WESTERN TROUT-FISHING 273 



worm placed in his hands. Having thrown the line 

 into the stream, he sat calmly in his chair awaiting 

 events. Later on the struggles of the three-pounder 

 aforesaid, that had swallowed the worm and hook, 

 rudely awoke him from a peaceful doze. The fish 

 was triumphantly dragged ashore on a shelving bank, 

 and the learned judge, resting on his laurels, declined 

 to fish again until a larger fish than his was landed. 

 This did not happen, and he remained champion of 

 the day. 



After the mid-day meal and siesta a diversion of 

 sport occurred. A cry of c cock !' was raised. A 

 woodcock had been flushed in some thick wood close 

 to the hotel, and marked down. I borrowed a scatter- 

 gun from the landlord, and the ' cock ' was duly driven 

 out and slain. 



Next afternoon we returned to town laden with 

 baskets of the c speckled beauties,' and with pleasant 

 recollections of a most enjoyable and, to me, un- 

 expectedly successful outing. 



It was the experience thus gained of the rainbow- 

 trout of America that has encouraged me to stock 

 with this sporting fish a piece of water, of about 

 12 acres in extent, situated on the Eildon Hills, 

 near Melrose. The water in question is a reservoir, 

 whose fishing rights I own, fed by springs and sur- 

 face drains, and one small trickling burn hardly 

 worthy the name of stream. Three years after 

 the reservoir was completed 2,000 yearling fry, 

 obtained from the Wyresdale Fishery Company, of 

 Scorton Garstang, near Preston, were turned into it 

 in the month of November. By the following July 

 some of these fish weighed nearly ^ pound, and a 

 year later fish running from f pound to 1^ pounds 



18 



