i 2 6 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



Mr. Leister and his companions were fortunately 

 not destined to experience the calamity complained of 

 by their English brethren. On the contrary, their 

 very outset was conducted under a beautiful discharge 

 of the watery element ; and on arriving at Loch Awe, 

 where it was intended their operations should com- 

 mence, it proved to one and all of our anglers a matter 

 of no little gratification to discover the Orchy and other 

 surrounding waters desirably flooded and trimmed out 

 for sport. A large salmon was quickly taken by Tom 

 Otter, above the kirk at Dalmally, and Jack Leister 

 was so far successful as to load his pannier to the lid 

 with honest-sized trout. Nothing, however, worthy of 

 notice was achieved either by May-fly or the worthy 

 Doctor, who, it may be remarked, went to work in an 

 indolent, leisurely, and over-presumptuous style, with- 

 out deeming it worth their patience to exercise any 

 degree of craft or ability, 



The day following was spent by all four in trolling 

 from a boat for the salmo ferox, of which redoubtable 

 species of fish they had the misfortune to lose three 

 fine specimens, securing only a sorry individual of five 

 pound weight, along with a score or so of excellent 

 yellow trout, averaging in their length from twelve to 

 fifteen inches. The escape of the larger fish was 

 owing principally to the intervention of a strong variety 

 of water- weed, along the nettings of which the boat at 

 the time of their seizing the bait happened to be di- 

 rected. To this subaqueous retreat the trout, on 



