LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 171 



immediate practice. After hurrying over lunch, I stole 

 off to the gun-room, where I knew there hung a 

 four- join ted trout rod, which, when tied together, each 

 joint being separated by about a foot of string, I 

 was glad to find would hang round my neck, two on 

 each side of me, without showing below the skirts 

 of a long mackintosh coat. A short gaff being stowed 

 away up one of the sleeves, with fly-book and reel 

 in pocket, I hastened back to the river, taking care 

 that my departure was unseen ; and, though it was 

 hot work walking in the waterproof coat, it did not 

 take me long to reach my destination. 



Though the pool was only some three hundred yards 

 distant from the roadside, it was yet quite hidden 

 from view by high banks, but, nevertheless, taking 

 a careful look round to make all sure, and having 

 satisfied myself no one was in sight, I plunged down 

 the brae, and a short time afterwards a small "Jock 

 Scott," mounted on a yard of stout salmon gut, was 

 hanging from the end of the rod. 



Having left the gut to soak for a few minutes, I 



