|
I DON'T know whether the moor burn more properly belongs
to the moor or the loch; but, as it begins in the one and ends in the other,
it was rather an omission on my part to have left it out in my first
edition, especially as at certain times of the year it affords excellent
sport to the angler who penetrates the wilds.
When in ordinary trim, the
moor burn is generally neglected by the finished adept, as a more fitting
amusement for the school-boy during his summer holidays ; and certainly
nothing can be easier than to kill a basketful of burn-trout at such a
season. To do this in as short a time as possible, treat them with
earth-worms baited upon a smallish hook. They will rise well at the fly, but
the worm is more deadly. As you have often queer-looking places to scramble
up, where a longer and smarter turn-out would be sadly in the way, use a
coarse short rod, very small reel, and casting-line of good single gut. I
have generally been most successful when the burn was small, the trout being
then eager for worms, having tasted few since the last flood. The great
point at such a time is to keep out of sight, by dropping the bait over a
rock, or from behind a bush or tuft of heather. There is generally
sufficient motion in these rocky streams to prevent your line from being
seen by the trout, and they will seize the bait with such avidity that I
have sometimes, when a boy, taken a dozen out of one pool or lyn, as
they are called. Many prefer the burn a little swollen, and in this state it
is certainly easier for the unscientific craftsman, who is then much less
likely to be observed by the trout. But would he take proper care to conceal
himself, he would not only find them more greedy when the burn is small, but
would be better able to detect their usual haunts, which they are very apt
to leave when the water rises. When the lyns are black, and whirl round in
eddies, let the bait humour the water, in fact the only art in fishing them
is to make the worm appear naturally to follow the course of the stream.
When again the burn flows over level
ground, lengthen your line, as you
have there more difficulty to keep out of sight. Fish all the streams and
deep-looking places, and, if need be, don't grudge to crawl to them on hand
and knee, or you will often be detected by the quick-sighted trout when the
water is clear. To fish the moor burn in this way is capital practice for
the novice in angling; with a little attention, he will seldom return with
an empty creel. In the Balnaguard burn. which runs into the Tay near
Logierait in Perthshire, I killed nine dozen and two in a few hours. I tried
the burn by the advice of an old gardener, who told me he had one day killed
nine dozen in it himself. So having equalled him, with two to spare, I
washed my hands of bait-fishing during the rest of my sojourn on the banks
of the Tay.
Of trout so caught, not above one in fifty averages a
quarter of a pound. But there is another manner of fishing the deep lyns and
rocky eddies, which is difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, except for a
steady head and practised hand. Yet if love of adventure should entice the
angler to try it, he will be rewarded by larger trout, and perhaps a heavier
creel.
In most of the small Highland burns, there is a
succession of cataracts and pools, with a parapet of rock rising
perpendicularly on each side, and often scarcely footing enough for a dog to
pass. The greater proportion of picturesque looking brethren of the angle
would almost start at the idea of continuing their pastime under such
disadvantages. They therefore 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 lyns
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 little 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 successively present themselves, and the
rest of your person 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, &a 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 lyn, which may probably harbour
another expectant. The best plan is, if possible, to persuade it to descend
into the pool below. [In fishing a small pool, where you have reason to
think the salmon have congregated, the same method ought to he adopted. When
you hook one, tumble him over out of the pool down stream ; at all events,
prevent him, if you possibly can, from disturbing the throat, where there
may be several 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.] Having deposited
the half-pounder in your creel, you will now crawl upon hands and knees,
just so near the top of the lyn as will enable you to drop the bait
immediately below the bubbling foam, nearly as favourite a station for an
over-grown monopolizing trout as the other. Except in such situations the
burn-trout seldom exceeds a quarter of a pound, and may be pulled out with
single gut, without much risk of breaking it. In these lyns, however, I have
occasionally taken them upwards of a pound, which is easily accounted for.
As soon as the trout grows to a sufficient size to intimidate his pigmy
neighbours, he falls back into the best pool for feeding, not occupied by a
greater giant than himself, and as these lyns are almost always in
precipices very difficult of access, he remains undisturbed and alone, or
with a single companion, driving all others away, until he may at last
attain to a pound weight.
I have seen two curious instances of the rapid growth of
the burn-trout under such circumstances, from the size of a par to fully
half a lb. They were deposited in separate spring-wells, about three feet
deep and five round. The trout in neither had any means of escape, and
became so tame as to seize worms, minnows, &c. when dropped from the hand.
One of them was within a hundred yards of Arden Connel house in
Dumbartonshire, where I then lived. It had been in the spring about four
years, and although large-headed and lean-looking as all overgrown
burn-trout are, seemed in good health and spirits. It always came to
the top of the water for the remains of my minnows, when I returned from
trolling ; and on one occasion I emptied a pailful of live ones into the
spring, which not only gave it several hearty meals, but exercise and
amusement to boot. It pursued and seized them with a rapidity the eye could
scarcely follow. At last the poor minnows, from several dozen, decreased in
number to three or four, who only escaped the fate of their companions by
discovering a small crack between two stones ; and I noticed that the trout
soon ceased to molest them, having discovered that the attempt would be
vain, as they always kept close to their refuge. This trout, I believe, is
still alive, but the other, I have heard, is dead, after a solitary
existence in the spring of nine years' duration !
But to return to the burn. Although when small or in
ordinary trim the angler must be content with its common inmates, yet the
time to fish it in perfection is during the floods at the end of summer and
beginning of autumn. The sea-trout, salmon, and grilse then come up in great
numbers. To select the proper moment for commencing operations is the great
point. Many of the smaller burns remain in proper trim for so short a time
that the angler ought to be waiting at the side, ready to begin fishing as
soon as the white muddy water has run out, and the burn assumes the deep red
tinge. After it decreases to a certain point, he will hardly rise a single
fish. Nay, he would even stand a better chance before the water is
sufficiently clear, with an enormous gaudy fly, with which, should he come
half an hour too soon, he may amuse himself until it is time to put on the
proper ones.
As I have already said, every experienced angler is well
aware how capricious are the salmon, sea-trout, and grilse of different
streams as to their flies. I was in the habit of fishing sea-trout in three
burns in the same neighbourhood, (two of them running into the same
sea-loch,) each of which had its favourite fly. I often put on the chosen
three, and fished them all in turn; but invariably, when the water was in
its best state, the fish in each were most constant to their own fly. I
merely mention the fact without attempting to account for it, and will name
the flies to show that the difference was considerable : one was a yellow
and green, or red and green body, red hackle, and either teal or
light-speckled mallard-wing. Another, a blue body, red hackle, and
turkey-wing. And the third, (for the burn which ran into a different loch,)
a green body, thread of gold tinsel, red hackle, and dark mottled mallard
wing. The second mentioned of these flies, with the addition of an orange
tuft, is the best that can be used for salmon on the Tweed, if the water is
in its ordinary state ; and by lessening the hook as the river decreases you
may continue to kill fish with it, when the water is so small, that they
will not look at any other.
[The best turkey feathers for the wings of salmon and
sea-trout flies are those with the smallest spots,-very difficult to procure
; and nothing can stand a comparison with the forked tail of the kite, when
a red-brown wing is required for salmon.
Flies for salmon ought to be fastened to the gut in a
different manner from any others, viz., with a small loop of double or
triple gut, through which the length of gut is passed and tied with a double
knot. You may thus fish always with good strong single gut, next the hook,
cutting it off and making a fresh knot, whenever it chafes at the shank,
This method, of course, will not be very strenuously recommended at the
fishing-tackle makers, as, by the usual way, the fly is of no more use when
the gut cracks or chafes close to the hook, which, unless double, or even
triple, it will soon do.]
As to the most killing flies for particular burns, it is
impossible that any rule can be given ; this is a point which one's own
observation, or the information of adepts in the neighbourhood, alone can
decide. But supposing them chosen, we will now proceed to throw them. If
unacquainted with the burn, you should never pass over the streams, eddies,
&c. when it first runs clear, and as it decreases in size pay most attention
to the pools. If the "spate" or flood has not been very heavy, the fish will
soon refuse to rise at all. It is then that a man who knows the water will
often kill a fish or two when perhaps an angler, equally expert but without
this advantage, would stand little chance. I once in this way astonished a
fellow-craftsman, no mean performer either : I was at the burnside, just at
the proper moment, and having fished the best of the water, was about to
return after killing a couple of fine sea-trout, when I saw a rival, with
whom I was unacquainted, rushing down to the bank. His first salutation was,
"Are the fish rising?" He then desired to see my flies, being a stranger to
the burn. As he seemed what is called "a greedy
angler," I thought it no harm to take a rise
out of him. The water by this time was long
past its best; so, after supplying him with a fly, I said I would not
interfere, but walk down and show him the casts. He was evidently a good
fisher, but, as I anticipated, did not kill a fish, and only rose one. In
the burn there was one very strong eddy, where the trout never rose to the
fly, but where I seldom missed taking one with the worm, when the water was
at all swollen. On coming near this place, I said, "if he had done nothing
it was not his fault, but that I would now try my luck." I then let him go a
good way a-head, took off my flies, put on a bait-hook and worm, and from
this place pulled out two whitlings half a pound weight. I then whipped on
my flies again, and overtook him at the end of the burn. I could hardly keep
my gravity at his astonished face when I showed him my success. He never
suspected the bait, and I soon took my leave, wishing him better sport the
next spate!
Sea-trout, after the burn has run small, will never rise
to the fly, they fall back to the pools. and, as anglers say, stick to
the bottom, where they may often be seen. At such times they are also
very unwilling to take a bait, and the only chance is to try both pools and
streams with the minnow after it becomes nearly dark. I recollect
once, when the water was quite dwindled, taking a very fine one with worm;
but although I have often tried the same pools before and since, never with
success. I had been fishing a small moor loch in company with another
angler, and thought of returning home by the burn, and trying the steep lyns
with bait for a sea-trout. My companion laughed at the idea, saying, that to
catch one then was totally out of the question. I thought the same, but
having plenty of time, resolved to make the attempt ; so, selecting one or
two of the largest pools, where the rocks on each side rose perpendicularly,
darkening the water, I gently and slowly let down the bait, allowing the
worm, but no part of the line, to touch the water. After one or two attempts
I hooked and killed a fine trout, fresh from the sea, and as white as
silver. So small was the burn that he never even tried to get out of the
pool, and my great difficulty was to scramble down the precipice in order to
secure him. This trifling occurrence would not be worth mentioning, did it
not serve to show that an angler always has a
chance, however little he suspects it, if his energy and
perseverance do not fail. Perhaps the following may be a still better
instance of the efficacy of this latter qualification, when science and
skill have been found unavailing. One of the fat, lazy trout of the Thames,
which I detected feeding near one of the locks above Henley bridge, after
refusing my artificial flies, a bleak, and a minnow, I hooked at last with a
common bee sunk like worm, which I had intended
for a chub, and happened to think might take his fancy! [The above examples
are not related for imitation, as they would probably be unsuccessful
ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but merely to enforce the advantage of
patience-the angler's good genius.]
Having named the noble Thames, I cannot let him pass
without a tribute, and, if I may be permitted, will offer
a few hints on river-fishing, though not properly belonging to my
subject. I have had, perhaps, nearly as much practice in the sluggish and
muddy waters of the Lowlands as in the rapid and rocky Highland burns ; and,
if I cannot but prefer those to which early association bind me, yet the
pleasure of wandering along the green banks of the southern streams, as they
sweep through the clovery meadow or the fringing copse, is perhaps increased
by contrasting them with the gray rocks and purple hills of my country;
while the laugh of the wood-pecker, the song of the nightingale, the " azure
plume " of the little halcyon as he flits past on a calm summer's eve, are
noticed with a more lively interest when substituted for the swoop of the
eagle and the crow of the "gor-cock." |
