SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 66 



search of the picturesque, so we stuck to business with considerable 

 perseverance, and by '' closing time" had every reason to be satisfied 

 with the amount of patronage bestowed on us. In the till we found 

 two score of trout and a salmon of 141b. 



Many reasons combine to render Lough Fern an aqua incognita to 

 the sporting world. It lies in a remote part of the country, which, 

 possessing few attractions, is not often visited by tourists. The art 

 of puffing seems little understood in honest Donegal, and the sport is 

 best in spring, when boat-fishing is rather cold, uncomfortable work. 

 Moreover, the quarters, though sufficient, are not splendid ; the town 

 is poor and uninviting, and, on market-days, may my good genius 

 preserve me from Rathmelton. Nevertheless, if a man desires to kill 

 salmon, let him go to Lough Fern in the spring. 



Yesterday, as we drove to the lake, along the banks of the river, I 

 noticed some deepish stretches of water, and this morning there was 

 a fine south-easterly breeze. On mentioning my intention to the 

 landlord, he shnigged his shoulders, saying, " if exercise were neces- 

 sary, I could not do better ; but as for catching anything, the road 

 was as good as the river.'* On close inspection, it did not look so 

 promising as from a greater distance ; nothing but small flies would 

 do, and as none of the requisite size were in the book, we manu- 

 factured a dark claret, with orange tips, black hackle, jay shoulder 

 and mallard wing, on a medium grilse hook. Whenever a cloud 

 came over the sun, I worked as men do whose time is limited. When 

 the sky was all blue, I set to at the junci, with every chance of 

 making a good bag. Were the family tree at hand, on some important 

 branch unquestionably the honoured name of Porcas would be seen. 

 What a fool was I to go on such an errand ! What an obstinate pig, 

 to remain against conviction ! Yet on the whole, perhaps, it was not 

 an unsuccessful day. In the morning, the tail of my self-conceit was 

 over my back ; in the evening it was so tight between my legs as to 

 impede locomotion ; but I brought back a basketful of good resolu- 

 tions, much respect for local opinions, and an appetite that would 

 have done credit to a wolf. 



We remained here a week, fishing for six days, in which time we 



F 



