TROLLING FOR THE SALMO-FEROX. 387 



seldom relaxed, for well do these trained boatmen know, that 

 although the rod may break in clumsy hands, yet the fish's 

 hold, from the excellent arrangement of the hooks, is not likely 

 to do so ; as for the tackle, it would hold a bull ! 



Next in importance for heavy fish to the March trolling of 

 Loch Tay, is the November boat-angling of the Tweed. There 

 is this difference, however, that it requires a moderately good 

 fisherman to be successful here. The boatmen are at least as 

 expert as their brethren of Loch Tay, and do the angler equal 

 justice. The practice differs considerably from that of most 

 other rivers, especially those where you fish from the banks. 

 After delivering your cast, you must not raise the point of the 

 rod an inch, but bring the fly slowly round to the stern of the 

 coble, the rod all the time being perfectly horizontal. The 

 object of this is to sink the fly, which the fish, of course, suck 

 under water, nothing but the " bell-up " appearing on the sur- 

 face. Should an angler raise his rod ever so little, he is in- 

 stantly warned by the man at the oar, " If ye do that, sir, yell 

 no' hook a fish." 



By the kind permission of the noble proprietor, my two 

 eldest sons had a couple of days on the Floors water, landing 

 twenty-eight salmon between them. Four of these were thirty 

 pounds weight, and the smallest was one under twenty pounds. 

 They were both satisfied, for one had the advantage in weight, 

 the other in numbers. 



Double-hooked, gaudy, and very expensive flies are the pres- 

 ent favourites on Tweedside both in spring and autumn a 

 complete contrast to my early fishing days of that stately river. 

 A list of a few of the most deadly flies now used is sub- 

 joined : Jock Scott, Silver Doctor, Sudden Death, Parson, 

 Durham Stranger, Fraser, Barker Duncan, The Captain. 



Having heard that many of the largest fish often lingered in 

 the lower reaches of the Tweed, I went in November 1876 to 

 Norham, but the practice on that part of the river would not 

 invite a second visit. After putting up my rod, I was given 



