170 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



yielded an average of a pound apiece, and made 

 a noble basket. Everyone who has tried, knows 

 that the supreme moments in a day's fishing are 

 those which intervene between the hooking, and 

 the landing ; while the latter is by no means a 

 foregone conclusion. But, in this case, very little 

 time would elapse, very little excitement could 

 prevail, and no true sport would be enjoyed. 



Such a noble sheet of water ought surely to 

 have done better than that; and the weakness 

 is by no means confined to it, but is common to 

 far too many Highland lochs. The cause must 

 be one of two : either over-population, or scarcity 

 of food. The fish, such as they were, seemed 

 well enough fed. The want was of some agency 

 to keep down the number. 



Nature's agent in the loch is the pike, just 

 as her agent on the hills is the eagle ; and to 

 kill out the one, is just about as wise, and as 

 much in the interests of true sport, as to kill 

 out the other. There may be some lifting up 

 of the hands at this ; nevertheless, it is a view 

 which many votaries of the rod, besides myself, 

 would fervently commend to those who over- 

 sedulously net their waters ; or who, in any other 

 way, seek to improve on the ways of nature, and 



