AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES AND ANGLING SONGS BY THOMAS TOD STODDART AUTHOR OF 'the ANGLEr's COMPANION TO THE RIVERS AND LOCHS OF SCOTLAND.' EDINBURGH EDMONSTON & DOUGLAS MDCCCLXVI. HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF ROXBURGHE, WHOSE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE AS A SALMON-WISHER ARE ONLY EXCELLED BY THE GENEROSITY HE HAS UNIFORMLY SHOWN TOWARDS THE LOVERS OF RIVER-SIDE SPORTS ; AND TO WHOM, FOR HIS EXERTIONS IN CONNEXION WITH THE TWEED ACTS NOW IN FORCE, BOTH THE ANGLING COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND THE OWNERS OF SALMON-FISHINGS ON THE BORDER RIVERS, ARE GREATLY INDEBTED, THIS VOLUME IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. 1057594 CONTENTS. Preface, . xi Note, . XV An Angler's Rambles among the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland, 3 Sutherlandshire, ..... 29 Eulogistic—A Comparison, 43 Morayshire, ...... 45 The River Nairn—A Retrospect, 49 The Identity of the Finnock and Orange-fin Smolt, 50 The Findhom, ..... 54 Song, ...... 66 Perthshire, ...... 68 Sonnet, ...... 71 The Taking of the Salmon, . 72 The Angler's DeUghts, .... 76 The Pirate of the Lakes, . ... 98 The Vindication, ...... 107 When the Angler goes a-TroUing, . 115 Trolling Song, ...... 120 A Picture, ....... 127 Be Busy, Good Angler, be Busy ! . 132 Angling about Edinburgh Forty Years ago, 134 The Angler's Invitation, .... 141 Ross-shire, ...... 142 Loch AchUty, ..... 148 — Vlll CONTENTS. Deer of Tor Achilty, A Loch Scene, The Conon, Sonnet, . Loch Achilty—Its Stickleback, . The Invocation, Prospects, . Tyne and Devon, The Holy WeU, The Linns of Glen-Devon, . St. Ronan's Club, Song, The Angler's Fly-Stock, The Fairy Angler, . ; Fairy's Song, St. Mary's Loch, Song—The Yellow Fins of Yarrow, Sonnet, ... Ettrick Forest, ... The Old Wand, The Shepherd's Dog, The Voice of the Cuckoo, At EUeray, The Brethren of the Streams, Our Choice, A Stroll by the Waters of the Solway, My Fisher Lad, The Drought of 1864, . The Drought of 1864, how it Affected the Angler, The Otter of our Borders, The Laird's Cast, . Otters continued, — — CONTENTS. IX PAGE The Warders of the Waters, . 277 Euns with Salmon , . 278 To the Tweed, . 280 A Peck o' Troubles, . 286 Pisciculture—A Visit to Mr. Shaw, Drumlanrig, . 288 The Trysting-Tree, . , . 294 The Grayling, ...... 295 Tweed for Ever ! . 296 Lochmaben—First Visit, . 297 The Greeting of the Spring, . 304 Lochmaben—Second Visit, . .305 The Heron- Lake, . 307 The Transplantation of Fresh-Water Fishes, . 309 The JoUy Angler, . 313 The Transplantation of Fresh-Water Fialiea— continued, . 314 Musings, ..... 316 The Transplantation of Fresh-Water Fishes continued, . 317 The King o' the Cauld, . 318 The Effects of Transplanting Trout, . 320 Sea-Fishing, ..... 321 Out of the Gallery of Memory, . 328 A Cruel Drinking-Song, . 335 Sea-Fishing concluded, . 336 The Farewell Meeting, . 343 A Few Observations on the Charr of our Scotch Lakes, . 345 The Otter, ..... 351 Ross-shire and its Zoology, . 353 The Greeting, .... 356 Serpents and Goats, . 357 Fisher Rob, .... 362 The Water-Ousel, .... 364 Glee, ..... 364 CONTENTS. PACE The Wastage on the Spawning-Beds of the Salmon, 365 Sonnet—The Eden, 371 The Parr-Stock of Tweed and its Treatment, 371 Sonnet—A Reminiscence of Leistering, 383 The Feathered Enemies of the Parr-Stock, 386 Epigram, 387 Sonnet—Irregular, . 392 Requirements of Tweed, 392 Conclusion, 400 The Angler's Grave, 402 Index, . 405 PREFACE. Most of the Songs and Poems embodied in this volume were printed in a collected form, along with other effu- sions, several years ago—published I can hardly call them ; for although bearing on the title-page, by express sanction, the imprimatur of a celebrated Edinburgh firm, they laboured under the disadvantage of emanating from a provincial press, were sparingly advertised, and not urged to any great extent upon public attention. From the reviewer, however, in the limited sphere of ordeal to which they were submitted, they met with a flattering reception, which was enhanced, shortly after its issue, by the exhaustion of the impression. Of this success I ne- glected to avail myself, and it was only recently, encouraged by the solicitations of friends, that I entertained the idea of putting that portion of my rhythmical effusions to- gether in a new shape, and blending them at haphazard with a few prose sketches on piscatorial subjects. In carrying this plan into execution, besides introducing original matter, I have subjected my former compositions to a careful revision, pruning them where I discovered redundancies, and investing them, where it seemed both Xll PREFACE. in keeping and of advantage, with some new thought or more approved form of expression. So much for the poetical portion of the present volume. In regard to the Prose sketches, several of them appeared a few years ago in the pages of a weekly sporting paper published in London. My intention, when they were commenced, was simply to relate in a consecutive form some of my angling experiences. In doing this, I trusted for assistance to a diary or register kept by me since the spring of 1827, in which have been jotted down, punctu- ally as they occurred, my successes with the rod and line, etc. The connexion, however, formed by me with the journal I have just referred to gave a different turn to the design, and will account to some extent for the rambling and diffusive character of this part of the work. •During a residence of nearly thirty years on Tweed- side, I have had ample opportunities for making myself acquainted with the habits of the migratory Salmonidce belonging to our Border rivers. I feel therefore in a position to pronounce unhesitatingly upon several points relating to the natural history of the salar, eriox, and albus, during their sojourn in the fresh water, which are not generally subscribed to. Throughout the volume will be found scattered the views entertained by me upon some of these questions. I have introduced the expression of them, however, not in order to provoke discussion, but simply, and in a casual form, as matter of conviction resting with myself PREFACE. xiii To the requirements of Tweed and its tributaries, under the treatment which they are at present receiving, I have also, in the concluding pages, called attention. Through the zealous exertions of his Grace the Duke of Eoxburghe, our Border rivers have been set free from many glaring abuses, and are now under control of Acts of Parliament, which promise to work well for them in future ; but it is impossible not to see, as new exigencies present them- selves, where further reforms are required, and may be set in motion. The suggestions made by me in this direction, I have the gratification of knowing are generally approved of by my angling friends on Tweedside. NOTE. The courtesy of the Angling Club established at the " Nest," in granting the use of their spirited engraving, ' The Water- Ousel,' by Simson, as an appropriate orna- ment to the title-page of these Poems and Sketches, is acknowledged by the Author, with many thanks. AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES AMONCr THE RIVERS AND LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. A- 4^ INTRODUCTORY. In the opening stanzas of this Poem, the Rambler, referring to his angling experiences on several of the more prominent rivers and lochs connected with our Highland districts, dwelleth very briefly upon their leading features ; and, at Stanza Fourth, is moved by the recollections of a tour through the wilds of Sutherlandshire, in the year of our Lord 1850, to descant upon some of the sporting waters belonging to that county. ; ; ; AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES AMONG THE RIVERS AND LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. T ' VE angled far and angled wide, On Fannich drear, by Luichart's side, Across dark Conon's current Have trod by Beauley's silver'd stream, Where flashing through the Forest Dream Hangs the eternal torrent. Among the rocks of blue Maree, O'er whose chafed billows, ever free, Impatient eagles hover And where, at Glomach's ruffian steep, The pent stream takes its daring leap Many a fathom over. III. By Lochy sad and Laggan lake ; Where Spey uncoils his glittering snake Among the hills of thunder Dropping at will the witching fly Where swarthy Findhom hurries by The booming Forest under. ; —— AN angler's rambles IV. Where, from his lair of clouds, Ben More Keeps sullen watch o'er sea and shore, A huge unbending terror ! That in the pauses of the storm Scowling regards his rugged form • In Assynt's trembling mirror. With the sad water-nymphs that weave His summer raiment, mom and eve, I've join'd in plaintive chorus ; A hundred voices lent their wail, Moan'd the black tarn and sung the gale In fitful gusts before us. VI. Inver caught up the doleful chaunt. And from the kelpie's reedy haunt Came shapes and sounds unchancy, Fays, elves and bogles—sobs and chimes- Spell-word and charm and wizard rhymes Woven in the loom of Fancy VII. In the grim passes of the West, Where Kirkaig in his fierce unrest Foams like a demon frantic, Tearing his way from Fewn's embrace Through moor and mist—a troubled race- To wed the wild Atlantic ! — AND ANGLING SONGS. VIII. Below the corries of the stag, In hollows deep o'erhung with crag, In meres whose floating lilies Give shelter to the giant trout A gleamy chain whose links stretch out From Lairg to Edderachyllis, IX. Chafing the base of bold Ben Stack, And onward through the salmon track Of the famed Laxford twining ; Coy Laxford ! which the sea-nymphs love And lure into their laughing grove With amorous inclining. X. In Dionard's melancholy strath, Whilom the spell broke on Cape Wrath Of demons in commotion, Scaring from its accustom'd haunt The dank and moody cormorant, Weird watcher of the ocean ! XI.