The Sea Pool 



the sea loch in the spring for the rich feeding that is 

 there. 



It is during the early weeks of April that the first "run " 

 of sea trout enter the sea pool, but they are few in number 

 and some still show the want of good feeding. One April 

 morning that I recall was of singular charm. No breath 

 stirred the still leafless birches from which the missel thrush 

 uttered his melancholy song, and the air was clear and warm. 

 There was a small freshlet in the river— just enough to make 

 the pool of good fishing size — and the fish were there and 

 were on the take, so that I had my first basket of the season. 

 I well remember how a cormorant, following doubtless the 

 run of fish, took up his quarters there in my absence, and 

 thus rendered all further fishing useless. I think the keeper 

 laid him low ultimately, but too late, for he spoilt the only 

 run of spring fish that season. About this time an extra- 

 ordinary sharp thunderstorm visited the glen at dusk. It 

 is a curious fact that along the western coast these storms 

 occur with more frequency in winter than summer, and are 

 accompanied by a high wind — perhaps even by a gale. On 

 this day a strong breeze from the west had brought with it 

 squalls of hail with clear sunny intervals between them, but 

 of thunder there was no sign, so that the storm when it 

 suddenly burst overhead was quite unexpected. In quick 

 succession blinding flashes of lightning lit up the hills in 

 vivid greenish light, the thunder following on the instant. 

 So thick was the hail that almost at once the ground was 

 clad in white, and when after less than fifteen minutes the 

 storm, hurried forward by the wind, passed eastward, it 

 carried with it the season of spring and left winter in its 

 stead. 



Even though no sea trout are in the pool, it is good 

 to sit by its banks of a fine spring day, for the lover of Nature 

 finds many friends here. At times the air is filled with the 

 trilling call of many curlews, and in the dusk of the even* 

 ing these shy birds, absorbed in their spring song, may 



53 



