TROUT-STALKING 145 



by the greatest skill ; but these are exceptional 

 places. Since we have laid it down that the trout- 

 stalker must exercise great care in approaching 

 the water, and experience difficulty in reaching 

 his casting position without the trout suspecting 

 his presence, we decide that the art is confined 

 to the smaller streams. 



On the River Ardle in Perthshire, above the 

 Bridge of Cally, there is a truly delightful piece 

 of water, a long pool formed by a cauld built diag- 

 onally across the stream. On the deep side heavily 

 bushed the trout lie in a gentle current. They 

 are not large, a pounder being most exceptional, 

 but they have a fair experience, that being a function 

 of age rather than of weight, and are therefore 

 well worthy of capture. On our first visit up the 

 stream we saw them, confident and secure, rising 

 lazily to take down flies and generally conducting 

 themselves after the manner of two-pounders, and 

 they at once acquired great importance. We 

 found that an attack from behind the tall bushes 

 was impossible to carry out, that the water at 

 the lower end was too deep to wade, and that walk- 

 ing along the top of the cauld exposed us to the 

 view of the trout. 



Next day we transferred our position to the 

 bottom of the stony bank, and thus failure was 

 converted into success. We waded through the 

 white rushing water, gradually lengthening line 

 as we advanced and as the pool broadened out, 

 until we were able to slip over the cauld into shallower 

 water, from which we fished out the pool to the 

 neck. On that occasion and thereafter, as a result 

 of these tactics, we took out an astonishing number 



