48 AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES 



in the fresh water, or from their having been engaged in spawning, 

 I cannot with certainty say. The impression, however, remains 

 with me that they had played a part on the breeding-grounds. 



Of ten dozen and upwards of sea- trout landed in February and 

 March on the banks of the Nairn, in 1837, one-third at least 

 consisted of lively, well-flavoured finnocks, such as I have de- 

 scribed. The flies employed in their capture were mostly of my 

 own fabrication. The brown-mallard and guinea-fowl feathers, 

 drake white-tips, the plumage of the turkey, woodcock, and 

 grouse, were principally run upon in winging them, and, along 

 with barn-fowl hackles of various shades, I employed peacock 

 and ostrich herls, floss-silks, and worsteds, with silver tinsels, 

 in making up representations of the feelers and bodies. Among 

 the floss- silks and worsteds I found the light-greens, blues, 

 oranges, and purples, carry the day. My after experience in 

 sea-trout fishing has led me to place great reliance on these 

 colours in certain conditions of water, on inland lochs especially ; 

 indeed, the large yellow trout, as well as the migratory species of 

 many lakes in the north of Scotland, will be found disposed to 

 take them. A small size of wire, say from No. 4 to No. 6 

 Adlington, I have always found to answer better in July and 

 August than what is usually recommended. In flooded rivers, 

 and to lakes highly ruffled, the larger sizes are, of course, better 

 adapted ; but the error in sea- trout fishing generally consists in 

 the using of too large and too gaudy flies. I must not omit to 

 say that the best killers I know of, taking them all in all, on 

 rivers frequented by white trout, are march-browns and white- 

 tops. In very clear water, a plain black hackle possesses, at 

 the mouths of rivers, a singular amount of attraction over the 

 finnock. 



My sport on the Nairn, during the latter half of April and 

 beginning of May, partook of some variation. Several snow- 

 floods occurred in the course of the first-mentioned month, but 



