THE ANNAN 243 



grilse 5 lb., and sea trout from i to 2 lb. The local flies are 

 peculiar to the district, most of them having wings of brown or 

 grey turkey, with bodies of yellow, orange, red, and black mohair, 

 and longish red or black hackles. The best of the standard flies are 

 Jock Scot and the Black and Silver Doctors. The local sea trout 

 flies have wings of brown and grey turkey, corncrake, missel 

 thrush, woodcock, and partridge, with mohair bodies, much like 

 the local salmon flies. The Dumfries tackle-makers tie all these 

 local patterns right well, and at a moderate price. Some of the 

 Annan flies are tied on Kirby bend hooks, and in large waters size 

 18 may be used, which corresponds with the 6/0 of the Limerick 

 bend, although the ordinary sizes are from i J in. iron to one of half 

 that length. 



In times of flood the Annan runs remarkably black and large, 

 taking from twelve to twenty-four hours to come into fishing order, 

 when, though it remains black it is yet clear, and in this state is at 

 its very best for three or four days. The two principal anglings are 

 those of Mount Annan and Hoddom Castle, 



The former was rented for eleven years by Mr. J. Bell Irving, 

 who has taken the greatest interest in the river, and spared 

 no efforts to improve the angling. This stretch commences at the 

 top of Mount Annan Island and extends up to the junction of 

 the Mein on both banks, a distance of about two miles, in which 

 there are just a dozen good pools, two of which — the Back of the 

 Wood and the Salmon Pool — are boated, the others, of which 

 perhaps the best is the Island Stream, being waded with trousers. 

 On this water Mr. J. Bell Irving has on several occasions, after 

 the removal of the nets, killed ten fish a day to his own rod, all 

 with the fly and all fresh run ; while Mr. W. O. Bell Irving had 

 fifteen in two consecutive days ; and here at any time after the 

 loth of September, when the water is right, sport is pretty certain. 



The Hoddom Castle water, belonging to Mr. E. Brooks, and in 

 which there are fourteen good casts, commences at the top of 

 Mount Annan and goes up on both banks for two miles, until it 

 joins the Castlemilk property. Here, in 1892, Tom Reid, one of 

 Mr. Brooks's keepers, had a day of five fish, headed by one of 45^ lb. ; 

 while another Hoddom keeper, Jock DalzeU, in the time of the 

 late Mr. Sharpe, brought off a much more singular event, for one 

 day, when ferreting the banks of a pool, he bagged a rabbit and a 

 spring salmon at one shot, the fish happening to jump as he pulled 

 the trigger on the bunny, and being exactly in the line of fire, both 

 were killed. 



