46 AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES 



fly, with anything like patience, on account of them. In point of 

 numbers they not only greatly exceeded the fresh-water trout, 

 but completely eclipsed the black-fins, or genuine salmon-fry. 

 These orange-fins, however, all disappeared before the end of 

 June, a flood which took place in that month assisting them to 

 the sea. 



Previous to their descent, I caught in all, not far from the 

 tideway, about half-a-dozen finnocks, on two or three different 

 occasions. Shortly after they were gone, in the month of July, 

 a speedy increase took place in the numbers of these fish. They 

 also exhibited a corresponding growth, rising from one -third to 

 half a pound. 



In my diary I find entered the following details of sport : 

 13th July, eight finnocks and two dozen of fresh- water trout ; 

 15th ditto, thirty finnocks and five fresh-water trout ; 16th ditto, 

 twenty-eight finnocks and nine fresh-water trout; and on the 

 18th, fifty-four finnocks and fifteen fresh-water trout. On the 

 20th, 21st, and 23d, a flood having occurred, I changed, it 

 appears, my scene of operations to. a part of the river running 

 two or three miles above its discharge, and succeeded in captur- 

 ing eight fine sea-trout from 1J Ib. to 3 Ib. weight each, and a 

 small grilse. The finnocks had evidently not pushed up quite 

 so far. During the remainder of July and a large portion of 

 August, the river becoming affected by droughts, the sport was 

 indifferent. I continued occasionally, however, to pick out a 

 dozen or so of these small white trout betwixt the Cauld Dyke and 

 the sea. On the 22d of August, the river being slightly swollen, 

 I filled a large creel with them. From that date up to the close 

 of the season, my success was varied ; but it was chiefly to a 

 higher portion of the Nairn that I then directed my attention, 

 and the sport in consequence lay more among the adult sea-trout 

 and grilses. I observed, however, that in September, when the 

 annual close-time commenced, the condition of the finuocks was 



