2o6 ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



we first made the acquaintance of this remarkable 

 character. On the moors to the north-west of 

 Crianlarich lie two heather-fringed lochs, Lochs 

 Marachan and Essan, on the Loch Dochart estate, 

 and as it was impossible to get leave to fish these 

 two lakes from Mr. Place — who was away at the 

 time — hearing that the keeper was in the hotel, we 

 endeavoured to get permission from him. We 

 found him in the smoking-room, comfortably seated 

 in an arm-chair, whisky glass in hand, and there 

 we opened fire upon him. A bottle of our whisky 

 was placed upon the table, the major portion of 

 which eventually found its way down his insatiable 

 throat. But although, with thickened speech, as the 

 evening wore on, he expatiated with ever increas- 

 ing ardour on the unsurpassable excellence of the 

 coveted lochs, with many illustrative examples of the 

 marvellous baskets of fish to be obtained therein 

 (by himself in particular), we found ourselves no 

 nearer to the realisation of our hopes. After much 

 time had been expended in futile efforts to over- 

 come the scruples of this trusty keeper, the door 

 opened, and an unexpected ally appeared upon the 

 scene. 



The new-comer was a man about thirty-five years 



