better neighbourhood than the Till, if he can now and 

 then patiently submit, without using "unbecoming" 

 language, to leave the whole of a cherished set of tackle 

 fast anchored in what may be a portion of the trunk of 

 the giant baobab of Senegal, or the remains of the 

 hull of Noah's ark, for aught he knows to the contrary, * 



The best stations for fishing the Till are Chatton, 

 Wooler, Ford, and Etal; and for the Breamish, Pow- 

 burn. In all of which villages there are small inns, 

 where sufficient accommodation can be obtained to satisfy 

 any sportsman of moderate requirements ; but if he is 

 too fastidious in his taste to content himself with an 

 occasional dish of ham and eggs, then he had better re- 

 main at home, and fish for minnows in his drawing- 

 room aquarium. 



From above the village of Chatton to Ford, a dis- 

 tance of twelve or thirteen miles, the whole river is 

 open, and the angler is at liberty to fish wherever he 

 chooses, without let or hindrance, for any description of 

 fish ; but I believe the Etal water is strictly preserved. 



