SCOTCH LOCH FISHING. 147 



best Loch fly in Scotland. On some days the trout will only have 

 it when fished deep ; on others they prefer it bobbing over the top 

 of the ripples. A " Claret and Mallard" comes next, I think, in 

 order of merit. Certainly it is the best fly on Lochs Rannoch and 

 Luydon in Perthshire. Then the " March Brown," " Red and 

 Teal," " Heckum Peckum" and "Green and Grouse" are good. 

 Different Lochs have their favourite flies, but that which was best 

 on a certain Loch one season may not be equally good the next. 

 For instance, on Loch Awe, in Sutherland, the " Red and Teal " 

 was by far the best fly in June, two years ago last year, during 

 the same month, the trout would have nothing to say to it. But 

 perhaps this Loch is exceptional, for during June enormous rises 

 of May-fly come on, and the trout do not rise freely to anything 

 else. Only on one other Loch in this neighbourhood did I see any 

 quantity of May-fly ; on Loch Assynt, only three miles off, I never 

 saw even a solitary specimen. No doubt this accounts for the 

 trout on Loch Awe being exceptionally fine fish. On an ordinary 

 day they will average a pound and larger fish are not at all rare 

 while in Assynt, a Loch at least eighty times as large, the trout 

 only average three to the pound. 



I have found a small " Red Spinner" tied on a drawn gut very 

 useful on calm, bright days. By casting from the shore into the 

 rings made by the rising trout, good sport may be had. In 

 connection with this, I once saw a rather amusing incident. At 

 the bottom of Loch Assynt there are a number of springs, which 

 are continually throwing up large bubbles. These from a distance 

 appear exactly like fish feeding on the surface, and I once saw a 

 man wade carefully out to within twenty yards of these bubbles. 

 He then proceeded to offer them various flies, and fished most in- 



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