308 FLIES USED ON TWEED. 



melancholy piles of Abbotsford, for ever to be held 

 sacred in the eyes of succeeding generations as a memo- 

 rial of the great and illustrious spirit at whose bidding 

 they were reared? Here the sentimental angler may 

 reverently approach the stream immediately opposite 

 this venerated structure, and find it still merrily danc- 

 ing over its pebbly bed, as it was wont to do in past 

 times, when the piscatorial wand of the great magician 

 was often stretched over Its laughing waters ; and if he 

 is an admirer of the beautiful in nature, and of every 

 quality that is calculated to adorn the moral and intel- 

 lectual being of man, let him pause and look around, for 

 he will find no lack of food either for the eye or the 

 mind. 



All the flies common to northern waters will be 

 taken in the Tweed, but I observe that most of the 

 local anglers have each their own favourite general 

 flies for all seasons and weathers, and use them dressed 

 rather small in size. Wright of Sprouston, near 

 Kelso, gets up his flies in a highly artistic style ; and 

 his method of dressing the smaller kinds upon double 

 hooks tied back to back in such a way that they will 

 either remain shut together, or open out at right angles 

 to each other, so as to render a miss next to impossible 

 I consider a great improvement in dressing, so far as 

 the minuter kinds are concerned. As it is unnecessary 

 to mention the qualities of the Tweed as a salmon-river, 

 my remarks are strictly confined to trout. 



The Tweed is equally well adapted to the opera- 

 tions of either the minnow-spinner or worrn-fisher, 



