178 ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



■fishing ground becomes more fascinating, there being 

 many acres of shallow water covering a beautiful 

 sandy bottom, where lie plenty of excellent trout, 

 and where the best fishing is generally supposed to 

 be obtainable. 



It is a noticeable fact that the portion of a loch 

 farthest away and least accessible is always con- 

 sidered to be the best for fishing, the ground near 

 at hand being left severely alone. It was therefore, 

 of course, to this distant part that we made our 

 way that afternoon, driving some eight miles up 

 the loch-side through the beautiful " Black Wood of 

 Rannoch," to where we had left our boats on the 

 previous day. 



Craigie and the Duke, fishing together, had 

 "Wullie" for their boatman, while Johnny and I 

 shared the other boat with the celebrated " Jimmie." 

 Both of these gillies were most excellent boatmen, 

 as keen to catch fish as a good terrier after a rat. 

 Jimmie, who was very tall and elegant, with fair 

 brown beard and blue eyes, was a most accomplished 

 and untiring oarsman. He was of a kindly and 

 sentimental disposition ; he would sing you long 

 Gaelic songs which he was unable to translate, 

 the only enlightenment he could give as to their 



