282 FISHING GOSSIP. 
mind to summon up from the world spiritual shapes 
and shadows which shall characteristically people 
those places belonging to the world material, which, 
under certain aspects, produce a powerful effect over 
the imagination ; nor in this instance was it possible 
to exclude the genius loci, moulded out of living re- 
membrances, from playing a part in my reverie. 
But we have gone off at a tangent from the river 
to the poet’s shrine—an episode which will be ex- 
- cused, when the relationship of Tweed to the ruins il 
environs is taken into full consideration, We now 
return to our fishing-ground at the point where we 
left it—viz. the Nether Cast in the Dryburgh water, 
as it is termed. Superintending the Long Stream 
already referred to, flow the Lessuden Haughs, which, 
although they form a good hold for kelts in Marck 
and April, especially after a freshet, are in bette 
repute as trouting water. Here, during an easterly 
wind in June, I have frequently, when the. river was 
low and clear, met with excellent sport. Above the 
Haughs lies a killing run, termed the Birkie Heugh, 
the fishing of which with the salmon-fly requires some 
management on the part equally of the boatman 
and the rod-wielder. I have taken fish on this cast 
both with fly and minnow ; the term fish, be it under. 
stood, on Tweedside, is applied solely to salmon. 
Higher up, at the termination of that bend or curve 
which forms on the north side a natural protection tc 
