THE LAKE DISTRICT 195 



when its waters become very low from long-continued 

 dry weather ; even then we have seen good fishing in 

 it by baiting with fine, small red-worms, and using fine 

 tackle. 



The Leven springs out of a wild moorish tract, near 

 Mchol Forest and Bewcastle. It has two principal 

 springs, and after flowing a few mUes, it receives the 

 waters of two or three other feeders. It then becomes 

 a good fly-fishing stream, and forms a junction with the 

 Esk a few miles down the Solway Firth. All kinds of 

 flies, if not too large, seem to be readily taken here when 

 the fish are on the feed. 



The Irthing^some call it the Irving — comes out 

 of some remarkably bleak and desolate-looking tracts of 

 high land, which divide Cumberland from Northumber- 

 land. After receiving some feeders, in which there are 

 many small trout, readily caught with good red-worms, 

 it falls into the Eden near Newby. The Irthing is a 

 good river for the fly, and likewise for trolling after rain 

 in summer. 



The Geet springs from Croglin Fell, and after receiv- 

 ing the waters of some small rivulets, falls into the 

 Irthing near Edmon Castle. It is a pretty fair trouting 

 stream in the early portion of the season, or towards the 

 autumnal months. The angling is frequently seriously 

 damaged in this, as well as in other similar streams 

 in this part of England, by fishing in the autumn with 

 the salmon-roe. 



We have been somewhat minute in our notice of the 

 various rivers and still waters of this division of 

 England ; and our sole reason is, that we know of no 

 range of country to which a rod-fisher, who has a few 

 days or weeks to spend in his favourite amusement, 

 could repair with so fair a chance of being gratified, 

 than the one now noticed. It is full of interest to 

 both the mere angler and to the man of contemplative 

 and intellectual habits. We can form no conception of 

 what a person can be made of, who, with rod in hand, 

 could wander among these hilly districts, without 

 receiving some signal moral benefit, and without 



