78 ANGLING SKETCHES 



ing ground. On a summer evening the trout are 

 occasionally caught ; three weighing seven pounds 

 were taken one night, a year or two ago. I have 

 not tried the evening fishing, but at all other 

 times of day have found them the ' dourest ' of 

 trout, and they grow dourer. But one is always 

 lured on by the spectacle of the monsters which 

 throw themselves out of water, with a splash that 

 echoes through all the circuit of the low green 

 hills. They probably reach at least four or five 

 pounds, but it is unlikely that the biggest take 

 the fly, and one may doubt whether they propa- 

 gate their species, as small trout are never seen 

 there. 



There are two ways of enlarging the size of 

 trout which should be carefully avoided. Pike 

 are supposed to keep down the population and 

 leave more food for the survivors, minnows are 

 supposed to be nourishing food. Both of these 

 novelties are dangerous. Pike have been intro- 

 duced in that long lovely sheet of water, Loch 

 Ken, and I have never once seen the rise of a 

 trout break that surface, so ' hideously serene.' 



