THE MOOR-BURN. 405 



make a circuit, and come down again upon the burn, where 

 it is more easy to fish, and the ground less rugged. The 

 trout in these places are thus left till many of them grow 

 large, and each, taking possession of a favourite nook, drives 

 all the smaller fry away. The difficulty of reaching these 

 places is, I admit, often great, the angler sometimes having to 

 scramble up on his hands and knees, covered with wet moss 

 or gravel, and then to drag his fishing-rod after him. These 

 linns should always be fished up - stream, otherwise, the 

 moment you appear at the top of the waterfall or rock, the 

 trout are very likely to see you, and slink into their hiding- 

 place. The burn, however, must always be low, as at no 

 other time can you distinguish the snug retreat of these tyrants 

 which indeed they often leave, during the slightest flood, in 

 search of prey. By fishing up the stream, your head will be 

 on a level with the different eddies and pools, as they suc- 

 cessively present themselves, and the rest of your person will 

 be out of sight. Hold the baited hook with the left hand, 

 jerking out the rod, under-handed, with your right, so as to 

 make the bait fall softly at the lower end of the pool. The 

 trout always take their station either there or at the top where 

 the water flows in, ready to pounce on worms, snails, slugs, 

 &c., as they enter or leave the pool. Should a trout seize the 

 bait,- a little time may be given to allow it to gorge, which it 

 will most likely do without much ceremony. If large, care 

 must be taken to prevent it from getting to the top of the 

 linn, which may probably harbour another expectant. The 

 best plan is, if possible, to persuade it to descend into the pool 

 below. 1 Having deposited the half-pounder in your creel, you 



1 In fishing a small pool, where you have reason to think the salmon have con- 

 gregated, the same method ought to be adopted. When you hook one, tumble 

 him over out of the pool down-stream ; at all events, prevent him, if you pos- 

 sibly can, from disturbing the throat, where there may be some more. If the 

 fish are at all tractable when first hooked, several may in this way be taken out 

 of the same pool ; whereas by fishing down-stream, should a salmon be hooked 

 at the throat of the pool he will so frighten the others that very probably no 

 more may rise. 



