72 ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



were out on the blue waters of the loch, with the 

 curling ripple dancing in the morning sunlight, it was 

 impossible not to feel our expectations of monster 

 trout raised to the highest pitch. 



We found the loch to be long and narrow — three- 

 quarters of a mile by two or three hundred yards 

 at the widest. It lay in a cleft, with heather-covered 

 hills rising abruptly from the water's edge on the 

 south side, while on the other the scenery was tamer, 

 the banks being more grassy and less steep. In 

 places there were wide bands of rushes lining the 

 shores, especially towards the east end nearer to 

 the keeper's house — rushes that in the spring-time 

 have such a delightfully delicate appearance, like 

 myriads of thin golden straws standing in the water, 

 the ripples from the loch moving lazily amongst them 

 in long, faint, oily lines. 



After rowing up to the west end, we commenced 

 a steady drift of the length of the loch. Our start 

 was none too favourable. For three-quarters of an 

 hour we flogged away with no sign of a fin ; until, 

 after drifting half-way down the north shore, my line 

 suddenly tightened, and I was into a respectable fish. 

 At last one of the three-pounders had been induced 

 to rise I 



