68 LOCH SALMON -FISHING. 



ascending to burn-trout with bait, which naturally 

 led the way to burn-trout with fly. 



Once fairly entered at fly, my progress was 

 rapid. I soon became dissatisfied with my basket 

 unless it contained some good ones; and, when 

 large yellow trout in summer became shy of rising 

 to artificial flies, changed the lure to minnows and 

 other natural baits. At this time, too, I was a 

 keen and successful pike-troller, and these fresh- 

 water sharks first whetted my taste for really big 

 fish. Having the advantage, however, of being 

 near some fairish sea-trout streams, one autumn 

 convinced me that the salmo trutta made the best 

 sport of any fish I had yet tried. No doubt large, 

 lazy, well-fed yellow trout were powerful rivals in 

 spring, but they were only attainable with bait in 

 autumn, when the reign of the white trout with 

 fly began. 



As I had opportunity, I tried a cast for grilse or 

 salmon ; but my knowledge of the habits of fish 

 and my practice being alike limited, the rises 

 were of course few and far between, so I always 

 turned with increased zest to the fat yellow trout 

 in May, or the silvery sea ones in September. It 



