44 WANDERINGS AND MEMORIES 



man's cast. No one but a sportsman of the best 

 type would do this. He usually catches two trout 

 whilst another man is getting one, and as a salmon 

 angler has a wonderful insight of just the very spot 

 where a salmon lies and how to present the line to 

 the fish at just the right angle. 



I remember one day a very irate tenant coming 

 into his shop and roundly abusing Malloch for 

 stating that he could catch eight or nine fish a day 

 on a certain beat on the Earn which he rented. 

 " The fish are there right enough," he roared, " but 

 no one on earth can move one." Malloch, in his 

 gentle manner, and without a semblance of annoy- 

 ance, quietly explained to him how, when and 

 where he ought to fish, what fly he should use, and 

 many other significant details, which only seemed 

 further to incense the disgriuitled fisherman. He 

 was unappeased. " I have tried them all, and not 

 you nor any one else could move a fin of those 

 sluggish brutes." 



" Well, I think I could do so," suggested Malloch. 



" All right," was the reply, " you can go and 

 fish the water to-morrow." 



In the evening I chanced to meet Malloch re- 

 turning from his day on Dupplin. He had nine 

 good fish. It was just an example of superior skill. 



Malloch gave me my first commission as an 

 artist at the age of thirteen. It was a picture of 

 a Kingfisher, for which I received the princely sum 

 of three and sixpence.^ In 1886 the Graphic pub- 

 lished two of my drawings, and then I began to 

 illustrate books, for which, being a poor hand at 

 business, I was sometimes paid and sometimes not. 

 ^ It is still his trademark for " Kingfisher " lines. 



