A MONTH AT STRATH MAACOE 219 



at varying intervals there were "croys " or small piers of stone 

 built out into the stream to prevent the banks from being 

 carried away by floods like the present one. At the back of 

 each of these croys the current formed swirling quiet eddies on 

 which white foam, dead leaves, and bits of stick revolved round 

 and round, and into these places I dropped my phantom, and 

 letting it sink, it was brought spinning to the surface again by 

 a series of jerks from the top of the rod. Presently a black 

 shadow flashed across the water and hid the lure, while the 

 next second the rod was bent double, with the reel shrieking 

 loudly as the fish dashed madly into the raging torrent, which 

 carried him down stream faster than I could run. I did my 

 best, but emptier and emptier grew the reel, until the last yard 

 went out, then the rod point bent almost to the water, and 

 click, the fish had been torn from his hold by the force of the 

 current. Much surprised at the evident size of the fish with 

 the suddenness of the whole affair, I wound up to recommence 

 operations, with a determination not to allow other fish to get 

 into a torrent from which it was evidently impossible to land 

 them. By the time I met Patcham I had had nine runs and 

 landed six heavy trout, the largest of which scaled 7^ lbs., 

 while I found my friend with five others, the heaviest of which 

 was 6f lbs. ; the whole eleven averaged exactly four pounds 

 each, and to this day these remain the best eleven trout I have 

 ever seen brought to bank. 



nth. — The black clouds still continued to shower down 

 their contents, so Berks and Lewes returned from the forest 

 early this morning, quite " washed out of it," as they explained. 



Up to this period but little chance had been given me of 

 seeing anything of Lewes ; this morning, however, we fore- 

 gathered, and, though he was but three-and-twenty, it was soon 

 clear he was not only a keen sportsman, but a good naturalist 

 as well, while as he had hotly taken up taxidermy, we passed a 

 very pleasant hour or two together. 



After lunch Berks, Patcham, and I started off to the Rhora, 



