LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 127 



After drifting some three-quarters of a mile from the 

 shore, the rises became few and far between ; the water 

 looked to us too black and deep for successful fishing, 

 but nevertheless, on hinting this, our boatmen assured 

 us to the contrary, while puffing their 'bacca. Con- 

 tinuing to flog away, nothing came until we neared the 

 shore, to which the wind was drifting us, and then as 

 soon as we passed into shallower water the fish again 

 commenced to rise. At the end of this long drift we 

 landed for lunch with sixteen trout, weighing thirteen 

 pounds, and as soon as our men were out of hearing, 

 we resolved to make but short drifts and keep near 

 the shore ; but as this entailed harder work, against 

 which our boatmen set their faces, we found it necessary 

 to promise them something extra if they would work 

 as we wished. This had the desired effect, while so 

 well did our plan answer that on reaching the pier 

 in the evening we had other thirty-one, or a total 

 of forty-seven, averaging a fraction under a pound 

 each. Delighted with our sport, we returned to our 

 hotel with very altered ideas of Loch Leven fishing, 



