A FAVOURITE LOCH 293 



of long-doubtful issue landed our best fish for many 

 a year ; on that drift we took on one great day the 

 record basket of the season ; down yonder bed of 

 swaying reeds once we on a calm windless evening 

 had one memorable hour after sundown, when the 

 trout found the seductive floating fly completely 

 irresistible. 



With such thoughts crowding upon us we stand 

 impatiently by the shore of Loch Dochart, waiting 

 for the completion of the preparations necessary 

 before we may embark. We seem to be fortunate 

 in the weather, for the sun, long absent, promises 

 to shine through at intervals, and a fair breeze from 

 the West raises a good fishing ripple, and yet we 

 dare not allow ourselves to become too sanguine of 

 success. Autumn is fast approaching, while still 

 snow gleams white on Ben More, conclusive evidence 

 of the untoward conditions which have prevailed 

 during the season. The long-continued rains confer 

 one benefit in that the too abundant weeds are well 

 covered, and consequently the extent of fishing area 

 is greatly increased. 



It is not until we row out that we realise to what 

 degree the loch has lately been flooded ; the reeds 

 show that they have been entirely submerged, and 

 now the points, projecting a foot or more, display 

 an incrustation of fine dry mud, from which we 

 deduce that the rise in the water had been very 

 sudden and its subsidence equally rapid. 



We decide to try first the lagoon at the mouth of 

 the river Fillan, a usually fruitful part characterised 

 by deep water bordered by sandy shallows, on which 

 fish love to rest. It was formerly, and most prob- 

 ably still is, tenanted by trout of grand average 



