i68 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



CHAPTER XVI 



FROM EUSTON TO LOCH ALSH — FISHING AT GLENELG — 

 ON TO GLENSHIEL — A GATHERING OF MERRY 

 SCOTSMEN. 



^^'HEN two of my sons, Walter and Kirk, invited 

 me to join them in a summer holiday in the High- 

 lands where there might be a hope of fishing, I had 

 to consider that, while I was vei^' familiar with much 

 of Scotland's Winter and Spring fishings, I was not 

 so well up in the knowledge of where to go for sport 

 in summer time beyond the Tweed. But I know 

 something about many fishing places I have never 

 seen. I think I must be a good hstener to tales of 

 sport. \\'hen any of my fishing friends say, 'Have 



you ever been to , Geen?' and I have to answer, 



*No,' I do it so inquiringly that I get much informa- 

 tion, which I store. In this manner I learned that there 

 are two rivers at Glenelg, in Inverness-shire, having 

 sea-trout and salmon. I remembered, too, accounts 

 of grand takes of pollack there by a friend of mine, 

 who lost five out of the six baits that I gave him in 

 jaws of monsters which he could not hold. Se we 

 decided on Glenelg. 



Our first lengthy stop after leaving Euston was 

 at Loch Alsh, where the Highland Railway now 

 terminates, just opposite to, and vnthin a mile of, 

 the Isle of Skye. The last portion of our journey, 

 the magic ride from Inverness, toilings up and rushings 

 down, had blown into us sufficient of the vigour of 

 the HigrJands to make us, after lunch, anxious to 

 explore our halting-place. 



The only fishing proved to be dapping for small 

 pollack with a long bamboo, tight hne, and a fairly 



