The Rivers Irvine Girvan And Stincher In Ayrshire

In this westerly quarter may be found excellent Salmon and Trout fishing

in the spring and autumn in these beautiful streams, which can be

reached from the city of Glasgow every day by rail.



The Stincher is the best for salmon, the flies for which are browns,

blacks, reds, and greys, all plainly dressed ones. I will describe one

here, a great favourite of a gentleman friend of mine, Mr.

Murdoch,--Stephen lair, &c. At Glasgow, some years ago, on my stay in

that city; I give his name, as he used to call my flies "mest noble

flees," and laughed heartily to see the manoeuvring of the hook in my

fingers.



The body of Mr. Murdoch's fly was in joints of pig hair picked out, and

at the head a black-red hackle; first, there was a tip of gold, a tag of

yellow hair, then a joint of orange, a joint of fiery brown, a joint of

claret, and a joint of black pig hair or mohair, spaniel hair is best;

the wings a light brown turkey tail feather with white tips, tied on

topping a little longer than the bend of the hook, a very small topping

in the tail. Hook No. 8 for high water.



Mr. Murdoch was a native of Ayr, and a keen fisher, and used to speak

much of his angling in the "waters o' Doon."



From Ayr, the angler may proceed to the lakes of Cumberland, via

Carlisle, Keswick, and Bowness.