76 ANGLING SKETCHES 



rise shyly, like the others, but went for the fly if it 

 came at all near them, and then, down they rushed, 

 and bolted into the lily-roots. 



A new plan occurred to me. I put on about 

 eighteen inches of the stoutest gut I had, to the 

 end I knotted the biggest sea-trout fly I possessed, 

 and, hooking the next fish that rose, I turned my 

 back on the loch and ran uphill with the rod. 

 Looking back I saw a trout well over a pound 

 flying across the lilies ; but alas ! the hold was not 

 strong enough, and he fell back. Again and 

 again I tried this method, invariably hooking the 

 trout, though the heavy short casting-line and the 

 big fly fell very awkwardly in the dead stillness of 

 the water. I had some exciting runs with them, 

 for they came eagerly to the big fly, and did not 

 miss it, as they had missed the Red Quill, or 

 Whitchurch Dun, with which at first I tried to 

 beguile them. One, of only the average weight, I 

 did drag out over the lilies ; the others fell off in 

 mid-journey, but they never broke the uncom- 

 promising stout tackle. 



With the first chill of evening they ceased 



