LOCH SALMON -FISHING. 73 



loch to look to as the reward of their efforts for 

 fresh water, the struggle they hazard to gain their 

 object is almost incredible. I have watched a 

 shoal boring up the Knock for Loch Baa, when 

 they had to turn on their sides to force them- 

 selves through the shallows, and the noise caused 

 by these exertions could be heard at a consider- 

 able distance. At first I fancied some creature 

 was fording the stream, and, on walking up, saw 

 monsters of from 10 to 25 Ib. fighting against 

 water often only a few inches deep. 



I have always been convinced that trolling 

 is ruination to fly-fishing in small salmon lochs. 

 All the shores, banks, and rocks have their feeding 

 or resting fish driven into deep water, scared not 

 only by the boat, but even by the long trolling 

 lines sweeping over. 



Fly-practice in lochs from a boat is far less 

 startling to fish ; and the more complete the 

 angler's knowledge of every sunk bank, rock, or 

 shallow point, the less likely will he be to frighten 

 them away. In order to obtain this angling 

 geography, the loch should be surveyed in dry- 

 weather ; and when the different feeding-grounds 



