i88 ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



Loch Rannoch ; so there is little doubt that many 

 of the large, so-called, ferox caught in the loch 

 are simply salmon which have been for a consider- 

 able time in fresh water. Whether a ferox is a 

 distinct species, to which belief I strongly incline, 

 or whether he is only an ordinary loch trout grown 

 to a large size, I think that every angler agrees, 

 who has been fortunate enough to meet with a 

 good specimen, that for gameness he cannot be 

 surpassed by any other fish. There are, indeed, 

 some enthusiasts who spend their whole time in 

 trolling (I cannot help thinking a most slow pro- 

 ceeding), with the object of catching one of these 

 monsters. 



It was during our first visit to Loch Rannoch, 

 the Duke and an amusing sportsman of Irish ex- 

 traction, generally known as Paddy, being of the 



party, that a certain Mr. A was staying at the 



hotel with the avowed object of securing a sample 

 of the salmo ferox. He had been trolling solidly 

 for a fortnight with no result beyond landing an 

 occasional trout ; every bait which ingenuity could 

 devise, from phantom minnow to eel-tail, having 

 been tried ineffectually to lure the huge creature 

 from its lair. 



