MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS 265 



sometimes the first to introduce the dry fly, with 

 results which astonished the trout and the local 

 anglers, and were very gratifying to myself. In 

 the Highland river spoken of above there was 

 a long dark stretch, bordered by rocks and trees, 

 where the river flowed with a deep even stream, 

 carrying a few thin flecks of slow moving foam 

 upon its surface, but without a ripple. Here, 

 especially in the evening, some of the best trout 

 in the river used to rise. You might fish every 

 day for a week in the rougher water and never 

 hook a trout of one pound weight with a fly 

 and be very grateful for half-pounders, but in 

 this smooth deep part many of the trout were 

 upwards of one pound, and the average weight 

 was about three-quarters of a pound. Often 

 had I tried them with March-browns, and small 

 Heckum Peckums and the various patterns which 

 are attractive in the Highlands, but not one of 

 these particular trout would stand the sight of 

 my flies. . I continued to visit that river in my 

 summer holidays, and the time came when I 

 brought with me some drawn gut, some small 

 olive and red quills, and a single-handed rod 

 with which to cast them lightly. A pupil on 



