FROM LAND AND PIER 189 



a small stream which ran into a Sutherlandshire loch, and had 

 caught this solitary fish. I then removed my shoes and stock- 

 ings, waded into the loch as far as I dared, leaving my creel 

 with the fish in it on the shore, about ten yards from the water's 

 edge. The trout were rising pretty freely, and what with them, 

 and the midges which formed a black band round each leg 

 between the water-line and my rolled-up knickerbockers, I 

 gave little attention to things on shore. Hearing a slight noise 

 behind me, I looked round and saw the lid of the creel spring 

 up and then fall back again. The trout had evidently given 

 a leap and hit the basketwork above it. It continued its 

 efforts, and presently the lid flew right open. A second or two 

 later out jumped the fish on to the sandy shore. I was some 

 little distance out in the loch, catching trout and holding them 

 in my landing net, so did not think it worth while to return to 

 the bank after this runaway, which very quickly by a series of 

 leaps reached the water. I had, as a matter of fact, called to 

 the gillie, but he had taken off his coat, covered his head with 

 it, and plunged into a great mass of heather to get out of the 

 way of the midges, so he pretended not to hear me. Moral : 

 kill your fish as soon as caught. It is both humane and profit- 

 able to do so. Employ midge-proof gillies ; if they exist. 



Some years ago I worked out a little instrument in the 

 nature of a ' Priest,' to use the Irish term, which not only 

 slew the fish, but held his mouth open, took out the hook, and 

 measured him when all was over. We have not yet arrived 

 at the stage when sea fish under certain limits of size have 

 to be returned by the angler, though certain limitations have 

 been here and there placed upon netsmen ; so the measure 

 need not count, but the other instruments are useful. In the 

 illustration it will be seen that my own particular ' Priest ' (in 

 addition to the knobstick which performs the last office for 

 the dying hence Paddy's name for it) contains a disgorger, one 



