i8o ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



party, he had been told twenty-seven. We then 

 pointed out to him that as we ourselves had really 

 only eighteen fish, and he had so far exaggerated 

 our number, there was little doubt that Wullie had 

 done the same even to a greater extent. Indeed 

 this proved to be the case, for the fishermen in the 

 rival boat, we found subsequently, had at that time 

 only caught fifteen fish. But although Jimmie was 

 slightly cheered by the suggestion, he never during 

 the rest of the day entirely shook off the gloom 

 inspired by Wullie's answer. 



Our fishing that night did not prove as satis- 

 factory as we had hoped ; the trout rose fairly well 

 between nine o'clock and half-past ten, but after that 

 we could do little, and had to resort to trolling, for 

 the chance of a ferox. Previous to that, however, 

 our two parties had met on an island, on which 

 was a small tower, there to discuss an excellent 

 supper. 



I shall never forget the solitary grandeur and 

 peaceful stillness of that night on Loch Rannoch. 

 As the twilight deepened, the calling of the moor 

 birds gradually died away, nothing but the hooting 

 of owls and the occasional whistling of a belated 

 curlew, or the sound of rushing wings, as a flight 



