SOME REMARKS ON FOREGOING CHAPTERS 271 



however, there is no doubt many could be taken. I also think 

 the porpoise might be made to afford excellent sport by hooking 

 them with a spinning herring, and if this lure were attached to 

 some hundreds of yards of stout line wound on to a big reel 

 fixed in the stern of the boat, then indeed excitement might 

 be forthcoming. The only question is whether they would 

 take the lure, for all the rest could be easily arranged ; at any 

 rate, the nex't time I visit the West Coast, part of my kit 

 will consist of the necessary tackle to give this idea a good 

 trial, while in addition there will also be a sharp harpoon with 

 barbs that will not draw, and so in one way or another I look 

 forward to some lively times with the porpoises. 



In quitting the subject of the wild West Coast I will but 

 urge my readers never to allow feelings of fatigue to tempt 

 them to sit down before a good fire while wet through. This 

 caution is especially given as in these latitudes wettings are 

 so much more frequent than on the East Coast that at last they 

 come to be regarded as the normal state of affairs and are 

 despised ; unless, however, wet things be at once changed for 

 dry ones, rheumatism cannot for long be set at defiance. 



The chapter on Speyside shows how there are but few 

 shooting agents who will not freely promise an intending renter 

 an average of a fish a day per rod on any fishing placed in 

 their hands for letting, and it is undoubtedly harder to get 

 details of past sport in the fishing world than in the shooting 

 one. Even if the name of the last tenant be forthcoming, 

 while application to him brings but a poor report, the agent has 

 but to shrug his shoulders while he says — " Well, sir, there are 

 anglers and anglers, as you know, and from what we hear, Mr. 

 Last neither fished well nor perseveringly, and we are sure it 

 would be quite different with you, sir ! " 



Then there are ever the cries of an unusually bad season, 

 with either too much water, or not water enough, and what 

 with one thing and another, the fishery lessee is more often 

 doomed to disappointment than the moor renter. Early spring 



